A reception hall is rented for an evening. A privatized manor is rented for a weekend. Almost everything else follows from that difference.
This is not an argument that one is better than the other. It sets out what changes, line by line, so that you choose knowing what you are buying. Manoir Blackswan is a private estate in Châteauguay, 30 minutes from Montreal, and that is the point of view we speak from.
Arrival time, and closing time
In a hall, you arrive at an agreed hour and you leave at another, because the staff's day ends and another group arrives the next morning, sometimes the same night. The evening has an ending, and it is written into the contract. That is a hall's trade.
In a privatized manor, the estate is yours from Friday to Sunday. The time of the ceremony is decided with you. No one is waiting for the room after you.
Who else is there
A hall may host another event the same day, in the next room, or the next morning in the same one, while staff move from one group to the other, the parking is shared and the kitchen serves two menus at once.
At the Manoir, one wedding at a time. Your guests are the only people on the estate, from Friday to Sunday.
Where you get ready
For a hall, you arrive ready. Getting ready happens at a hotel or at home, and then you drive to the venue, in the dress, in a car that was never designed for a dress.
At the Manoir, the 7 bedrooms are yours from Friday. You wake up on site, coffee is served in the period china, and the photographer follows you from room to room to the grand staircase.
The decor you find when you arrive
A reception hall is neutral by trade: light walls, a high ceiling, a dance floor in the middle. All the character comes from what you rent for the evening, and the decor often works to make you forget the room.
A manor is already furnished. At Manoir Blackswan, the marble, the hand-carved fireplace, the checkerboard floor and furniture found one piece at a time are there before you. You decorate with restraint: the flowers enhance, they do not compensate.
What you pay, and how
A hall is most often paid per person, with an imposed caterer and a package that includes nearly everything. It is easy to compare, and the total follows the guest count.
A privatized manor is paid for the venue. At Manoir Blackswan, the privatization starts at $15,000 for the whole weekend, with the tent and accommodation for 14 people. The meal, the reception table, the flowers and the music are added according to your choices. We explain elsewhere what the venue provides and what you choose.
What it changes, line by line
| Criterion | Reception hall | Privatized manor |
|---|---|---|
| The duration | One evening, with a closing time | Friday to Sunday |
| Other events | Possible the same day or the next | None: one wedding at a time |
| Getting ready | At a hotel or at home | On site, in the 7 bedrooms |
| The night | Everyone goes home | 14 of your closest sleep at the Manoir, 2 nights |
| The caterer | The venue's own, most often | The one you choose |
| The decor | Rented to transform the room | Already there, to complete |
| The price | Per person, nearly all-inclusive | One price for the venue, then your choices |
| The next day | The hall is handed back | Brunch, then leave when you like |
The end of the night
In a hall, the end of the night is a departure. The taxis. The coats. The goodbyes on the sidewalk.
At the Manoir, the 14 people staying over climb the stairs. The evening carries on in small circles, in the salon or by the pool, and the next morning you retell it at brunch.
Who a hall suits better
If you are hosting more than 100 guests, a hall will serve you better: the Manoir's tent seats 100, no more. If you want to sign a single contract and arrive on Saturday, likewise. And if your date falls between November and April, our weddings take place from May to October.
One piece of advice for the visit. Ask to see each venue at the hour your wedding will be there. A hall at 2 p.m. and the same hall at 10 p.m. do not look alike. A manor is judged by spending time in it: that is what you are buying.
Emmanuel HébertManoir Blackswan