Wedding Venue Review: Delta Marriott Ocean Pointe Hotel
A review from a photographer's perspective...
If you’re planning a wedding at the Delta Marriot Ocean Pointe Resort in Victoria, this post is for you. It is a gorgeous venue in “real life” and will provide you and your guests with a memorable experience at the Victoria waterfront, especially if you’re coming from out of town.
But, you can already see that from the photos. You want to know if it’s the best venue for your wedding, right?! Well, keep reading to find out…
The rooms:
Rooms with large windows and ample light make for great photos of pre-ceremony preparations. Five stars in my opinion!
Ceremony Location Options:
The Delta Marriott Ocean Point has numerous different spaces for your wedding ceremony, including both indoor and outdoor options. Time of day, time of year, and the weather will factor into the final outcome and look of your photos.
Everyone loves a view of the water! But, many don’t realize that capturing people in front of a view on a sunny day means either you’ll be squinting from the sun, or the view will just be fully washed out and look white if you’re in the shade. (This is not a hotel-specific issue, this will happen anywhere you try to take photos on a sunny day with a big open space like a water view behind you.)
My recommendation for outdoor ceremonies is to plan them in a shady spot or to try to arrange your ceremony so the sun is coming from behind you and evenly onto your guests. This is difficult with the Delta Marriott’s upper 6th floor patio space as the layout can leave half of your guests in sun and half in shade, which isn’t ideal for photography. Of course, the sun moves throughout day (and year) so care must be taken to choose a good time for your wedding. If you’re unsure about planning a wedding there, feel free to reach out and I will help you find the best time of day and location for your ceremony.
If you’re “lucky” and have a cloudy wedding day, then you won’t have to worry about which way you are facing or having dark shadows under your eyes from a bright sun overhead. Both of the weddings shown above benefited from optimal lighting conditions.
Formal Photos Options:
I will admit, I am a nature lover and try to find trees anywhere I shoot. If you’re like me, you might want to consider going off-location for your bridal party photos and/or your couple photos to find some nature for your backgrounds. Trees also provide shade, and in the case of a sunny day, can be a much-desired escape from the heat and offer a nice lighting option.
If you stay within walking distance to the hotel, you can obviously get views of the harbour in the background, if that’s more your thing.
Here are some sample shots I took of weddings at the Delta Marriott Ocean Point, Victoria.
Off-Location Photo Ideas:
When I’ve had the pleasure of shooting a wedding at the Delta Marriott Ocean Point in Victoria, I’ve whisked the couple away to one of my favorite hidden gems for photos. This little-known cove is a picture-perfect location for photos without any crowds in the background and plenty of photo options for nature-lovers. You’ll get a true West Coast experience here!
Wedding Reception:
The food is excellent, I’ll start with that! The banquet rooms I’ve been in are spacious and suitable for weddings of various sizes. The rooms do tend to be dark, but that’s not unusual for a wedding reception. Your photographer will probably have to shoot with a flash, which can change the look of your photos. If you don’t mind this, then no worries! If you love natural light photography, you may want to consider a room with lots of windows, and/or plan a lunch reception rather than dinner. I recommend reaching out to the hotel to get ideas on which of their rooms would be best for you. They can accommodate small weddings up to groups of 280.
Summary and Recommendation:
If you’re considering a wedding at the Delta Ocean Point Hotel in Victoria, I’d say it’s worth a visit in person to see if you like the amenities.
Who’s this venue best for? If you’re having a large wedding, or coming from out of town (or have a lot of guests from out of town) then this could be the perfect venue! You get easy access to downtown Victoria and wonderful views of the city. It’s a great hub for which you can explore the city and surroundings.
Who’s this venue NOT best for? If you’re locals and/or having an small wedding with 30 people or less, there are more intimate venues. If you are an outdoorsy person and love the west coast vibe, check out my other blog post on my favourite outdoorsy wedding venues in Victoria. You’ll probably find something you’ll like better with more nature around.
If you have any questions regarding planning a wedding at the Delta Marriott in Victoria, BC, please reach out! I have been a wedding photographer for 15 years and would be happy to share what I know with you 🙂
– Naomi Maya, Wedding Photographer in Victoria & Vancouver Island
Visit my homepage to see a full description of the photography services I provide in Victoria, BC! Get in touch if you have any questions. I love hearing from brides and grooms!
