The reception is catered through our choice from your catering partner, with bartenders on site?

Correct! The caterer you choose from our options supply all food service staff ($), the venue provides all bar service and bartending staff at no additional cost.

Besides selecting meals or add-ons are there any additional charges for staff, bartenders?

Venue staff responsible for the venue setup/teardown and beverage service are included, with a venue coordinator managing the service side of your event. Staffing for food service/catering is charged in addition to the food price per head and will be quoted based on service style and guest count. 

A day-of coordinator is highly advised to oversee your event-specific logistics and coordination including decor setup/teardown that is booked externally to the venue. 

What would the cost range be for catering and drinks?

We advise budgeting ~$100-120/person for food and ~$50/person for beverages. This is an average cost for wedding venues in the Bow Valley, prices may fluctuate based on the options you select and guest consumption.

What is the catering menu?

Are children and our vendors counted in the guest count? Do children's meals cost the same as adults? 

We have 2024 catering menus linked on our Investment Guides for 2024/2025. Please inquire for details. Clients have a choice from our five catering partners who are all local to Canmore and highly experienced in catered events. 

All our catering partners have a kids menu available. Kids are between 2-12 years of age and will count towards final numbers for seating. We have high chairs available at request for infants under 2.
Your vendors such as photographer, DJ and coordinator will all require vendor meals as part of their booking contract. We can set a vendor table and these will not count towards your final numbers. 

Is the venue accessible for someone mobility impaired? Can someone with a cane or walker move easily between the indoor area and outdoor?

Do you know when the venue is expected to be done? And when a tour would be possible? 

Is there a getting ready area on site?

Do we need a wedding planner or coordinator?

The venue space has an accessibility elevator to access both levels of the building easily. The outdoor patio are easily reached at the front of the venue without any stair access.

The first weddings at The Gem start from July 2024. We are actively booking for 2024 and 2025, and can schedule venue tours anytime that you plan to visit the Mountains! Reach out to us on the inquiry form below to set this up with the venue coordinator. 

There is no getting-ready room inside The Gem itself, however there are 10 condo units available for rent adjacent to the venue and we highly recommend booking these for yourself, guests and designated wedding party rooms. These accommodations are booked externally from the venue.

This is not something we require, however highly advise! The venue takes no responsibility for setup or teardown of any external items that are not booked through us. Any ceremonies booked with us do not include cueing of music, decor/floral setup, seating arrangements, or guest logistics. 

If you are interested in adding coordination services, this can be provided by Rocky Mountain Weddings and Events. Please inquire for pricing and availability. 

Is it possible to get some pictures from inside the venue?

We have more photos coming soon as the construction development progresses. Please reach out to events@thegem.ca to request a virtual walk-though video pre-construction. 

In-person venue tours can be scheduled for any day of the week in advance. 

Can we push the closing time to later?

Closing time is firm at 2 am as per town bylaw and cannot be negotiated. Last call is 1:30 am, all guests have to be off site at 2 am latest so the cleaning team can come in. With prior permission, we can allow certain items that are packed up to be left overnight and collected by 9am the following day as long as it doesn't prohibit or limit the post-event clean. No food items can be saved on site. 

MISCELLANEOUS

Are there rooms available to get ready in on-site or do we just rent all the rooms and decide on our own? 

They can definitely be used for getting ready, your booking would need to be a 2-night stay as check in only opens at 4pm.

How do your onsite rental rooms work?

We connect you directly to the management company who oversee these properties, the booking is made through them and they work on a first-come-first served basis for booking

Could they be included in a package or are they separate?

Currently we are not affiliated with these accommodations, or any other location, so all bookings are made externally to the venue and are subject to availability

TRANSPORTATION

What about ceremony logistics? Do you provide transportation to off-site ceremony locations?

We do not currently offer this package, however recommend reaching out to Banff Sedan, Patagonia Chauffeur or Three Sisters Taxi for a quote. There is no parking permitted at either outdoor ceremony location we offer and private transportation must be booked. 

How do the shuttles into Banff and Canmore work? Would it be one shuttle at the end of the night or would it be available more often?

We have a partnership for a late-night shuttle with Patagonia Chauffeur - Up to 4 Hours (10pm-2am) = $900 Flat rate. 1 evening shuttle, up to 120 guests

Evening/night Shuttles:
 Up to 4 Hours = $900 Flat rate. 1 evening shuttle, up to 120 guests
 Up to 4 Hours = $1,500 Flat rate. 2 evening shuttles, Over 121 to 220 guests

Usually, our evening shuttles operate from 10:00pm to 02:00am, these runs back and forth unlimited times, between the reception to multiple hotels/airbnbs within the Town of Canmore. Extra fees may apply for Banff.