Wedding, event, and rental terms, defined.

A rental arrangement where one booking party has sole access to the entire property for the duration of their stay. No other guests, no shared spaces, no day visitors outside the booking. Distinct from a venue rental (single-day use) and a resort booking (shared dining rooms and grounds).

See also: Whole-property rental

Peak season is the busiest, highest-priced window — June through September here. Shoulder season is the months on either side (October through May). Rates drop, the lake is quieter, dates open up.

A one-time fee added to the rental that covers full property turnover between guests — laundry, restocking, deep clean, hot tub reset. Separate from the nightly rate. Not refundable.

A refundable hold against the credit card on file (or a separate authorization) that covers accidental damage during the stay. Released within 7 days of check-out if nothing is broken.

A hold is a short window — usually 24 to 72 hours — where a date is reserved off the calendar while a guest finalizes plans. A hold does not require payment. A deposit does. The hold becomes a confirmed booking once the deposit lands.

See also: Hold dates

Renting both houses on the estate together — the 6-bedroom Lakeside House and the 2-bedroom Cottage — for up to 18 overnight guests. Includes every amenity: dock, beach, sauna, hot tub, pickleball court.

See also: Exclusive use

The shortest number of nights you can book. Two nights year-round; three nights on summer long weekends and for corporate retreats.

See also: Full booking policy

A wedding with a small guest count, typically 20 to 50 seated. Smaller than a traditional wedding, larger than an elopement. Focuses on close family and friends rather than a long invite list.

See also: Weddings

A wedding with just the couple, the officiant, and two witnesses (BC requires witnesses 19 or older). Sometimes a photographer. No reception, no guest list.

A wedding of 4 to 20 guests. Bigger than an elopement, smaller than an intimate wedding. Often a full ceremony and reception compressed into one location.

A Friday-to-Sunday rental that turns the wedding into a three-day event — rehearsal dinner Friday, ceremony and reception Saturday, brunch Sunday.

The spot where the actual vows happen. Most venues offer one; better venues offer two or three.

A pre-ceremony moment where the couple sees each other for the first time in private, usually with a photographer. Lets the emotional reveal happen before guests arrive and frees the cocktail hour for portraits.

The gap between ceremony and dinner — drinks, canapés, photos. Usually one hour.

Plated: each guest is served an individual course at the table. Higher staffing cost, more formal, slower.
Buffet: guests serve themselves from a spread. Lower staffing cost, faster, lighter on the catering team.

The wedding party is the people who stand with the couple during the ceremony — bridesmaids, groomsmen, officiant, ring bearer, flower kids. Separate from the broader guest list, which includes everyone invited.

The person who legally performs the marriage. In BC the officiant must be registered with BC Vital Statistics — a marriage commissioner, a religious official, or a single-event commissioner appointed for the day.

See also: BC marriage commissioner · BC marriage licence

A non-religious officiant appointed and registered by the Province of British Columbia to perform civil marriages. They show up, perform the ceremony, sign the paperwork, and submit it to BC Vital Statistics.

The legal document required for every wedding in British Columbia, regardless of where the ceremony takes place. Apply at any Service BC location or authorized licence agent.

• Cost: $100.
• Validity: 3 months from date of issue.
• Issued: same-day in most cases.
• ID: both partners need government-issued photo ID. Previously married? Bring divorce or death certificate.
• Witnesses: two, both 19 or older, sign on the day.

Source: gov.bc.ca — Marriage Licence

A liquor permit from the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) required when serving alcohol at a private event on private property.

• Filed online, roughly $25 for a private event.
• Apply 4 to 6 weeks before the date.
• The host applies (one of the couple, a parent, or a designated person 19+) — not the venue.
• Alternative: a licenced caterer can serve under their own liquor licence.

Source: LCRB — Special Event Permits

A short-term event insurance policy that covers the host (the SEP permit holder) for incidents tied to alcohol service or property damage during the event. Typical day-of policies run $150 to $400 depending on guest count.

See also: Special Event Permit

The provincial agency that maintains BC's official records — births, deaths, marriages. Officiants register with them; marriage certificates are issued by them.

Source: gov.bc.ca — Marriages

Local rules on amplified sound, typically restricting noise levels after a set hour. In the Cowichan Valley Regional District, evening amplified sound generally winds down by 10pm in residential areas.

The certificate is the official record of the marriage issued by BC Vital Statistics after the ceremony. The licence permits the marriage; the certificate proves it happened. They are not the same document.

See also: BC marriage licence

A corporate retreat for senior leaders — typically a small group (6 to 16) away from the office for 2 to 4 days. Mix of strategy work, decision-making, and team time. Different from a sales kickoff or all-hands.

See also: Corporate Events

Structured activities designed to improve team trust, communication, and connection. Can be facilitated workshops, shared meals, outdoor activities, or unstructured time together.

Corporate retreats here are booked for at least three nights. Two-night retreats burn most of day one on travel and day three on packing. Three nights gives a full middle day for the actual work.

Seating around a single rectangular or oval table so everyone faces inward and can see each other. Works for 8 to 12 people.

Rows of chairs facing a screen or stage, no tables. Used for presentations and talks where the audience is mostly listening rather than discussing.

A meal that doubles as a meeting — usually the longest one of the retreat. Different from a social dinner: agenda on the table, decisions made between courses, wrap-up notes before dessert.

A dry wood-lined sauna heated to around 80 to 100°C with low humidity. Different from a steam room (high humidity, lower temperature) and an infrared sauna (radiant heat, much lower air temperature).

A dock oriented to catch the setting sun. Different from north- or east-facing docks, which lose the sun mid-afternoon.

Lakefront: the land meets the water directly — no road, no public path, no other lots between the house and the lake.
Lakeview: you can see water from the property but don't necessarily touch it.
Oceanfront: saltwater shoreline (different ecosystem, different temperature, different cleanup).

A unit of land area. One acre is about 4,047 square metres or roughly the size of a football pitch.

A racquet sport played on a 20-by-44-foot court with a perforated plastic ball and solid paddles. Lower-impact than tennis, learnable in an afternoon, plays well across mixed skill levels.

Hot tub: a heated water vessel for soaking, typically 38 to 40°C, with jets.
Spa: broader category — can also mean a treatment facility.
Whirlpool: specifically describes the jets and is often used interchangeably with hot tub.

See also: Amenities