Kananaskis Guest Ranch

We had our wedding at the ranch on September 21st. The location is amazing and very unique, we are still getting compliments on the venue. They do have strict rules for what is and isn't allowed and they stick to lose rules very firmly. I would suggest when you are booking make sure you are asking lots of questions. We booked and throughout the year and half of planning ect there were many emails exchanged between the owner and i. She was very prompt at answering my questions. We stayed within the rules but were still questioned when setting up. They also have a strict shut down time which ended up working well for our group but something to keep in mind. The meal was fantastic and the bartenders were very friendly and our guests really enjoyed their interactions. They have their own meal service and provide their own liquor ect so there are no options to find something thay may be cheaper. Pros and cons but we fell in love with the venue right away and it really is unique and beautiful in every way. Our day there was perfect.

We want to thank Brewster’s Kananaskis Guest Ranch and more specifically, Janet, for being such a big part of our wedding. My husband Rick and I must express our utmost gratitude for having such a stress free, seamless day. Planning for our big day started the previous summer when we first laid eyes on the beautiful ranch setting nestled in the Rockies of Kananaskis Country.We booked, confirmed and placed our deposit in the fall of 2017. Once we started more finite details in late winter/early spring we visited the Ranch multiple times to view the site, take some fun pre-wedding pictures with our photographer and plan out where we wanted the ceremony. The day before the wedding our decorators had full access to set-up, as did our small bridal party for rehearsal.The contract we signed was very clear and concise. Any extras or add-ons to the original basic package were clearly noted so we could budget appropriately. We chose quite a few of the additions including an abundance of food, glassware and the like to make our wedding a tad more formal. However, the venue is meant to be casual, rustic which makes it extremely unique and memorable. Our wedding was on the smaller scale, but the attention to detail we still received was commendable. We were married on June 9th, 2018; the day started with rain, but the skies opened, and we had a beautiful sunny day surrounded by the majestic mountains.Our guests were thrilled to be at such a unique venue. They raved about the food that included slow, roasted beef that was delivered to the serving line on none, other than a pitchfork. All the staff were accommodating to any additional needs that we required during the day. The band was great and was able to play to a wide-ranging audience from young to old.One of our favorite memories, is the beautiful wood, burning fire place centered in the donut (reception hall). This is one of the main focal points that Rick and I were both drawn to and ultimately helped to make our final decision. One of the best takeaways is still, the faint smell of smoke on my wedding dress that brings me back to the day I married my best friend. The fire is key and complements the venue so well to the surrounding scenery (Kananaskis Country).To Janet and all the folks at Brewster’s Kananaskis Guest Ranch, thank you. We could not have been more thrilled with our venue choice and the accommodations shown by all were truly commendable. As part of our honeymoon we climbed Mount Yamnuska and took some great pictures of our venue from high above that overlook the Ranch. Rick and I can’t wait to be back, thank you once again for exceeding our expectations. We could not have dreamed of a better location to commit to one another for the rest of our days.With Gratitude,Rick & Erin Laforest

WORST VENUE EVER! I wouldn't even give 1 star! Do NOT book your wedding here, unless you want to be severely saddened and disappointed with the outcome! Janet, single-handedly, ruined many aspects of our big day due to her severe negligence and lack of care for her job! It is extremely obvious that she has zero interest in good hospitality, and cares more about making a quick buck. She should get out of this business as soon as possible as she is not cut-out for hosting events, especially weddings! I should have listened to my gut, and all the negative reviews online, however I was so deadest on the appeal/esthetics of the venue. There are MULTIPLE bad reviews online about Janet/the ranch, but I ignored them, thinking those were just ‘one offs’… Nope! That’s how she operates!It has been extremely difficult dealing with her right from the very start! From attempting to arrange a venue visit, to her constantly changing her demands, there was no way to make her happy! She gave us a giant list of rules and expectations, all of which we abided by 110%, however none of the expectations applied to her/her staff. She will charge you for absolutely everything. You want water for your guests on your dinner tables? That’s an extra $75. You want salt & pepper on the tables? Yup, you guessed it… Add $75! If you want to bring your own, she will try to charge you for that too!If that weren't bad enough... on the day of, she ran around on a rampage snapping at vendors and guests! She even had the audacity to jump in front of my wedding photographer right in the MIDDLE of the JOP pronouncing us Husband and Wife, and caused the photographer to completely miss our first kiss.She was rude and abrasive with all of my vendors; even so much as trying to tell my DJ to change the music because she didn’t like it (however all radio edits were being used). The working conditions that my coordinator had to work in, and subsequently all my guests endured was completely unacceptable, and embarrassing! She failed to provide services that were promised to us, causing much embarrassment and financial loss on our end as a fall-out. She was informed of our issues after the wedding, and did not even offer so much as an acknowledgement or even an apology for what happened or her contributions. Do NOT support the Kananaskis Guest Ranch or their Golf Course in any capacity!The smoke generated by the soaking wet wood that was tossed onto the fire was nauseating and thick and some guests left before dinner because the cold and smoke was making them ill. Our guests were uncomfortably cold and wore their coats throughout the duration of the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dance. The smoke was so heavy and pungent inside the tent that it was absorbed into everything…gifts, floral décor, signs, purses, projection screen, tablecloths, runners, clothes, shoes, etc. I have lost thousands of dollars thanks to her extreme neglect!Janet has been holding functions in the donut tent for years and there is no excuse for not accommodating for a drop in the temperature and for not using dry wood. It is just being cheap not starting the fire earlier as promised and not having sufficient perimeter heaters. No written or verbal apology was offered. A small refund of 16% of the contracted service was given only after I outlined the circumstances that were upsetting to all of us.Weather can be inclement and unusually cold in spring, summer & fall in Alberta. Future customers: AVOID AT ALL COSTS! You WILL be deeply saddened and disappointed if you hold an event here!

This place has so much potential. I don't think they rent out the cabins anymore but the view is amazing

My daughter’s wedding was held there Sept. 22, 2018. The donut tent was beautifully decorated by my daughter’s coordinator. All details and program for the ceremony and evening events were carried out wonderfully as we had planned. We were blind-sided by the venue owner’s negligence to providing a comfortable environment inside as she had promised.It had snowed the night before. Temperatures on day of the wedding hovered around 2 degrees Celsius. Venue owner/operator, Janet Brewster-Stanton, assured us in prior meetings held on site that the interior would be comfortable for our guests and had promised to start the log fire at 9:00 am if it was cold outside. She didn’t ignite it until 2:00 pm, an hour before guests started to arrive. The fire was partially lit, smoky, shooting ashes over the guests and had not burned long enough to build up enough heat to radiate out any distance from the fire-pit to make any difference where the guests sat for the ceremony or where the dinner tables were located. Two woefully-inadequate heaters were placed along one side of the building perimeter adding nothing to raising the interior temperature and the perimeter temperature hovered around 4 - 5 degrees Celsius for the entire event. The smoke generated by the wet wood that was tossed onto the fire was nauseating and thick and some guests left before dinner because the cold and smoke were making them ill and burning their eyes. Our guests were uncomfortably cold and wore their winter coats throughout the duration of the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dance.The smoke was so heavy and pungent inside the tent that it was absorbed into everything…gifts, floral décor, signs, purses, projection screen, tablecloths, runners, clothes, shoes, etc.Janet Brewster-Stanton has been holding functions in the donut tent for years. There is no excuse for not accommodating for a drop in the temperature. The building requires numerous perimeter heating units for cold days when a function is being held in there. She knew full well that 100 guests were going to be cold and smoky throughout the duration of the event. Her conduct demonstrated indifference, cheapness and poor hospitality. No written or verbal apology was offered. A small refund of 16% of the contracted service was given only after I outlined the circumstances that were upsetting to all of us. I still can't believe that she blatantly lied to us and what our guests endured due to her negligence.Weather can be inclement and unusually cold in spring, summer & fall in Alberta.Future customers: Check that the owner/operator has included contingencies in her contract outlining how she will accommodate a change in the weather or otherwise you’ll being enjoying the cold outside temperatures inside which could undermine the success of one of the most important events of your life.

Nice spot,The food was tasty.Some of the picnic tables were in need of a sanding down, quite rough in some spots.And it was a terrible rain storm for the during the event, the roof was leaking everywhere, the floor flooded onto the feet of guests, and there was no attempt to cover the fire pit, so when the night got cold, we could not have a fire because of the big sooty puddle in the middle of the room :(Over all nice time, but not a perfect day.

Really nice venue for a wedding. We attended a wedding here surrounded by the central campfire. It was quite picturesque and felt like the best of the indoors and outdoors. It was a little chilly in September but there was also snow on the ground. The actual main venue is decorated with lots of lights and feels very rustic. Staff are very friendly and they certainly keep the fire going all night! The food was good as well.

I just photographed a wedding there and the venue was amazing!!!! Lots of amazing views of the mountains and the staff there is so organized. Great food too

The food was great and the views are awesome. This place has a lot of potential if the people that ran it did more than the bare minimum.I got married there and we planned for a outdoor ceremony but the weather was cold and snowy. So we had to go inside, the fire was promised to keep the place warm and smoke free. It probably would have if it was started with dry wood and several hours before our ceremony. Instead they lite the fire and hour before we walked down the isle with wet wood.It was very cold and smoky for the whole thing. We had guest leave before supper due to the poor conditions.Overall I was disappointed with this place as it was a headache dealing with them from day one and up until the day after.

We just had our wedding at the Kananaskis Guest Ranch and it was absolutely amazing. The venue is private and beautiful with lots of area for people the spread out. The food was also tasty and good size portions. We got tons of compliments on the venue. The owner Janet was also very easy to keep in touch with and clear with what was and was not allowed. Highly recommend.