From the rehearsal dinner to the ceremony and reception, and following up with a post wedding brunch, the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo can host any or all of your wedding events. The long-standing reputation of the Delta Hotels & Resorts brand is likely one of the reasons brides love and recommend this venue, not to mention the immense size of their ballroom, impeccable service, on-site accommodations, and the flexibility to customize a menu to suit your tastes.

Kate Wight, Wedding Specialist at the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo, knows how important great service and quality food are to the bride, groom and their guests and she puts her experience to good use at this popular wedding location by helping each couple make plans for a dream wedding day. Staff at The Ring sat down with Kate at the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo to find out more about what they can offer for your wedding...

A story of success

Delta Hotels & Resorts boasts forty five city-centre, airport and resort properties, claiming a "Canada's leading first-class hotel management company" title. They also say they are the largest full service hotel in K-W, with Kate adding, "The service and the food have always set us apart from our competition. We have a long-term, consistent team who is passionate about providing great service."

Janelle and Bernie McCabe held their reception at the Delta for their June 2011 wedding, "Working with Kate was great. Kate's knowledge of the wedding planning process was great.  For a bride that had many worries and questions, Kate helped put my mind at ease. I didn't realized how much little detail goes into planning at wedding at first and I was very glad to have Kate there to answer my questions.  She really took all my worries away. The night of the wedding we had Ashley and her team serve our guests.  They did such a great job.  They kept things moving and I'm still getting compliments on what a great time people had."

Corry Sabourin experienced this service when he was staying at the Delta the night before his August 2010 wedding, which was held in their Grand Ballroom. He woke up at 4 am to his Mom snoring and says that the hotel staff gave him a complimentary room so he could get the sleep he needed before the big day.

Amy and Shaun Lomax say they were drawn to the Delta before even touring the facilities when looking for a ceremony and reception venue for their May 2010 wedding. "From my first contact with Kate and the rest of the Delta team, I was impressed with their organization, professionalism and commitment to outstanding customer service," adds Amy. "Of all the locations I contacted, by far, the Delta had the most impressive service."

Personally speaking...

Kate has been the Wedding Specialist at the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo for seven years. In that time, she has worked with hundreds of couples. She was once a bride herself so she understands the importance of your day. "It's the food, the service and the experience that your guests remember." Kate is inspired to go beyond your expectations and to make sure your reception is everything you hoped for (and more), which is why she works with you every step of the way. "Since most couples have busy work lives, we try to accommodate schedules whenever possible," says Kate of her flexibility.

Kate was great," Corry told us. "She was very accommodating and patient. We had many changes over time with our menu selection and guest numbers and Kate was more than willing to help us make things work."

Now that Amy and Shaun's wedding is over, Amy says she misses her now that she doesn't have an excuse to email her all the time. "I felt comfortable and at ease with Kate even before I met her," she adds. "She was always prepared, professional, friendly and committed to her job. I always felt like her most important bride, even though she was dealing with many of us at once."

Tanya Otten was thrilled with her June 2011 wedding day, "Without a doubt my fiance and I could not have put together our wedding without Kate and her team.  Kate knew everything about the Delta and how she could help, but she also had great advice with other vendors and expectations.  Kate was flexible with her schedule if ever I needed to come in for something and she also coordinated with my decorator for times to come in and complete the rooms."

What Delta offers

If you're expecting a lot of out-of-town guests, the Delta might be exactly what you need - they can accommodate overnight guests and the on-site restaurant, botaniCa, could host your rehearsal dinner. Or you may wish to hold your rehearsal dinner in one of their private banquet rooms for a more intimate atmosphere. If you're planning an entire wedding weekend, your guests would be hard-pressed to run out of entertainment options - the Delta has an on-site bowling alley, squash courts, (table tennis,) indoor pool, hot tub, sauna and mini-golf. The Delta's location in downtown Kitchener means that you can find the museum, market, one of a kind stores, dozens of dining options and beautiful Victoria Park (which could also be a great place for your wedding photos) only minutes away.

The amenities that Delta offered their guests was something that Amy and Shaun couldn't find anywhere else. "I have six nephews and loved showing them the bowling alley, mini golf and arcade," says Amy. "I don't know of any other area hotels or reception venues that can offer that."

One of the main reasons that Corry chose the Delta was because he and his wife had many guests coming from out of town and being able to have them stay at the same place the reception was held was ideal.

After the rehearsal and before the photos comes the ceremony, and if you want it to be in the same place as your reception, the Delta features the Trillium Suite, which is a poolside ceremony room. And they close the pool, add a floating fountain and set up chairs for your ceremony.

Mai Chee Warren had her ceremony and reception at the Delta KW. She told The Ring, "The selection we were offered from menues to table linens to room choices was unbelievable. Their ability to accommodate any size party and any food choice is great. My husband was a little hesitant about the buffet; which I really wanted, because he always felt that hotel buffets lacked in taste and variety but the Delta definitely proved him wrong. If there was any one compliment that we've received most about our wedding day, it would definitely be about the food."

Choosing your space

The Delta's wedding spaces have all been newly renovated and local bride Nicole says, "The changes that have occurred are amazing. The ballroom has been totally redone and it's beautiful! Very roomy, extremely comfortable, huge dance floor and very versatile colours that work well with whatever colours you have in your wedding." Kate told us, "The Delta is one of the last traditional wedding spaces in the area. The Ballroom has received all new carpet, wall treatments, wall sconce lighting and a refinished dance floor."

The Grand Ballroom holds approximately 300 people, the Kitchener Suite holds approximately 175, the Viking Suite holds approximately 100 guests and the Trillium Suite, which is poolside, holds approximately 90 for dinner and dancing.

The newly redecorated Grand Ballroom
• Holds approximately 300 guests for dinner and dancing.
• Has over 15 foot ceilings! Also features new wall sconce lighting, wallpaper, paint, carpeting and a newly refinished dance floor.
• Complimentary with 200 or more guests.

"The Ballroom was elegantly decorated, which allowed us to reduce overall decorations," says Corry. He adds that the Ballroom was fairly large, but even though he only had 120 guests, it didn't seem too big and allowed people a little bit more room around the tables.

Kitchener Suite
• Holds approximately 200 guests for dinner and dancing.
• Features a unique and stunning ceiling with multiple lights and an outside balcony located directly off the room.
• Complimentary with 100 or more guests.

Viking Suite
• Holds approximately 100 guests for dinner and dancing.
• Features neutral, light colours to offer an ideal backdrop for any style. Warm, natural light comes in through the windows.
• Complimentary with 60 or more guests.

Trillium Suite
• Used primarily for ceremonies by the poolside, and can hold up to 150 ceremony guests.
• $375 for your ceremony.
• Complimentary with 60 or more guests for your dinner.

Amy and Shaun held their ceremony, reception and some photos on-site at the Delta and say that the room where they held their wedding was "elegant and looked fantastic even before the decorating. If a decorator is out of the budget, the room would be perfect without any additional adornment."

Spending the night

After your reception, you and your new husband get the luxury of simply taking the elevator to your upgraded guestroom for some complimentary champagne, both of which are included when you book your wedding at the Delta. You can also reserve a block of 10 or more rooms for your guests to receive a discounted guestroom rate.

The Delta's botaniCa restaurant can also take care of your post wedding breakfast or private brunch before you flit off to your honeymoon. You and your guests can enjoy their hot breakfast buffet in their botaniCa restaurant on your wedding weekend for $12.49 per person, plus tax and gratuity. When you book your wedding, you'll receive 10% off for that Sunday.

Packages & amenities

All wedding packages include a suitably sized banquet room with centrepieces, white linen table cloths and napkins, all the white china, silverware and glassware you need, custom table menus with your engagement photo, on-site parking for your guests and a menu tasting for two prior to your wedding. The Delta's new flex back chairs are the latest in comfort for your guests and have an elegant look that doesn't always require the expense of chair covers.

Because the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo knows that wedding planning can sometimes be a hectic process, they offer all-inclusive wedding packages. The Celebration Package includes: a pre-dinner fruit punch reception, a traditional four-course meal with your choice of soup, salad, entrée and dessert, house wine during dinner, coffee and tea, host bar for four hours and a late night coffee station. Some traditional meal choices the Delta offers are mandarin orange salad, potato and leek soup, the always favoured chicken breast supreme, and specialties like apple chutney pork loin or herb-roasted turkey, plus several cheesecakes and other delectable desserts. This package starts at $92 per person, including taxes and gratuities.

The Royalty Package includes the same choices as above with an assortment of cold hors d'oeuvres added to the fruit punch reception, host bar for five hours and a deluxe four-course dinner with more exotic choices, such as Portobello mushroom salad, butternut squash soup, surf & turf, tortilla and herb-crusted salmon and tiramisu and truffle as just a taste of the deluxe desserts. This package starts at $112 per person, including taxes and gratuities.

"I loved how all of their options were just that, 'options'," says Amy. "If we weren't satisfied with the meal and midnight snack packages, they were willing and open to customize the menu to our liking, while keeping the prices reasonable." In fact, Amy and Shaun felt the prices were very competitive and that the value was much greater than they were charged. "People still tell me how much they loved the food!"

"The menus provided by the Delta are guidelines but you are welcome to create your own menu to suit your taste and budget," says Kate.

Corry loved the wide array of dinner options that Delta had to choose from and says that being able to customize the dinner, appetizer and bar selections was a great feature. "Being able to add our homemade wine was great as well," he adds. "The value for what we received was greater than the price that we paid in the end... we would definitely recommend Delta K-W to another couple planning their wedding."

The Delta can also custom design an ice carving for your reception, complete with set-up and lighting, and they have an on-site audio visual specialist that can accommodate your rental equipment requirements for a slide show.

Wine corkage fees are $8 per 750 mL bottle and a Special Occasion License is required for homemade wine brought in.

Walking you through it

Kate recommends booking one year in advance, but they can, and do, accommodate last minute bookings (subject to availability) up to two weeks before the event. Once it has been determined that the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo is available for your day, book an appointment to tour the facility, discuss your needs and review the packages. When you decide that the Delta Kitchener-Waterloo is right for you, meet with Kate to take care of the contract, deposit and figure out your plans.

Every couple also enjoys a complimentary sample meal about two months prior to their wedding, which is based on the meal you selected for the reception, including portion sizes. You have an opportunity to meet the chef and fill out a feedback form to make sure the meal is exactly as you wish.

Whatever package you end up choosing from Delta's selections, Kate advises that you and your groom "make sure that you take a few minutes during the day to just savour it. It's gone before you know, and you worked so hard on it; take a step back and just enjoy the fruits of your labour."

Amy and Shaun are sure that if you book your wedding at the Delta K-W you can do just that. Recommending the Delta to other couples, Amy says that "every single part of my experience with the Delta was beyond anything I could have expected. It was a pleasure dealing with people who genuinely care and appreciate your business... the Delta is perfect based on their competitive price, outstanding value, central location with plenty of nearby amenities, excellent banquet and hotel facilities, and outstanding customer service. It also helps that the food is amazing and the staff will go out of their way to assist you in any way possible."

Details, details, details

• Kate recommends booking 1 year (or more) ahead of your desired wedding date. If the Delta is available, they can accommodate last-minute bookings up to 2 weeks before the day of the wedding.
• A $2000 non-refundable deposit holds your date at the Delta.
• The second payment of 20% of the expected revenue is required 4 months prior to your wedding date.
• The third payment of 50% of the expected revenue is required 60 days prior to your wedding.
• 3 business days before your wedding, the remaining balance is due.
• Friday or Sunday weddings receive special discounts.
• Refer your friend or family member to the Delta for their event and receive $250 cash following their wedding date.