What couples ask us before they book
Plain answers on guest numbers, the schoolhouse, getting here and the day itself.
Ask about your dateIf you are weighing a small wedding near Ottawa, these are the questions couples ask us most, answered the way we would answer them on a tour. Ashlar is an all-inclusive micro wedding venue for 30 to 65 guests in a restored 1890 schoolhouse in Munster, Ontario, about 25 minutes from downtown Ottawa. A $2,500 venue fee applies to every date. Your date then sets the price per guest, which starts at $169.
At a glance
- 30 to 65 guests
- Munster, Ontario, about 25 minutes from downtown Ottawa
- The whole property from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- A $2,500 venue fee and dining from $169 per guest
Small weddings, micro weddings and eloping
What does a micro wedding mean at Ashlar?
At Ashlar a micro wedding is a wedding for 30 to 65 guests, with the schoolhouse, the courtyard and the gardens yours from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. This isn't a venue that happens to fit smaller groups; every detail, from the courtyard scale to the kitchen workflow, was built around the intimate wedding experience.
Can we elope at Ashlar, or have fewer than 30 guests?
Although we welcome smaller groups, dining is priced on the minimum number of adult guests for your date. Weekdays year-round are Tier Three, which carries the lowest minimum, at 30 guests and $169 per guest.
How is Ashlar different from a large wedding venue?
A large venue is built around a big room, and Ashlar is built for 30 to 65 guests, so the courtyard, the tent and the kitchen are sized for a small wedding and the whole property is yours for the day.
The 1890 schoolhouse
Is Ashlar a historic building?
In 1890, William Shillington donated land in Munster, Ontario for a schoolhouse, and the community built it from local stone, with walls two feet thick that were designed to last. For decades it served as the school, then a community hall, then a beloved restaurant. In 2001 a fire destroyed the interior, the roof collapsed and the kitchen was gone, but the stone walls held. In 2025, four people who saw what this place could become took it on.
Where do the ceremony, the dinner and the dancing happen?
The courtyard is an open-air ceremony space framed by manicured gardens and the original stone facade, and it is entirely yours for the day. Dinner is served in the tent under string lights, open to the evening air, with the gardens around it. When the night turns, guests step inside the schoolhouse to dance and close it out.
What happens if it rains?
Indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces are decided on the day, so the forecast settles where you say your vows. The tent is weather-proof, so dinner goes ahead in the rain.
Getting here
How far is Ashlar from Ottawa, Kanata and Stittsville?
Ashlar is at 2876 Munster Road in Munster, Ontario, about 25 minutes from downtown Ottawa, 20 minutes from Kanata and 15 minutes from Stittsville.
Is there parking, and where do guests stay?
Parking is on site, and hotel accommodation is available in Kanata, Stittsville and Richmond.
The day itself
Who cooks the dinner?
Dinner is cooked on site by our culinary team, and the culinary director builds every menu from scratch around what's in season and what's local. Every menu carries three mains, one of them always vegetarian, and a complimentary tasting is offered before your wedding, subject to availability.
What do we arrange ourselves?
Florals, photography, music, transportation and an officiant are arranged through your own vendors. Everything else a wedding needs, from the venue director to the rentals, is listed on the wedding packages page.
How soon will we hear back?
We reply within 72 hours with availability, pricing and a full breakdown for the date you have in mind.