For thirty-nine years, Dundee Country Club has been home to countless K-W and Cambridge area couples' weddings. With ceremony and reception options, cocktail hours by the fireplace, photos by the pond, complimentary tastings, flexible catering and bar options, beautiful banquet rooms and an attitude that's all about you, Dundee Country Club makes it easy for a couple to want their wedding here. "We cater your day, your way," says Diana Gysbers, who helps organize and execute many of the weddings that take place every weekend. After watching couples tie the knot at Dundee Country Club for several years now, staff at The Ring were excited to finally have our chance to interview and review the staff and facilities for ourselves. Here's what we found...

Weddings with Dundee Country Club

Just a few minutes West of Kitchener, Dundee Country Club is a Golf North Property run by General Manager, Todd Majaury. To the public who come from the local community, Dundee offers an eighteen hole golf course with ninety-seven acres of green hills, ponds and forest in the New Dundee area. To brides and grooms who want to plan the perfect day, Dundee offers a long list of reasons to get married here.

Diana Gysbers, the Food & Beverage ManagerEvents Coodinator is the one in charge when it comes to planning and is often the first contact for couples at Dundee Country Club. Diana has been doing event planning for four years, the last two of which have been at Dundee and she loves to be involved with every step along the way.

Diana meets with the couple and organizes many of the details that go into their wedding. She works with couples and Dundee staff to make sure that everyone is on the same page in regards to menu, set-up, accommodations and décor - among other essential details. Diana says Dundee's philosophy is that anything is possible, "We'll find a way to make it work whenever we can." In fact, Diana adds that at Dundee all you have to do is give her a budget and a number of guests and she'll make it work for you.

This was certainly the case for Ryan and Lynn Perry who had their October 2008 wedding photos and reception at Dundee Country Club. Lynn told The Ring, "[They were] able to work with us and show us easy ways to stretch our budget to fit our party ideas." She adds that, on top of that, Dundee’s prices were absolutely unbelievable, "we were able to obtain services that were completely out of our price range at other venues."

Katie Bell, a May 16th 2008 bride, described her experiences with the Dundee Country Club for her wedding. "[They] always made me feel like an individual, not just another wedding that they had to deal with. They were always available when I had to ask a question and even sent emails to touch base when it had been a while since we last chatted! About a month before our wedding... they went out of their way to search around... that was certainly not in the job description but showed just how much they cared and helped to keep me calm and level headed so close to the wedding!"

"The staff at Dundee were fabulous. They were very professional and helped us in every step along the way," Scott and Melissa Kelterborn told us. Scott and his groomsmen played golf the morning of his August 2008 wedding at Dundee, and later held their reception there.

Diana says she'll be on-site for the entire day and night of your event. There are no worries about the reception. She'll coordinate with your other wedding professionals and Master of Ceremonies to ensure a smooth and stress-free day. Chloe, married to Colin at Dundee June 23rd 2007, told staff at The Ring that she was an emotional wreck on the inside for the entire day leading up to their arrival at the club. "... By the time we got to Dundee, I'm sure they could tell... Their confidence and friendly attitudes were definitely reassuring." By the end of the wedding process, Chloe and Colin say they felt like they were close friends with those at Dundee.

Ryan and Lynn told The Ring that Dundee "was extremely thorough and professional before, during and after our event." Lynn adds that the staff they worked with suggested ideas for their reception that they hadn’t thought of and made themselves very available during the reception, dealing with all of their last minute requests.

Two wedding spaces, two wedding styles

One of our favourite things about the Dundee Country Club is probably the fact that just about any bride and groom coming through their doors can find a space they love. The club offers two banquet rooms to choose from, each with their own entirely unique look, colour palette and overall style.

The Claymore Hall has a high peaked ceiling, wooden features, white walls and a ton of natural light that comes in from its balcony and wall of windows. The space would work with both a more traditional wedding and a newer elegant (but contemporary) style. It can host up to 180 people for a ceremony (using theatre-style seating) and a sit down dinner reception.

The Cairngorm Hall has a great L-shaped design, a large mahogany bar, a fireplace, a mix of light and dark colours, and plenty of natural light shining in its large windows. This space can seat up to 130 guests for a wedding ceremony and reception.

Both reception spaces are separate from the club areas, meaning you can have the atmosphere of a country club wedding without the worry of running into any of the Dundee members or other events at the Club on your wedding day.

Ryan and Lynn told us that the room they held their reception in was perfect. "There was always something for everyone... a quiet seating area... a busy dance floor offered our friends a place to dance and be rowdy; while the lounge seating provided those attendees who needed to get off their feet an opportunity to rest and talk."

When couples host their ceremony and reception at Dundee, they do so with the peace of mind that their wedding day is the only one taking place there on that day. Diana says that they limit the site to one wedding so that their entire staff can focus on making sure that the day goes perfectly. While they sometimes have tournaments or banquets at the same time as your wedding, Diana says that they won't interfere with his planning because the needs are entirely different.

We were told that frequently, couples will rent the smaller banquet room for the ceremony and the larger room for the reception." But with the right set-up, décor and guest count, either room could be used for either purpose. Diana recommends that couples just relax and let Dundee staff handle the logistics of two events in one location.

Scott and Melissa told us that the banquet hall where they hosted their wedding reception was "a large open room with a warm intimate feeling where everyone feels included." Scott adds that Dundee’s options were awesome "from flexibility of the menu and bar to the various banquet halls... The food, service and planning was excellent and if we had to do it again we wouldn't change a thing."

Take it from the top

Dundee Country Club is happy to accommodate requests for wedding rehearsals if you'd like to have your wedding party take a trial run before the big day. The only thing to keep in mind is that they cannot guarantee that the space will be available for your rehearsal date until about a week in advance (due to tournaments, etc.), so you may need to be flexible with timing. Diana recommends choosing a different day for the rehearsal, such as Thursday instead of Friday.

Taking it outdoors

Being a country club, Dundee's water features, big trees and rolling hills are perfect for wedding day photo shoots. There is no cost to have your wedding photos shot on-site, however there are some limitations on where they can take place on the grounds. Diana can go over this in your meeting with him so that you, your photographer and Dundee are on the same page.

Extra, extra

Dundee Country Club weddings come with a number of great options and extras that can help couples make their weddings unique.

House wines (Pelee Island wine, cabernet and chardonnay) can be served with custom labels that the bride and groom design. This is done through Pelee Island, who will work with the couple on the final design. There are dozens of samples to choose from, or couples have the option to create their design from scratch. Custom labels are used for the table wine (not the bar wine) with bottles running about $25 each, plus taxes and gratuities.

You also have the option of bringing in your own wine, if you prefer. To be able to do this, you will need a special occasions permit and the bar would close while your wine is being served. Corkage fees at Dundee are $11 per bottle and is served by the Dundee Country Club staff.

Dundee has great bar options, allowing couples to run a cash bar, loonie bar and toonie bar. There are no cake cutting and serving fees, which isn't very common. Diana says Dundee's hallmark is their flexibility and accommodation across the board. "The staff, the menu, the options... We like to say 'we cater your day, your way'."

A taste of the menu

Dundee Country Club gives all couples a wedding package with menu samples inside. Diana says that these menus can be used to the letter or used as a list of options and suggestions - more like guidelines. "Our chef is happy to work with you to create your ideal menu." Once the bride and groom decide what they'd like to serve for dinner, Diana can price it out. Or they can work backwards, if you prefer, using your budget to create your menu. They also offer glutten-free menu choices and can help with all of your dietary needs.

Tim and Sylvia Moore told staff at The Ring that their Dundee Country Club wedding came with excellent food and service. "They kept circling the floor making sure everyone had what they needed..." Tim and Sylvia's menu consisted of Caesar salad, carved inside round beef with gravy on the side with oven roasted potatoes, beans and carrots. They told us the excellent service and food were what stood out most in their memory of Dundee. In fact, Sylvia added, "I even had a groomsman tell me that was the best roast beef he had ever eaten and would marry the chef who made it!"

Their very mix-and-match menus are available as well as reception packages. Dundee also has an hors d'ouevres list for cocktail receptions. We were told that the L-shaped Cairngorm Hall is the most popular choice for a cocktail reception. "We can set up food stations throughout the area so your guests can mingle as they like, in and amidst the stations."

Every couple who books with Dundee Country Club gets a complimentary tasting of their selected meal one month before their event. You are welcome to bring along guests (parents, the Maid of Honour or Best Man). The tasting cost is $20 per person with no charge for the bride and groom. "Tastings are so important... They help to confirm selections and show you what style of food presentation you can expect on your wedding day."

Dundee décor

Except for chair covers, Dundee provides you with all of your linens - table cloths, overlays in dozens of different colours and napkins to match. From there you can bring in the decorator of your choice or handle the rest yourself. Diana is able to recommend other professionals to help out. "The people that I recommend are the same people that The Wedding Ring reviews." Tim and Sylvia used Decorating Dreams for the décor and told us, "The room looked stunning!"

Tasha Moore, married April 11 2008, told The Ring that she worked on her Dundee wedding with the helpful staff. "The staff were there the day of the wedding to make sure that nothing went wrong. They offered the office to the bridal party for before and after the ceremony... The place looked gorgeous and the food was amazing!"

Pricing it out

Rental for either hall is $500 unless you choose to forego a bar - in which case rental is $1000. If you are getting married on a non-Saturday, a discount applies. This price includes your linens, set-up, clean up, head table skirting, gift and cake tables, bartender and wait staff and SOCAN fees. To host your ceremony at Dundee as well, there is a $300 fee, which includes all of the required chairs set up how you want them. Wine, punch and a coffee & tea station start at $25, with meals ranging from $26 to $44 per person before bar options.

One of the biggest reasons that Scott and Melissa chose Dundee was because they felt it was a high quality facility for a very reasonable price.

Teeing up

Golf can even be worked into your wedding package, if you know it's something you want to take advantage of. Whether you're looking for a membership to this or any Golf North Property, or a round of golf for the boys (or girls) before the wedding, Diana can set you up. "Golfing is a popular bachelor party alternative," he says, "We have a number of grooms who will plan a golf tournament for their party and friends. We also often have stag and doe tournaments."

Starting at $44 for a round of golf ($55 on weekends), Dundee's course is a par 72 that is "Tough and challenging... On a rating scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most difficult course, Dundee Country Club is an 8."

Booking Dundee Country Club

Your best bet is to book 6 to 12 months in advance, though some 2010 dates are still available. But like most halls, they're happy to take last minute bookings. "We can accommodate your event with up to one month's notice if we have the space available."

Dundee hosts an average of 35 weddings per year and you can have your event at Dundee Country Club any day of the week, and at any time of year. The golf course, as you can imagine, isn't open in the winter, but the banquet facilities are. Diana says they also host corporate functions, Christmas parties, showers, stag and does and just about any other special event you can think of.

A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due at booking, with post-dated payments of $1000 each due 6 months and 3 months before the wedding. A week before the wedding, when all details are finalized, they will provide you with an invoice outlining the balance. The balance is due the week after the wedding.

Details, details, details

• They recommend booking 6 to 12 months ahead, especially for a Saturday wedding.
• $500 holds your date at Dundee, with $1000 due 6 months before the wedding, and another $1000 due 3 months before.
• Your balance will be given to you a week before the wedding, and is due a week after the big day.
• Taxes and gratuities are not included in the price, and menu prices are secured for 1 year after putting down a deposit.
• You will need to confirm your guest numbers and menu options no later than 7 days ahead of the wedding.

In other words...

"I would recommend Dundee for the service, the food and the beautiful rooms they have... I really liked the entire wall of windows." - Mrs. Sylvia Moore

"I genuinely loved our entire experience with the Dundee Country Club, and I was more than happy to give them a fantastic review. We saw many hotels and golf courses, and had lots of phone and email contact with managers of potential venues. By far, the most accommodating were the staff at the Dundee Country Club. They understood that we were in kind of a tight [5 month] time frame, and made all of the details completely stress-free. During our first viewing of the event space, we were introduced to the head chef and were told that basically, in every aspect of our wedding reception, we could do anything we wanted, and that their menus were mostly just suggestions..." - Chloe Lobsinger

In touch with Dundee...

Dundee Country Club is open to all inquiries and welcomes all phone calls to 519-696-3257 extension 30 - ask for Diana Gysbers. She's also available at any time of the day if you write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and will reply as soon as she can. Dundee Country Club is located at 1801 Queen Street North in New Dundee and if you are interested in viewing the grounds and halls for yourself, make sure to book an appointment with Diana for a visit. For a photo gallery and other information, visit www.golfnorth.ca.