The Venue Hunt: Diamond Alumni Centre at SFU

I spent a large portion of my young adulthood as a student at Simon Fraser University (and loved every minute of it), so I knew that the Diamond Alumni Centre would be on my short list of potential venues as soon as we got engaged.

SFU is built on top of Burnaby Mountain and a short drive from Lougheed Mall brings you to a gourmet restaurant, excellent biking and hiking trails, a rose garden and stunning views of the North Shore Mountains, downtown Vancouver and Burrard Inlet. The campus was designed by Arthur Erickson and features an eclectic mix of concrete and glass buildings surrounded by forests. This location is a photographer's dream, with opportunities for edgy and modern or soft and organic shots. Check out these awesome shots by local photographers Sakura.

Perched on the Northern side of the mountain and tucked into the lush forest, the Diamond Alumni Centre is literally surrounded by nature. On the main level, large windows on three sides frame the dining area and dance floor, which can accommodate up to 200 people for dinner or 300 for a reception. There are two rooms on the lower level that can be used for your wedding ceremony with a capacity of 100 people. Both levels feature large decks and stunning views of Indian Arm waterway and the North Shore Mountains. The centre is designed with neutral carpet, stone fireplaces and wooden timbers for an understated Westcoast feel. Some decorations are included in your rental: numerous large potted plants, simple white paper lanterns and lights wrapped around the ceiling timbers.

We were smitten right from the start of our tour. The Centre offers the convenience of a ballroom, with the bar, dining and seating areas together in one large space, but none of the cavernous beige blah. There's plenty of space for our 100 guests to mingle and they can gather on two outdoor decks or by the stone fireplace. The Centre only books one wedding per day so we don't have to worry about sharing the space or photo ops with another couple.

Vivian, the catering coordinator, was so pleasant and her helpful suggestions allowed us to really visualize what our wedding could look like within the space. Catering is provided by SFU dining services and there are 4 buffets and many plated dinner options to choose from. While they don't provide a tasting, the Centre hosts a Christmas Lunch Buffet that allows you to sample all of the buffet selections.

The website has a great collection of photos that feature food items (don't look if you're hungry!) and past events, which is a perfect source of inspiration and ideas.

One more thing worth mentioning is the price: ridiculous! They offer a discounted rate for alumni, but even the standard rental costs are well below what other venues charge and a real bargain given the location and amenities. For only $850 (standard cost), you get the entire main floor space for 15 hours, all tables, chairs, linens, table settings, podium, microphone, in house sound system, some decorations and setup/breakdown! And parking for guests is nearby and free! Food and beverage prices are also extremely reasonable. Be warned that there are booking minimums for events held Fridays to Sundays, but these are easy to meet if your wedding has at least 75-90 guests depending on the date you choose.

The only downsides to this venue are its distance from Vancouver (about a 40 minute drive from downtown) and the small wine list (only 5 whites, 5 reds and 4 sparkling wines are available and couples can't bring in outside wines). Because SFU is on a mountain, it's often socked in with fog and warm summer days in the city can be cold up the hill. It was a gray rainy day when we toured the Centre, but there was still a great view of the trees.

These minor details were outweighed by all the fabulous aspects of the venue, so we booked it!