Reviewing Julie-Ann McCallum, Events Coordinator, Heather Anderson, Banquet Manager and Neil Kellock, General Manager, The Windermere Manor
Review is written by Staff @ The Ring and is based on • Interviews with this vendor • Interviews with past brides
The Windermere Manor opened its doors in 1991 as a venue to accommodate smaller, private parties, but it wasn't long before the demand to host weddings became apparent – something that The Ring isn't surprised by considering the historic architecture and picturesque surroundings (perfect for on-site photographs) that any bride could fall in love with. Though The Manor seems to be a hidden gem that's still undiscovered by many, they now host about seventy to eighty weddings per year and offer an all-in-one location for weddings that includes the on-site Wedding Coordinator, Julie-Ann McCallum, indoor and outdoor ceremony locations, custom designed menus, discounted guest rates for the on-site hotel, all tableware and choice of complimentary table linens and napkins, and much more.
We met with Julie-Ann, as well as Banquet Manager, Heather Anderson and General Manager, Neil Kellock to find out more about the accommodating and flexible Windermere team and the gorgeous, unique venue that has London brides highly recommending The Windermere Manor for other couples searching for a wedding location. Let us explain…
The history…
In 1991, The Windermere Manor opened its doors as a venue to accommodate smaller, private parties; but they soon realized that there was a demand from couples to host their weddings at this location. Since then, Windermere has hosted about seventy to eighty weddings per year, and growing, as more and more brides rave about how amazing this all-in-one wedding location and staff is.
The Manor is conveniently located within minutes of downtown London and only twenty minutes from the airport. They're also proud to be a partner member with Green Hotels Association. Having already introduced the use of bullfrog power in their Café, Windermere says they continually strive to provide an eco-friendly environment – including planning to implement a vegetable and herb garden to use for events.
Other contributions that Windermere has made throughout the community include providing gift certificates to local charities and fundraisers and providing breakfast for a local church once a month.
The experienced team of experts…
At Windermere there are so many people who are instrumental in pulling together a wedding for each couple. Julie-Ann, the Events and Wedding Coordinator, told us that the key players involved with a wedding (other than herself, of course) are Neil Kellock the General Manager, Hannah Coleby the Food and Beverage Manager, Jeff Brown the Executive Chef, Heather Anderson the Banquet Manager, Gwen Wu the Front Office Manager and Lei Zhang the Café Manager.
The team at Windermere has a vast range of experience from many different aspects of the hospitality industry. Julie-Ann is the one who meets with couples who want to book Windermere and she is also present on the wedding day, along with the Banquet Manager, Supervisors and Executive Chef to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Julie-Ann arrives at Windermere earlier in the day to ensure the set-up of the ceremony and dinner tables is completed correctly and to set-up things like the guest book, favours, candles, etcetera. She also communicates with vendors who are setting up (such as the DJ, florist and cake provider) to make sure everything is set-up on time and in the right place. Julie-Ann then meets and greets guests as they arrive, assists with any boutonnières or corsages and touches base with the bride to make sure she's ready to get the party started. Throughout the day Julie-Ann provides direction so everything runs smoothly for the ceremony and dinner service. If Julie-Ann is unavailable on the day of the wedding a Duty Manager will be on-site to coordinate the day.
Nancy Onderwater, who held her ceremony and cocktail reception at Windermere on July 4, 2008, told us that the staff "was incredible from day one!" Since Nancy knows that being a bride is hectic, exhausting and overwhelming she says it made a big difference to have someone who "understands and wants the best for your wedding… [they were] always available for every little question in the planning stages. Their suggestions to help pull it all together were amazing! They had an incredible calming effect and were incredibly organized."
Heather, the Banquet Manager, trained through the Hospitality Management program at Lambton College and has tons of hands-on experience from working at Windermere since 2003 as well as working at Five Star hotels abroad prior to that. She begins her shift for a wedding an hour before the ceremony and assists with coordinating the bridal party. Then she organizes the staff to pass out beverages or hors d’oeuvres if needed and prepares the staff for the dinner service. Heather oversees the dinner service and prepares the Grand Hall for a smooth transition from dinner to dance. She makes sure the cake is cut and served with any late night food. At the end of the night, she takes everything down and stores any leftover items for the couple to collect in the morning.
Food and Beverage Manager, Hannah, has worked at Windermere for eighteen years and has experienced a lot of weddings during this time. On a couple's wedding day The Executive Chef, Jeff, oversees all of the food preparation and makes sure that everything matches the event order. He also communicates with Julie-Ann and Heather regularly to ensure everything is to his high standard.
"The entire staff was absolutely wonderful on our wedding day," says Nancy. "They were able to anticipate our every need and went above and beyond to make our day very special." Sherry and Chuck Randall agree and say that meeting and working with the team was the best part of their experience with Windermere Manor for their February 2009 wedding ceremony and reception. "Chuck and I had a great experience with the staff at Windermere. We would definitely recommend them for weddings," says Sherry.
Accommodating and flexible wedding style…
The team at Windermere says they work with all brides – whether you're on a limited or endless budget, they have experience holding many styles of weddings - ethnic traditions, same sex couples, themed weddings, long distance weddings… or anything the couple wishes. Each wedding at Windermere is custom designed and can suit all tastes and budgets.
Neil agrees with this notion and adds that "no two weddings at Windermere are the same - we will tailor the ceremony and/or reception to the couple's expectations." Heather says that it's important for Windermere to make each wedding suit the personalities of its couples.
Windermere has had many different wedding styles come through its doors since they began hosting weddings and say that's because it can be decorated to suit a range of tastes. The Grand Hall can accommodate a simple wedding to a more lavish affair. The acoustics are also fantastic because of the high ceiling and wooden balcony, which allows for a range of entertainment whether that be a string ensemble, DJ, mariachi band, bag pipers, jazz or contemporary band or ethnic-style musicians.
The biggest reason that Nancy and her husband Jeff chose the Windermere Manor was because they could "accommodate the type of wedding we wanted to have, which was simple yet elegant," says Nancy. "The options were fairly straight forward and easy to choose from yet flexible to work with our wishes. There were so many simple added touches that were truly amazing."
Your personal planner…
One reason that the staff at Windermere think brides choose to host their weddings there is because with booking a ceremony or reception, they also get a personal, on-site wedding coordinator to assist with setting up and focusing on the details so that nothing is forgotten. From the early planning stages, Julie-Ann says that she works with the couples to make the process of planning their wedding as easy as possible, providing a list of recommended vendors, a wedding planning guide and floor plan upon booking.
Plus, with only one wedding booked at Windermere per day, the on-site wedding coordinator is all yours and is able to work closely with each couple to provide assistance right from the initial planning stages to coordinating on the big day.
With a coordinator like Julie-Ann on your side, it seems that couples' dreams are sure to come true at Windermere from the initial meeting with couples to the big day.
All-in-one wedding location…
Everything related to your wedding can be hosted at Windermere, or you can just hold your reception there if you choose – that's the beauty and convenience about this location and one of the reasons that many brides love it. At Windermere, you have the option of holding everything from engagement party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, ceremony (both inside and outside locations) and reception (including beautiful grounds for pictures), overnight accommodations (complimentary king suite for bride and groom) and brunch the morning after – they can accommodate everything.
This is perfect since Heather says that 90% of the couples who choose Windermere for their weddings want to have their ceremony on-site as well as their reception. She adds that more couples are also choosing to stay until the end of the reception, stay in their suite and have brunch with their guests the next morning – all things that Windermere offers its couples.
To give you a bit of a visual of how your day could happen at Windermere Manor (without even having to leave the grounds), here's a breakdown of some of the spaces that are offered…
Start with your ceremony on the outdoor patio, which is extremely popular with couples because it provides a natural backdrop for the ceremony. The Atrium can also be used for indoor ceremonies as a rainy weather back-up, or in the winter. It's a beautiful space with large windows.
The outstanding architecture and picturesque grounds with lovely gardens, lots of trees and a stone gazebo and bridge make fantastic backdrops for post-ceremony photographs. After photography you can head to the Grand Hall for your reception. The Grand Hall is described as a space with lofty ceilings, hand-cut beams, an oak balcony and a large wood-burning stone fireplace. And, you don't even need chair covers as Windermere has high-back, beautifully upholstered chairs. The unique layout of the Grand Hall allows for many different floor plans from large to small.
Then, after you've danced the night away you still don't have to leave the property as Windermere also conveniently offers an on-site hotel with forty-eight rooms and suites and has a special overnight rate for wedding guests, including a complimentary hot breakfast buffet the next morning and the opportunity to dine in the Windermere’s Café for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bride and groom also receive a complimentary king suite for their wedding night with a welcome gift and breakfast for two the following morning. This suite can also be used by the bride and her attendants to get ready in before the ceremony.
The food quality and gorgeous Grand Hall were just some of the options that Sherry and Chuck loved best about Windermere – not to mention the convenience of having an on-site hotel. Sherry described the North Room where their ceremony was held as "modern and full of lots of windows," whereas the Grand Hall was stately and classy and full of beautiful architecture and soft light.
Also included when you book your wedding at Windermere Manor…
• Wheelchair accessibility
• Complimentary parking
• Dining capacity of up to 120 guests for a sit down meal or 150 for a cocktail reception
• Custom designed menus unique to your wedding
• Experienced and continuous catering assistance
• Host or cash bar available
• Climate controlled dining and dancing area
• Printed hotel reservation invitation insert
• On-site spa service
• Complimentary one year anniversary overnight stay with dinner
• All tableware and choice of complimentary table linens and napkins
• Complimentary late night cake cutting service
• Podium and cordless microphone for speeches
• Signing table and chair, guest registry table, gift table and DJ table
• Wedding planning guide and recommended services upon booking
When we asked what the staff thought Windermere was best known for in the industry, they said it was the personalized attention to detail and exceptional food and service – something that brides seem to agree with. Nancy told us that the room where she and Jeff held their reception was "extremely elegant and breathtaking. It had incredible charm and style." She adds that Windermere is an absolutely beautiful venue with a very romantic atmosphere.
Walking you through it…
Email or phone Julie-Ann to book an appointment to take a site tour of Windermere. They recommend booking about one year to a year and a half before your wedding, but it never hurts to call and check their availability. During the first meeting Julie-Ann will also give you information about what is available when you book your wedding there. Once you've decided to book Windermere, Julie-Ann sends you a contract to sign and a $1000 non-refundable deposit is required to confirm. At this time you would also book the number of rooms needed in the hotel for you and your guests.
Then the planning fun begins! You choose your menu or create a customized menu and choose wedding vendors from Windermere's recommended list.
Three months before the wedding, you meet with Julie-Ann to finalize all of the details. Thirty days before, 50% of the payment is due and the remaining 50% is due fourteen days before the wedding. Decorations, favours and any other necessary details can be brought to the hall the day before.
The final price that Julie-Ann gives to brides and grooms includes a four or five course meal, full bar, taxes, gratuities and a suite. She says that the average bride spends $110 to $120 per person at Windermere. Heather adds that there are also opportunities for tailored pricing for Sunday weddings – they will try to work with any budget level.
"The quality of everything – service, food, and more" was well worth the price for Sherry and Chuck. And Nancy says that "The Windermere Manor's prices were very comparable to other venues we looked at. They were able to help us stay in our budget, which is extremely helpful. We received exceptionally good service and value for the price we paid."
Details, details, details
• Email or phone Julie-Ann about 1 to 1 and a half years before your wedding to book a site tour.
• A $1000 non-refundable deposit is required to book; 50% of the remaining payment is due 30 days before the wedding, and the last 50% is due 14 days before.
• The average bride spends $110 to $120 per person, which includes a 4 or 5 course meal, full bar, gratuities, taxes and a complimentary king suite.
• The Grand Hall holds 120 guests for a sit down meal or 150 for a cocktail reception with on-site indoor and outdoor ceremony locations also available.
The Windermere Manor opened its doors in 1991 as a venue to accommodate smaller, private parties, but it wasn't long before the demand to host weddings became apparent – something that The Ring isn't surprised by considering the historic architecture and picturesque surroundings (perfect for on-site photographs) that any bride could fall in love with. Though The Manor seems to be a hidden gem that's still undiscovered by many, they now host about seventy to eighty weddings per year and offer an all-in-one location for weddings that includes the on-site Wedding Coordinator, Julie-Ann McCallum, indoor and outdoor ceremony locations, custom designed menus, discounted guest rates for the on-site hotel, all tableware and choice of complimentary table linens and napkins, and much more.
We met with Julie-Ann, as well as Banquet Manager, Heather Anderson and General Manager, Neil Kellock to find out more about the accommodating and flexible Windermere team and the gorgeous, unique venue that has London brides highly recommending The Windermere Manor for other couples searching for a wedding location. Let us explain…
The history…
In 1991, The Windermere Manor opened its doors as a venue to accommodate smaller, private parties; but they soon realized that there was a demand from couples to host their weddings at this location. Since then, Windermere has hosted about seventy to eighty weddings per year, and growing, as more and more brides rave about how amazing this all-in-one wedding location and staff is.
The Manor is conveniently located within minutes of downtown London and only twenty minutes from the airport. They're also proud to be a partner member with Green Hotels Association. Having already introduced the use of bullfrog power in their Café, Windermere says they continually strive to provide an eco-friendly environment – including planning to implement a vegetable and herb garden to use for events.
Other contributions that Windermere has made throughout the community include providing gift certificates to local charities and fundraisers and providing breakfast for a local church once a month.
The experienced team of experts…
At Windermere there are so many people who are instrumental in pulling together a wedding for each couple. Julie-Ann, the Events and Wedding Coordinator, told us that the key players involved with a wedding (other than herself, of course) are Neil Kellock the General Manager, Hannah Coleby the Food and Beverage Manager, Jeff Brown the Executive Chef, Heather Anderson the Banquet Manager, Gwen Wu the Front Office Manager and Lei Zhang the Café Manager.
The team at Windermere has a vast range of experience from many different aspects of the hospitality industry. Julie-Ann is the one who meets with couples who want to book Windermere and she is also present on the wedding day, along with the Banquet Manager, Supervisors and Executive Chef to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Julie-Ann arrives at Windermere earlier in the day to ensure the set-up of the ceremony and dinner tables is completed correctly and to set-up things like the guest book, favours, candles, etcetera. She also communicates with vendors who are setting up (such as the DJ, florist and cake provider) to make sure everything is set-up on time and in the right place. Julie-Ann then meets and greets guests as they arrive, assists with any boutonnières or corsages and touches base with the bride to make sure she's ready to get the party started. Throughout the day Julie-Ann provides direction so everything runs smoothly for the ceremony and dinner service. If Julie-Ann is unavailable on the day of the wedding a Duty Manager will be on-site to coordinate the day.
Nancy Onderwater, who held her ceremony and cocktail reception at Windermere on July 4, 2008, told us that the staff "was incredible from day one!" Since Nancy knows that being a bride is hectic, exhausting and overwhelming she says it made a big difference to have someone who "understands and wants the best for your wedding… [they were] always available for every little question in the planning stages. Their suggestions to help pull it all together were amazing! They had an incredible calming effect and were incredibly organized."
Heather, the Banquet Manager, trained through the Hospitality Management program at Lambton College and has tons of hands-on experience from working at Windermere since 2003 as well as working at Five Star hotels abroad prior to that. She begins her shift for a wedding an hour before the ceremony and assists with coordinating the bridal party. Then she organizes the staff to pass out beverages or hors d’oeuvres if needed and prepares the staff for the dinner service. Heather oversees the dinner service and prepares the Grand Hall for a smooth transition from dinner to dance. She makes sure the cake is cut and served with any late night food. At the end of the night, she takes everything down and stores any leftover items for the couple to collect in the morning.
Food and Beverage Manager, Hannah, has worked at Windermere for eighteen years and has experienced a lot of weddings during this time. On a couple's wedding day The Executive Chef, Jeff, oversees all of the food preparation and makes sure that everything matches the event order. He also communicates with Julie-Ann and Heather regularly to ensure everything is to his high standard.
"The entire staff was absolutely wonderful on our wedding day," says Nancy. "They were able to anticipate our every need and went above and beyond to make our day very special." Sherry and Chuck Randall agree and say that meeting and working with the team was the best part of their experience with Windermere Manor for their February 2009 wedding ceremony and reception. "Chuck and I had a great experience with the staff at Windermere. We would definitely recommend them for weddings," says Sherry.
Accommodating and flexible wedding style…
The team at Windermere says they work with all brides – whether you're on a limited or endless budget, they have experience holding many styles of weddings - ethnic traditions, same sex couples, themed weddings, long distance weddings… or anything the couple wishes. Each wedding at Windermere is custom designed and can suit all tastes and budgets.
Neil agrees with this notion and adds that "no two weddings at Windermere are the same - we will tailor the ceremony and/or reception to the couple's expectations." Heather says that it's important for Windermere to make each wedding suit the personalities of its couples.
Windermere has had many different wedding styles come through its doors since they began hosting weddings and say that's because it can be decorated to suit a range of tastes. The Grand Hall can accommodate a simple wedding to a more lavish affair. The acoustics are also fantastic because of the high ceiling and wooden balcony, which allows for a range of entertainment whether that be a string ensemble, DJ, mariachi band, bag pipers, jazz or contemporary band or ethnic-style musicians.
The biggest reason that Nancy and her husband Jeff chose the Windermere Manor was because they could "accommodate the type of wedding we wanted to have, which was simple yet elegant," says Nancy. "The options were fairly straight forward and easy to choose from yet flexible to work with our wishes. There were so many simple added touches that were truly amazing."
Your personal planner…
One reason that the staff at Windermere think brides choose to host their weddings there is because with booking a ceremony or reception, they also get a personal, on-site wedding coordinator to assist with setting up and focusing on the details so that nothing is forgotten. From the early planning stages, Julie-Ann says that she works with the couples to make the process of planning their wedding as easy as possible, providing a list of recommended vendors, a wedding planning guide and floor plan upon booking.
Plus, with only one wedding booked at Windermere per day, the on-site wedding coordinator is all yours and is able to work closely with each couple to provide assistance right from the initial planning stages to coordinating on the big day.
With a coordinator like Julie-Ann on your side, it seems that couples' dreams are sure to come true at Windermere from the initial meeting with couples to the big day.
All-in-one wedding location…
Everything related to your wedding can be hosted at Windermere, or you can just hold your reception there if you choose – that's the beauty and convenience about this location and one of the reasons that many brides love it. At Windermere, you have the option of holding everything from engagement party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, ceremony (both inside and outside locations) and reception (including beautiful grounds for pictures), overnight accommodations (complimentary king suite for bride and groom) and brunch the morning after – they can accommodate everything.
This is perfect since Heather says that 90% of the couples who choose Windermere for their weddings want to have their ceremony on-site as well as their reception. She adds that more couples are also choosing to stay until the end of the reception, stay in their suite and have brunch with their guests the next morning – all things that Windermere offers its couples.
To give you a bit of a visual of how your day could happen at Windermere Manor (without even having to leave the grounds), here's a breakdown of some of the spaces that are offered…
Start with your ceremony on the outdoor patio, which is extremely popular with couples because it provides a natural backdrop for the ceremony. The Atrium can also be used for indoor ceremonies as a rainy weather back-up, or in the winter. It's a beautiful space with large windows.
The outstanding architecture and picturesque grounds with lovely gardens, lots of trees and a stone gazebo and bridge make fantastic backdrops for post-ceremony photographs. After photography you can head to the Grand Hall for your reception. The Grand Hall is described as a space with lofty ceilings, hand-cut beams, an oak balcony and a large wood-burning stone fireplace. And, you don't even need chair covers as Windermere has high-back, beautifully upholstered chairs. The unique layout of the Grand Hall allows for many different floor plans from large to small.
Then, after you've danced the night away you still don't have to leave the property as Windermere also conveniently offers an on-site hotel with forty-eight rooms and suites and has a special overnight rate for wedding guests, including a complimentary hot breakfast buffet the next morning and the opportunity to dine in the Windermere’s Café for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bride and groom also receive a complimentary king suite for their wedding night with a welcome gift and breakfast for two the following morning. This suite can also be used by the bride and her attendants to get ready in before the ceremony.
The food quality and gorgeous Grand Hall were just some of the options that Sherry and Chuck loved best about Windermere – not to mention the convenience of having an on-site hotel. Sherry described the North Room where their ceremony was held as "modern and full of lots of windows," whereas the Grand Hall was stately and classy and full of beautiful architecture and soft light.
Also included when you book your wedding at Windermere Manor…
• Wheelchair accessibility
• Complimentary parking
• Dining capacity of up to 120 guests for a sit down meal or 150 for a cocktail reception
• Custom designed menus unique to your wedding
• Experienced and continuous catering assistance
• Host or cash bar available
• Climate controlled dining and dancing area
• Printed hotel reservation invitation insert
• On-site spa service
• Complimentary one year anniversary overnight stay with dinner
• All tableware and choice of complimentary table linens and napkins
• Complimentary late night cake cutting service
• Podium and cordless microphone for speeches
• Signing table and chair, guest registry table, gift table and DJ table
• Wedding planning guide and recommended services upon booking
When we asked what the staff thought Windermere was best known for in the industry, they said it was the personalized attention to detail and exceptional food and service – something that brides seem to agree with. Nancy told us that the room where she and Jeff held their reception was "extremely elegant and breathtaking. It had incredible charm and style." She adds that Windermere is an absolutely beautiful venue with a very romantic atmosphere.
Walking you through it…
Email or phone Julie-Ann to book an appointment to take a site tour of Windermere. They recommend booking about one year to a year and a half before your wedding, but it never hurts to call and check their availability. During the first meeting Julie-Ann will also give you information about what is available when you book your wedding there. Once you've decided to book Windermere, Julie-Ann sends you a contract to sign and a $1000 non-refundable deposit is required to confirm. At this time you would also book the number of rooms needed in the hotel for you and your guests.
Then the planning fun begins! You choose your menu or create a customized menu and choose wedding vendors from Windermere's recommended list.
Three months before the wedding, you meet with Julie-Ann to finalize all of the details. Thirty days before, 50% of the payment is due and the remaining 50% is due fourteen days before the wedding. Decorations, favours and any other necessary details can be brought to the hall the day before.
The final price that Julie-Ann gives to brides and grooms includes a four or five course meal, full bar, taxes, gratuities and a suite. She says that the average bride spends $110 to $120 per person at Windermere. Heather adds that there are also opportunities for tailored pricing for Sunday weddings – they will try to work with any budget level.
"The quality of everything – service, food, and more" was well worth the price for Sherry and Chuck. And Nancy says that "The Windermere Manor's prices were very comparable to other venues we looked at. They were able to help us stay in our budget, which is extremely helpful. We received exceptionally good service and value for the price we paid."
Details, details, details
• Email or phone Julie-Ann about 1 to 1 and a half years before your wedding to book a site tour.
• A $1000 non-refundable deposit is required to book; 50% of the remaining payment is due 30 days before the wedding, and the last 50% is due 14 days before.
• The average bride spends $110 to $120 per person, which includes a 4 or 5 course meal, full bar, gratuities, taxes and a complimentary king suite.
• The Grand Hall holds 120 guests for a sit down meal or 150 for a cocktail reception with on-site indoor and outdoor ceremony locations also available.
