S4E05 - Love Outside the Lines: Unique Places to Get Married

This week we are chatting with Jamie (he/him) from Fort Common, a local venue in the heart of Downtown Victoria, BC. We touch on the intricacies of wedding planning, focusing on the importance of vendors, the unique characteristics of different venues, and the growing emphasis on sustainability. 

We share insights on the creative potential of the Fort Common venue compared to Royal Roads, the challenges of outdoor weddings, and personal anecdotes that highlight the unpredictable nature of wedding days. 

Inquire with Fort Common

Fort Common Instagram

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome to That's Rad Life, Love and Wedding Planning in the Pacific Northwest, where our goal is to educate and elevate. I am Radhika, planner and owner of Radications, and today I'm joined by Jamie from Bort Common, one of the many unique outdoor venues here in Victoria, BC. Welcome to the show, Jamie. Appreciate you joining us today.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

Thank you so much. I'm just so honored to be asked to be on your podcast. It's a pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

I felt like it was a no-brainer. We've worked together for how many years? I've lost count. I

SPEAKER_02 0:40

know. I was thinking back to offer wedding, which must have been, it must have been the summer of 2018, which is when I first began at Royal Roads. Going back seven years, I think there was a little gap there because some global event happened. Oh, I

SPEAKER_03 0:53

know.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

Whatever that was. What was

SPEAKER_03 0:56

that?

SPEAKER_02 0:56

I know. But yeah, no, we have been, I think probably you and I have worked together on the most weddings, at least that I've hosted at venues. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

And we've got a good run going. And you're in the office right now?

SPEAKER_02 1:07

In the office right now. Yeah, it's been a bit of a crazy morning. We've got some tenants moving in, so I've tried to huddle away from the quiet, away from the hustle and bustle.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Well, I really appreciate it. And you did mention that we were at Royal Roads together, and you were in the capacity of a venue coordinator just as you are at Fort Common. Can you tell me, between the two venues, if you know of any similarities or differences?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Yeah, for sure. I mean, the two venues between the Fort Common and Hatley Castle at Royal Roads University two very different style venues. Hatley Castle, obviously one of the premier wedding destinations in BC.

UNKNOWN 1:48

It's

SPEAKER_02 1:48

It's a bleeding castle, for goodness sake. It is incredible. It's absolutely stunning. But along with being a wedding venue, there are a number of different stakeholders there. Of course, it's situated at Royal Roads University. It's also a National Historic Site. So there are a number of stakeholders that have competing access to the castle, and you've seen that on wedding days. you know it's it's a management of of all the different activities that are happening on that beautiful campus uh with weddings whereas the fort common uh we're an urban courtyard located right downtown um you know Very different style, whereas Hatley might be a little bit more formal and quite grand and elegant. The Fort Common perhaps is a little bit more casual. It's open air, a little bit more quaint perhaps. But in terms of the similarities, from a venue coordinator perspective, I'm always working with people who use the spaces. So like I said, at Royal Roads, you've got tourists, you've got students, all sorts of people on campus all the time. Whereas here at the Fort Common, the courtyard is situated in the middle of a commercial block. And this commercial block has units that back up onto the Fort Common. So my job as the venue coordinator is to work with tenants to make sure they're aware of what's going on. And on wedding days, that's very, very important because we don't want anybody bursting out through a back door during an important vow or first dance. And so... As with most venues, it's just managing the people that use the spaces.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

100%. And I think it's really fun, though, that the people from the restaurants that are backing into it when we're setting up are kind of looking around and seeing what it is that we're doing. And they really want to know what's going on before they have to close their doors.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

Yeah, totally. And I mean, Fort Common being the central part of this business district, it acts as kind of like a central community hub. And so our tenants are fully on board. They love it. the fact that we do events and weddings back there and they love kind of poking their head out like you say before everything is set up and good to go and they are very very respectful and understanding and know when the spaces close off for our couples

SPEAKER_00 4:10

yes it's been amazing working with them and it's nice that I can just go pop in and get a taco if I want to

SPEAKER_02 4:16

exactly right yeah you spoil for choice when it comes to good food on the block

SPEAKER_00 4:20

definitely so you've touched a little bit on the vibe of the venue about it being more casual what kind of couples do find are most drawn to booking for a common?

SPEAKER_02 4:31

Yeah, that's a good question. I think we get a range of couples, but if we look at it from, say, a difference between Hatley or even kind of like a hotel ballroom or something like that, I think there is perhaps a vibe of kind of maybe chiller, calmer, you know, couples that want to perhaps flex their creative muscles a little bit. Part of the Fort Commons charm is that you kind of have this blank slate to work, right? You've got these beautiful little alleyways that lead into the central courtyard, and you've got this open-air venue. And that's kind of what it is. We don't provide too, too much. We've got some tables and chairs, but it is really a space that couples and planners like yourself can put their own imprint on. And so I often find couples that maybe have an eye for design really like working at the Fort Commons because they get to flex that and be really creative. And there are really no limitations as to what you can do in that space. So I've seen it all from kind of like the minimalist to the extravagant kind of funfair kind of wedding. So in terms of the couples that approach us, we get a wide range and it doesn't work for everybody because there is a lot of work that goes into, you know, making the venue a wedding venue and so for some couples they want something they can kind of walk into it's kind of set they've got a production team that can help set it up whereas you know rad um on the day of a wedding it really falls on on the planning team um to kind of bring the venue to life. And that can take a lot of work.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Yeah, it's basically like building a venue from scratch, but you have built-in washrooms.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

And we have built-in washrooms, which is nice. Yeah,

SPEAKER_00 6:11

which I think is like half the battle when you're planning like a backyard-style wedding.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

It is. It is. Yeah, I know. I heard you talking on a previous podcast about the rental bathrooms, and, you know, that's so useful. But, yeah, having actual washrooms. They're just expensive for couples as well. Oh, definitely. Like, it's a big outlay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Yeah, and then the nice thing, too, is that there's built-in power as well so you don't have to worry about having a generator yeah all those things to think about so when a couple is touring a venue like yours what do you think that they should definitely plan for definitely ask

SPEAKER_02 6:44

so a big consideration at our venue is is always catering and the style of catering that you want to do one of the nice things about our venue is that i don't have we don't have any restrictions on on caterers you can kind of work with whoever you want, whether it's, you know, truffles doing a plated meal, or if you're ordering pizzas from Domino's, you can do that. But, you know, if you're wanting to do a meal that is a little bit more involved, you certainly want to consider a caterer that can be mobile, right? And discuss what the options are in terms of, you know, a kitchen, a and uh and how they would set up so no kitchen facilities on site we're quite limited in that respect so that's a big one to ask um i always try and push off preferred vendors as well and so you know the biggest thing with the Four Common is working with wedding planners like yourself. And so we really try to push people towards our preferred vendor list, people like you who have worked at the venue before. But we're open to any kind of professional planner and just imparting the awareness to couples that it's a build-out like we just discussed. And so there's quite a lot of work that goes into prepping it for the day. So that's another consideration. Power sources are a big one. I know you and I met recently we've got a wedding coming up and I'm super excited for and you've got a band playing but you know just being aware of the power drawers and it's not something that's always top of mind but things like lights things like warming ovens they have big drawers and you know most venues only have limited power capacities and so just having a power plan is really important at a venue like ours other things to think about are liquor licenses or our venue is not license however i will simply apply for like a special event permit which is very simple to do which allows them to serve Other things to think about would be parking for guests. We're nice and central. We're right down on Blanchard Street at Fort. So there are a lot of parking options downtown for guests. But ensuring that, particularly if you've got guests from out of town, knowing where we are, knowing where the parking is, that kind of thing for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 8:59

I was going to say one other thing. Of course, being an outdoor venue is the tenting consideration, right? And I know, you know, you've encountered that a lot. For those peripheral months, we're open May to September. We definitely recommend May, June, September. Having at least a tent in your back pocket. But yeah, having some kind of solid backup plan for inclement weather is

SPEAKER_00 9:20

a great idea. Oh, 100%. Yeah, I know. We've had couples who've kept that tent all the way up until the week of the wedding and then it was sunny weather and they were like, we're getting rid of it. I was still nervous, but it worked out in the end.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

I was also going to say with parking, I think it's really important to have parking for your main vendors too so they're not circling the block, looking for somewhere so that they can load in quickly and easily. I feel like that's something that's a really big oversight when having any sort of event downtown.

SPEAKER_02 9:49

Yeah, that's massive and that's absolutely where, you know, people like yourself and planners come into play to schedule those vendor load-ins. You know, having everybody show up at 10 a.m. at the same time just creates a big backlog and we don't have a huge amount of parking on site. And so, you know, having a timeline for when vendors can arrive is super helpful for sure.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

So What is the thing that you think that people are most surprised about when they host an outdoor wedding? And you may have already said it, but there might be something that I'm not thinking of.

SPEAKER_02 10:18

Seagulls? Honestly,

SPEAKER_00 10:22

that is a good point.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Seriously, dang seagulls. No, we do a lot of work actually to like seagull proof our property, but you know, we're downtown, we're a coastal city and so there are seagulls and things like that to consider. Perhaps not the number one thing, but I think wind is something to be prepared for. I know you've seen that. It's, you know, even though we're kind of like tucked away, it always seems to be a little windy. It usually picks up in the afternoon and dies there. in the evening, but just being prepared for that and having decor that is adaptable to an outdoor environment is

SPEAKER_03 10:56

massive.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

The number of times I've seen tablecloths kind of blow up and knock down all the beautiful table decor. So just even things like clips, just clipping it until that wind dies down. And I know it's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it helps. So yeah, wind is always a big one. And then of course, downtown is just being aware of of the urban environment. So that's another thing that I try to, you know, make couples aware of, you know, before common is a downtown venue, you're going to have urban noise throughout the course of the day and the evening. And so you have to kind of know that you're getting into that. There may be sirens, right? There may be cars and things like that. There may be construction noise.

UNKNOWN 11:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Do you think there's a specific vendor or services that are really important for Common, like it's a non-negotiable?

SPEAKER_02 11:46

Yeah, I mean, beyond a wedding planner, which is written into the contract that couples do need to use just because we don't have any kind of in-house event planning services. There are a few that are really important. So... you know, we work very closely with companies like Victoria Party Rentals. I think they are here every weekend in the summertime because they provide pretty much all the tables and chairs needed for any kind of reception. So they're hugely important. Peterson's, of course, as well, Decorate Victoria, are very, very important. So vendors, when it comes to decor, furniture, are super, super important at the Fort Common. I also find, and this is not necessarily a Fort Common specific thing, but having a great bartending team makes such a big difference to a day. I know it can be appealing to some couples to... you know, have Uncle Albert slang and some luckies out of a cooler because it's a cheap thing to do and it's fun. But, you know, when you have a bartending team led by professional people, it really makes the guest experience so much more enjoyable, I find. You know, working with people like Andrew at Twist, we love. They've been here a lot. Cabinet Mobile Bar, really great as well. Shout out to them. And then, of course, you know, the caterers, which I touched on already, just caterers that are mobile and can accommodate this kind of like satellite setup. I have a lot of people ask me whether food trucks can be used at the Fort Common. And I just, I love the idea of it. It's such a great concept. And you would think, you know, outdoor venue, yes, but we're really tucked away down these like quite narrow alleyways. And so it's a little trickier. So I always say to people, you know, as long as you're working with a caterer that can kind of like pick up a move into the Common, it works really well.

SPEAKER_00 13:35

Definitely. And actually, we're going to be working with Bubble Bus this summer. Oh, nice. And I'm really excited to see how their vehicle is going to fit down the alleyway. I think it does fit. We've had them

SPEAKER_02 13:46

before, so I can assure you that they're going to squeeze in with no problems.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Fantastic. And yes, having a good bartending team is really important. I think anywhere that you are, it really helps with the level of cocktails and even mocktails that are being served now because I feel like... a lot of the times the non-alcoholic beverages can be an afterthought.

SPEAKER_02 14:09

Yeah, that's a really good point. Yeah, for sure. Instead of just having some bubblies or whatever, canned mocktails, having some actual lovely crafted mocktails is lovely for guests.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

Definitely. Yeah. And I know some people will just say it's, you know, just fancy juice, but I still like a good mocktail.

SPEAKER_02 14:27

If there's ever a day for fancy juice, it's a wedding day, right?

SPEAKER_00 14:30

Exactly. So I was taking a look through the Fort Properties website and I noticed that Fort Properties is part of BC Green Business. So how do these practices make their way down to the venue level?

SPEAKER_02 14:44

Yeah, that's a good question. So we were certified kind of as Fort Properties and kind of our in-office kind of practices. However, that filters down to the Fort Common in a number of ways. I mean, you'll know that we unfortunately don't have any kind of waste or recycling options for our guests. We do ask that everything is kind of brought up offsite. And to that end, we really try to impart on guests to recycle, of course, and lower the amount of garbage that they're generating. And that's helped by working with vendors that provide things like glassware and cutlery and dishes and things like that, and avoiding the use of single-use cutleries, plates, things like that. We really discourage the use of single-use balloons. And there are so many great options now for biodegradable balloons that people are using. We love We love to see that. And then something that I've kind of got into or started to do this year is connect people with vendors who are listed on the Kind of Weddings directory. What a great thing that they're doing over there. And so I know you're part of that. And so, yeah, directing people to responsible vendors is kind of tied to the whole BC Green Sustainability Initiative.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

And I've definitely noticed when working a wedding, depending on where the couple is from, will depend on how much garbage I have at the end to take off site. It seems to be more of a focus here for couples that are from the island and in BC than it does sometimes for somebody from Alberta or Ontario. And I found that really interesting. I know you probably don't see all of the things that we're taking off site. But yeah, that's definitely something that I noticed.

SPEAKER_02 16:27

That's very interesting. It's not something I had thought of. I guess being here in BC, we are And particularly in Victoria, we're quite conscious and it's around us a lot. And so it's top of mind. So that's quite interesting to hear that certain couples from elsewhere perhaps don't always think of that first in

SPEAKER_00 16:44

mind. Exactly. Yeah. And so, and it's really good to have like sustainable swaps, like the kinder weddings and the Emerald Hour has now too. So people can start thinking about that and apply it to their day. And I know it's so tempting to just get like paper plates, but it's still a tree that got cut down for it.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

Totally. Totally. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, yeah, the less waste you generate as well, the less work you have to do the next day hauling it out. So

SPEAKER_00 17:11

not that you're always

SPEAKER_02 17:11

thinking about that on your wedding day, but you

SPEAKER_00 17:13

know. No, no, exactly. So I know we've seen lots of different iterations of how the venue space has been used. Can you think of one that sticks out to you in terms of the most creative way it was used?

SPEAKER_02 17:28

Yeah, I mean, we've seen all sorts back there. I mean, I think probably the most incredible setup was, it was about two years ago, we had a Hindu wedding back there. And they used the Fort Common for the ceremony. And I'd never coordinated or been a part of a Hindu wedding before. But they had a man-dap in the center of the Fort Common, but they covered the entire courtyard, which is, what, 3,000 square feet, in kind of a thin layer of foam and then put down sheets. So guests would enter, they'd remove their shoes and could be barefoot in the ceremony space, which was just like... Incredible. I was like, how are you guys pulling this off? They did it. It was beautiful. So that was probably like one of the most like jaw dropping. Like I would never even have thought of this use of the Fort Common. That was really cool. I'm a sucker for like disco themed. And like, you know, in the Fort Common, we've got those beautiful string lights. We've had some weddings that hang disco balls up from there. And when the sun hits in that late afternoon and those balls are spinning and it is just as of light and shimmer and rainbows in the Fort Common. It is so beautiful. So I just love, I love that kind of setup.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

Something so simple. So simple, super cheap. And it looks

SPEAKER_02 18:48

so good.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

That's, yeah, that's pretty cool. I love a disco ball too, actually. I'll

SPEAKER_02 18:52

fold a disco ball for sure.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Are there any parts of the venue that you find that couples either overlook or underuse?

SPEAKER_02 19:02

So, you know, we've got the two alleyways, one that leads off of Blanchard Street and one that leads off of Broughton Street. And so often what ends up happening is the catering team will choose to set up in one of those two alleyways. But then you've still got the other alleyway, which could be used. you know, guests often kind of consider it as just kind of the entry or the exit, but I've seen some really creative use of those alleyways as well. Like having a couple's picture story kind of put up on the old brick wall is just like lovely and guests can kind of walk through the timeline of a couple up to the wedding day. I think it's really cool. I also think just given the fact that we're right downtown, there are so many opportunities outside of the venue nearby for pictures. We're right across the street from the Royal Theater, which is just a beautiful building and And for somebody in a beautiful wedding dress, pictures in front of that building just look incredible. Also just like local businesses, right? Like we had couples who had their first date at the record shop just over on Fort Street and they've gone there and taken pictures at the record shop and then come back for their ceremony or reception. So

SPEAKER_00 20:11

yeah. I love when people do that. I've had like people go to Habit for their family, for their first look photos because that's where they ended up having their first date. Yeah, it's really cute.

SPEAKER_02 20:21

Super cute, right? Like there's so many things in close proximity to the Fort Common that we get a lot of people doing stuff around downtown and then, and then coming with any, which is, which is cool.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

That's awesome. So I'm going to ask you, cause like there's always, you know, those oh no moments on a wedding. Have you seen anything that happened or heard about anything that happened at the commons that turned into a great story?

SPEAKER_02 20:43

Yeah. I kind of have to like prelude this by saying that this doesn't happen all the time. And I already mentioned the seagulls, but we, uh, and this happened once, one time we had a couple on a bride just getting ready for their first dance and unfortunately we had a fly-by-seagull incident that decided to relieve itself at the inopportune moment and poor bride got a little bit of nastiness on her on her dress and i i could see this happening in her face like And their planning team was just like on it in a second, right? On it in a second. And she was like, what else do you do but laugh, right? Like in a moment like that, it's funny. Being pooped on by a bird on your wedding day has to be some kind of good luck open. Like surely. That's how she

SPEAKER_00 21:29

took it. I know, right? Because I feel like I was there meeting with a couple for like their final walkthrough. And we also had a flyby situation. And it got on my laptop. It got on me. And I was like, maybe it's good luck for your wedding planner to get Pooped on by a bird?

SPEAKER_02 21:48

Exactly. But like I said, lots of seagull deterrents this year. I'm

SPEAKER_00 21:52

not worried about it.

SPEAKER_02 21:53

Don't freak out about it. It's going to be fine. It's going to be totally fine.

SPEAKER_00 21:57

I mean, we've been there so often and that's the one time it's happened. And this bride too.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

Yeah. All right. So I know that you're getting married. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_02 22:08

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

So I wanted to play a little game with you. A rapid fire round of wedding questions. Oh

SPEAKER_02 22:16

my God, is this going to get me in trouble?

SPEAKER_00 22:17

I don't know. Okay, here we go. Tent or no tent?

SPEAKER_02 22:23

No tent. I would prefer, I just love the idea of open air. I mean, I tell my couples, you want to have a tent, but everyone loves the idea of open air and the string light. I prefer no tent personally.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

That's fair. Daytime or twilight ceremony?

SPEAKER_02 22:37

Probably daytime. to allow a little bit more time for your reception and then dinner,

SPEAKER_00 22:43

yeah. Okay, mountains or meadow?

SPEAKER_02 22:46

Tough one. I know what my fiancee would say. She would say meadow. I'll say meadow. I love the mountains, but she would say meadow. So yeah, we'll go with

SPEAKER_00 22:54

that. I mean, you can go do some like engagement photos in the mountains. Yeah,

SPEAKER_02 22:58

exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

All right, would you go with having your pet at a ceremony? Yes or no? Actually, do you have any

SPEAKER_02 23:07

pets? My fiancee has a dog. Yeah, she doesn't live with us. her mom. But I love Kona. Wonderful dog. Just a little bit unruly from time to time. She probably will stay home, to be honest. So we'll go with no pets.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

Okay. I guess we should ask Angelina about that.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

Yeah,

SPEAKER_00 23:27

exactly. From Brides with Dogs. Yeah. All right. Cake or donuts?

SPEAKER_02 23:33

Donuts. I think, yeah. We've been having this debate about cake or what we want to do. We're leaning towards maybe cupcakes. I know you had Avon here recently, and he was like, yeah, I love the cake, love the cake. For me, I don't know. I'm not massive into cake. I could do a cupcake thing, but like a donut tower, I'd be all over that. I mean, personally, I love a fritter, so I'd get on board with that.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

Well, yeah, there you go. I know. You could have a little bit of both, too.

SPEAKER_02 24:00

Yeah, maybe. Yeah, that's true. Best of both worlds, yeah.

UNKNOWN 24:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:03

All right, plated or buffet?

SPEAKER_02 24:05

Ooh, buffet. Yeah, buffet. I think it just creates a little bit more excitement and reason for people to get up and a little bit more choice for people as well,

SPEAKER_00 24:15

yeah. Yeah, especially if there's a lot of allergies. I've been finding that a lot this year. That's

SPEAKER_02 24:19

a great point. Yeah, exactly. It's a lot more adaptable for sure.

SPEAKER_00 24:23

Definitely. All right, last one. Sparkler send-off or bubbles?

SPEAKER_02 24:29

Ooh, um... I am going to go with bubbles. I just think bubbles are really whimsical. And if you've got kids who will be there, then they love that. And not all, I know not all venues you're able to do sparklers at. So

SPEAKER_00 24:44

that is true. And also like we have all those rules during the summer about the fire laws. So that's a good thing. Go with the

SPEAKER_02 24:51

bubbles. Bubbles are great.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Yeah. Well, is there anywhere that anyone, anyone who's listening can connect with you about the Fort Common and book Yeah,

SPEAKER_02 25:02

absolutely. Check us out on Instagram. We're at Fort Common. You can kind of link through there to our website to find out more information about booking. My email address is events at fortproperties.ca. Yeah, check us out there.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

Fantastic. Thank you so much for coming on, Jamie. I really appreciate you taking the time.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

Thank you so much for having me, Rad. And, you know, congratulations on season four. I can't believe it. Like, you're killing it. Thank you. working with you I'm excited that you're my first planner this year at the Fort Common and I know we've got a few so yeah it's great

SPEAKER_00 25:37

well if you're around we should have a we should play some Ms. Pac-Man because you're going to have that at the wedding oh you mentioned that

SPEAKER_02 25:43

yes definitely it's on it's on let's

SPEAKER_00 25:46

do it all right sounds good best out of three

SPEAKER_02 25:48

thank you so much Rad all

SPEAKER_00 25:51

right have a great day

SPEAKER_02 25:52

bye a

SPEAKER_00 25:53

huge thank you to Jamie for taking time out of his day during our busy wedding season to chat all about Fort Common we are very excited to be there again this season, as well as 2026. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Jamie or even to myself. We will see you here next week for another great conversation with a wonderful guest. In the meantime, stay rad.