Oh, Canada! A Kelowna Wedding Awaits

Back in 2005, Canada became only the fourth country in the world to nationally legalize same-sex marriage.

Nearly a decade later, as the U.S. government continues its creep toward recognition of marriage equality, our northern neighbor -- so often a role model of social decorum -- seems to have fared just fine with the change. With the potential exception of Toronto mayor Rob Ford, Canadian civilization does not seem have steered itself into the express lane to Hades.

American LGBT couples looking to marry in a country where their unions are sanctioned from sea to shining sea, but unwilling to wait until U.S. courts put an end to their hiccups and foot-dragging would be hard-pressed to find a more peaceful, romantic Canadian locale than British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.

Centered around the city of Kelowna -- a four-hour drive from Vancouver, and accessible by direct flight from several U.S. cities including San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix and Las Vegas -- this bucolic wine growing area, once deemed "The Napa of the North" by the New York Times, remains largely undiscovered by statesiders.

Like marriage itself, a wedding in Kelowna offers LGBT couples a chance to travel into beautiful and unfamiliar terrain. The currently favorable U.S.-Canadian exchange rate makes the adventure all the more appealing.

Ceremonies can be held amid vineyards, on the coast of a glacial lake, or in a secluded garden redolent with lavender. And one needn't travel any further for an active honeymoon combining bicycling, hiking, hot air ballooning and the exploration of one of the world's great emerging viniculture regions.

Couples interested in exploring Kelowna's full range of wedding venues can explore the possibilities online at Tourism Kelowna as well as the site's dedicated wedding page. On a recent scouting trip, EDGE zeroed in on a few distinctive possibilities.

Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Award-winning bubblies are the best-known offering of this spectacular family-owned property, a perfect setting to toast one's nuptials. Weddings for up to 200 guests are regularly held amid a gently sloping vineyard with sweeping panoramic views of Lake Okanagan's blue glacial waters.

A less traditional but utterly unique ceremony venue here is the winery's namesake pyramid, constructed by Summerhill's founder and spiritual explorer Stephen Cipes following ancient philosophies of sacred geometry. At the structure's peak is a cool, dark, serenely meditative chamber where Cipes himself has officiated same-sex weddings in the past.

Rehearsal dinners, buffet and sit-down receptions are also offered, with gourmet menus overseen by Chef Jesse Croy, of the vineyard's Sunset Organic Bistro.

Okanagan Lavender Herb Farm

From late June through early July, the pale purple lavender is in full bloom on Andrea McFadden's postcard pretty acreage. For small wedding ceremonies with 20 or fewer people, this is an irresistibly intimate setting. Guests gather around a small reflecting pond, surrounded by the aromatic gardens, perfuming the air with not only lavender, but also citrusy lemon balm and roses.

Couples can prepare for their walk down the aisle in the whitewashed quiet of a small sitting-room cottage furnished with antique furniture and mirrors. Guests, meanwhile, approach the ceremony area down winding paths through McFadden's artful plantings and a collection of contemporary sculpture.

Flowers for arrangements are grown on site.

Tantalus Vineyards

Established in 2004 on one of the oldest vineyards of the Okanagan Valley, Tantalus replanted and reinvigorated the property with a focus on Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay grapes. Owner Eric Savics, an international investor and art collector based in Vancouver, has invested not only in modernizing the wines, but the entire vineyard visitor experience.

The LEED-certified winery building, completed in 2010, features an airy, modernist visitor center and tasting room with dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the vineyards, with Okanagan Lake glimmering in the distance. It's at once rural and urbane, and is generally booked for weekend weddings up to a year in advance.

The walls are hung with a selection of works from Savics' contemporary art collection, strikingly juxtaposed with handsome traditional wooden masks carved by First Nations artists (also featured on Tantalus' wine labels).

Ceremonies can be held either in the tasting room, or outdoors in a vineyard clearing. Reception and rehearsal dinner configurations allow for cocktail parties, large banquets, or formal meals with wine tastings in an elegant private dining room.

Delta Grand Okanagan Resort

For one-stop wedding arrangements -- including recently remodeled luxury hotel rooms for all of your family and friend -- the Delta Grand provides the ultimate in Kelowna convenience plus a breathtaking setting on Lake Okanagan. The 390-room resort has an in-house wedding team that can arrange every detail, including floral arrangements, photography, and pre- and post-wedding day outings for guests (lake cruises, winery visits, golf on one of 12 local courses) and spa treatments for pampering and prepping the wedding party.

The resort sits directly on 300 lakeshore acres, with water and mountain views as far as the eye can see. Ceremonies can be held on an outdoor terrace, or in one of several indoor spaces with impressive lake views.

Jim Gladstone is a San Francisco-based writer and creative strategist.

This story is part of our special report: "Gay Marriage". Want to read more? Here's the full list.