A Wedding in Winter:

Couple has Wedding at Hotel Made of Ice

     It was at a ‘black out’ party during an major ice storm in Quebec, Canada that Kristin, 27, and Anthony, 32, met. It seemed only fitting that their wedding five years later was inside a hotel made of ice.

     “We credit snow and ice for our relationship. If it wasn’t for the ice storm, we would never have met,” says Kristin.

     The couple, who hail from Montreal, said they were truly in awe when they visited the Ice Hotel in Quebec City, Canada for the first time a day before their wedding. After their visit they were ecstatic that the chose a wedding in winter at the ice hotel.

     “We walked in and we were in absolute amazement. Everywhere you turned there were ice sculptures and carvings in the walls,” says Kristin. “Then we discovered the chapel, which was like a dream with its fur covered ice pews, ice altar, and ice stars carved into the walls.”

     The morning of the wedding, the couple along with the majority of their 60 guests, boarded a bus and headed to the Quebec Winter Carnival where they enjoyed several hours of frolic in the snow.

     “I thought this would be the best way to entertain our guests, since all of our guests were from out of town – many coming from Ontario,” says Kristin.

     After a full day at the Winter Carnival, guests returned to their rooms to freshen up while Kristin and Anthony got ready for the main event.

     A half an hour before the ceremony, the couple was given a surprise visit by the Bonhomme Carnival, who came to greet them at the hotel made of ice.

     “Anthony’s parents had arranged for him to come and wish us well. It was an amazing photo shoot. The hotel was packed with people and our whole guest list was in on the surprise, so they all got to see the looks on our faces when the mascot walked in,” says Kristin.

     After the snowman with the bright red toque left the premises, the wedding ceremony got underway.

     “We made sure everyone knew to dress very warmly. It was actually quite toasty in the chapel once it was full of people,” says Kristin.

     Following the short ceremony, the couple was given a surprise send-off.

     “We got to the front of the hotel to find a red-carpet, lined with people holding sparklers, leading to a nice heated van,” says Kristin. “We had planned on walking to the reception lodge, but this was a very welcome surprise!”

     The reception was held at a lodge at the Duchesnay Resort, which was located next to the ice hotel. After a sumptuous dinner, the guests danced and mingled until after midnight.

     When the party was over, the couple didn’t crawl into a cozy hotel bed like most newlyweds do. Instead they slept on a bed made of ice at the ice hotel.

     “The bed was surprisingly warm,” says Kristin, who adds that the sleeping bag for two was the thickest she had ever seen.

     Kristin says her wedding in winter was even better than she could ever have imagined. 

     “It was a surreal experience. From the first moment that I walked into the frosty, hazy air of the hotel made of ice, I felt like I was in a dream. Anthony and I had such a fun weekend with each other and with our guests. We were so glad that we took a few days to enjoy it all. From the tips of our frozen toes, to the ends of our Rudolph-red noses, we were happy!” says Kristin.