If a traditional Italian banquet hall with quality food, family-style care and the capacity to seat 300 guests is what you’re looking for your special day, then Sala San Marco Weddings is for you.

About Sala San Marco Weddings

Sala San Marco Weddings has its roots in Italy and family tradition.  The Zacconi Family is of Venetian descent.  “San Marco” (Saint Marco) is the patron saint of Venice.  Additionally, “Sala” means “room” or “banquet hall” in Italian.  Hence the venue name “Sala San Marco”.

Sala San Marco is family-run and always has been.  The Zacconi Family opened the hall in 1987.  Tony Zacconi took over from his parents in 2009.  Not surprisingly given their roots, the goal has always been the highest standard of food and service.  Also, Sala San Marco has earned the title of “Best Venue” in Ottawa.

Amanda and Adrian are of Italian heritage with guests traveling from afar to attend their wedding.  Sala San Marco, with its homage to Italian roots and service, was the perfect venue to host their tradtional Italian wedding reception.

Amanda got ready in her childhood home, surrounded by her parents, sibling and grandmother.

 

Location

Fittingly, Sala San Marco Weddings is located in Little Italy on Preston Street.  There is a designated parking lot – a true convenience for wedding guests.  Also, there is lots of street parking nearby.

Amanda and Adrian had a traditional church wedding and then hosted their reception at Sala San Marco.

 

Photography Opportunities Around Sala San Marco

Little Italy itself is perfect if you’re looking for a “cosmopolitan” vibe to your wedding photos.  There are cute outdoor cafes and patios and painted murals.  The “Little Italy” sign with the hustle and bustle of Preston street in the background has become an iconic photo location.

Additionally, for couples preferring greenery and the outdoors, the Arboretum, Dow’s Lake and the Experimental Gardens are a short distance away and gorgeous in any season.  Be sure to check for any permit restrictions based on the size of your wedding party.

After their church ceremony, Amanda and Adrian chose the Experimental Gardens for their wedding photos.

 

The Sala San Marco Wedding Menu

Keeping with Italian tradition, Sala San Marco Weddings’ number one priority is your food and dining experience.  Your meal for your event will be prepared entirely on site by professional chefs.  The freshest ingredients are sourced locally and seasonally. Moreover, the Sala San Marco wedding team will work with you to honour any special requests from food allergies to ethnic specialties.  Additionally, catering is available to take the Sala San Marco experience off-site.  Couples rave about the care and attention the Sala San Marco wedding team provide start to finish.

 

The Sala San Marco Reception Rooms

Sala San Marco is a banquet / reception space to celebrate your nuptials or special occasions.  Couples tend to have a church or civil ceremony elsewhere and then host their reception at Sala San Marco.  However, you can book one of the smaller banquet rooms as a ceremony space.  Then you can celebrate your reception in the larger rooms.

Sala San Marco is newly renovated with four reception rooms to serve you.  A bridal suite / room has been added for convenience.

• The Window Room is Sala San Marco’s newly renovated and biggest banquet room.  At 8000 square feet, it can accommodate up to 550 seated guests.  Multiple room configurations are possible.  A wall of arched windows lets in natural light.  There aren’t many large-scale banquet room options in Ottawa:  this is one of them.  And its location in Little Italy really makes it ideal.
• The Chandelier Room is a 4000 square feet ballroom with high ceilings, chandeliers and luxurious décor for that high-end wedding experience.  It can host up to 300 people.
• The Amadeo room is approximately 1500 square feet.  It can host up to 80 people.  The room has a more casual, rustic accent wall.  It is appropriate for smaller functions like engagement parties and bridal showers.
• The Davinci Room on the lower level is the smallest room for more intimate get-togethers.  It is approximately 1100 square feet and can host up to 80 people as well.  The selling feature in this room is the private bar and fireplace.

Amanda and Adrian hosted their large Italian wedding in the Chandelier Room.  They had a traditional receiving line to greet each of their guests.  Their grand entrance included a choreographed first dance set to a dramatic light display.  Photography coverage didn’t include after supper dancing, but I was able to capture a few key speeches and the cake-cutting.

 

Sala San Marco Weddings

Sala San Marco Weddings is a traditional Italian banquet hall.  There aren’t many of its kind in Ottawa.  You don’t have to be Italian to host an event at Sala San Marco – but you DO have to love good food and a winning reception experience.

If you’re looking for a photographer who can handle the demands of YOUR large Italian wedding ;), be sure to check out for my full wedding portfolio HERE.

 

Additionally, check out Lago Bar & Grill  Weddings if you’re looking for another venue in the Dow’s Lake / Little Italy area:

Lago Weddings | Ottawa Lakeside Wedding Venue

 

And, if you’re interested in other Ottawa wedding venues, here are a few others:

• National Arts Centre Weddings – Downtown Ottawa Wedding Venue
• Adelina Barn Wedding | Melissa & Matt
• Chateau Laurier Weddings | Luxury Wedding Venue