Village News

Fifty years ago many wedding receptions took place in church basements or gymnasiums. Today’s couples have a wide variety of venue options to consider as they plan their wedding. Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) has been in the wedding-hosting business for quite some time, and our offering of venues has recently increased.

On January 20 and 21 we will again have an exhibit at the Wonderful Wedding Show at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg. We will be promoting the numerous unique venues available at MHV. For anyone who has fond memories of time spent at our museum or has a specific interest in a heritage setting, our facility has much to offer.

Those preferring to be married in a church have two locations to consider. Our Old Colony Worship House, built in 1881, offers a beautiful timber-frame structure for a truly elegant ceremony. Our 1920s-vintage Lichtenau Church is quaint and reminiscent of a more-recent and traditional era. Each structure offers an acoustical quality that eliminates the need for a public-address system.

Couples interested in a less-traditional setting for their ceremony have numerous options. Over the years, we have seen wedding ceremonies take place beside the windmill, on the deck of the windmill, in a barn, on our Main Street in front of the Blacksmith Shop, beside the constantly flowing artesian well, and many other places. We try to accommodate any requested location.

Wedding receptions are largely held in our Auditorium or in our new Summer Pavilion. With its glass overhead doors, the latter offers an “outdoor” feel with protection from unpredictable weather. The more traditional Auditorium provides air-conditioned comfort and beautiful cedar beams and ceiling. On occasion, wedding receptions have even been held at picnic tables under shade trees in our outdoor food court.

Wedding photo opportunities at MHV are second to none. Our heritage buildings, pond, trees, white fences, windmill, and even the animal pens provide great backgrounds for these memory-making photos. (On a recent occasion we observed the donkeys photobombing a wedding photography session.) Our log house with its newly thatched roof offers another unique background.