Oshawa Wedding Venues – Parkwood Estate

There are many popular Oshawa wedding venues but if you’re looking for something a little different Parkwood Estate is most likely right up your alley. It’s a big part of our local history and by having your wedding ceremony or reception there, you are investing in its future. You can read more about Parkwood and its impact on Oshawa below or skip to the end for information about planning your wedding there.

History of Parkwood & The Impact on Oshawa

If you live in Oshawa or maybe even in the GTA the name McLaughlin may be very familiar to you. Specifically, if you live in Oshawa it’s a name you see all over the city. The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, R.S McLaughlin High School, Adelaide McLaughlin Elementary, Colonel R.S. McLaughlin Armoury. All those names converge on another location you have probably heard of. Parkwood Estate and National Historic Site. As I’m writing this I’m realizing why Adelaide Ave, the road adjacent to Parkwood is called just that. There are probably many more things in relation the McLaughlin family that we don’t catch onto.

If you don’t already know, the McLaughlin family is such a big deal in Oshawa because of one specific fact. They were the family behind the McLaughlin Motor Car Company which then became General Motors of Canada. A name that is recognizable by everyone to this day. GM put Oshawa on the map and fostered the community into what it is today. Alongside Pedlar People Limited which was the largest metal roofing company in the British Commonwealth in its time made Oshawa an industrial hotspot. Three thousand of the twelve thousand residents of Oshawa had an industrial job. That’s 25% of the population’s work coming from just two companies.

That brings us to the magnificent mansion nestled quietly behind fencing and thick trees. For any years I didn’t even realize Parkwood Estate was hiding where it was. It’s just outside the heart of downtown Oshawa but once you pass through its elegant gate you feel completely transported. The street bustle fades to the back and you are engulfed in its grandeur and splendor. The love that the McLaughlin family had for horticulture and landscaping does not go unnoticed. With it’s three greenhouses (once upon a time eleven) and numerous gardens you are swiftly met with peace and calm.

Having your Wedding & Getting Married at Parkwood Estate, Oshawa

The Parkwood Estate really is a wonderful Oshawa wedding venues. Especially if you are considering a wedding touched with vintage glamour. You can have a beautiful summer wedding in one of their many gardens or you can opt to have a more intimate ceremony and reception inside the sprawling 15,000 mansion with 55 rooms. All which are left almost exactly how they were since Sam McLaughlin’s passing in 1972 at 100 years old.

Areas for Ceremony:

Formal Garden (140 guests)

Sunken Garden (125 guests)

Italian Garden (40 guests)

Indoors (seated 40 guests, standing 125 guests)

*Garden ceremonies available May – late fall. In event of inclement weather, the Arbour is available.

Services you can also receive:

Bar service, catering, wedding planning, audio visual services, complimentary parking for the couple. (2 cars)

Already have your ceremony and reception locations planned? Purchase a photography permit and have your bride and groom photos captured at Parkwood!

Pros

• 20 of your guests can get a guided tour of the mansion during your day. Groups larger than 20 pay $5 per person.
• You’re investing in local heritage.
• More unique than a typical banquet hall.

Cons

• While there is ceremony & reception space available inside the mansion there is no dance floor.
• Located at a busy intersection.

Nearby Photography Locations:

• Lakeview Park
• Pumphouse Marsh

Oshawa Wedding Venues

Other wedding venues in Oshawa include:

• Trillium Trails
• Tosca
• Kedron Dells Golf Club
• Oshawa and District Shrine Club
• Robert McLaughlin Gallery

Check out Parkwood Estate wedding photography or more wedding venues!