Grand church
Grand Victorian rings in one-year anniversary
After gutting and renovating the interior of the former Victoria United Church, Marly and Greg Anderson are excited to celebrate the Grand Victorian’s first birthday. The couple transformed the old relic into a mustsee wedding and events venue last June.
It’s been one year since Greg and Marly Anderson turned the traditional notion of going to the chapel to get married on its heels and renovated a rundown 142-year-old church into an elegant and beautiful wedding and events venue. “We wanted to give people a really unique experience no matter what the event,” commented Marly. “We offer guests a quality product, and every chapter of the building has a story behind it.” The couple set to work. They gutted and renovated the former Victoria United Church and breathed new life into its high arched ceilings and original gothic architecture, while throwing in complimentary fanciful fixtures and antique style furnishings. After a 12-year vacancy, they opened the doors of the ‘Grand Victorian,’ which is located at 106 Nelson Street in Victoria, to the public at the end of June 2017. “A lot of people from the community came to tell us stories about who got married here or what it was like attending Sunday school,” she continued. “We found people have real connections to this building and would tear up while thanking us for saving it from disrepair.” The couple plan to have old wedding pictures, birth or marriage certificates from the church mounted on a memory wall to keep its history alive. “This building was once the centre of the community and I think many were heartbroken when it was decommissioned,” noted Greg. Marly added, “When we bought the church we had no idea that this would be a thing. People would come and share their stories with us, and that’s what surprised me the most about this journey.” The business has continued to evolve and grow with weddings, a traditional afternoon tea with a twist, staff of 15, an outdoor wedding and events venue, as well as a fruit and vegetable garden. “We have an innovative pastry chef and everything we have here is made in house. From the mustard to the bread, scones and cakes, so we’re really proud to have added that to the business in year one,” said Greg, while noting that the food they get is all locally sourced from nearby farms. “We plan to start making our own wedding cakes on site, too,” remarked Marly. “And we’re getting an oyster bar put in, so people can come and shuck fresh local oysters while enjoying the seaside village.” It’s been a lot of hard work to get the building to the standards of today, and the Anderson’s are still hard at work making repairs and improving each experience. “We learned that fishermen use the steeple as a marker to guide them to shore, so it is getting repaired and will be slightly bigger than before. It’s our biggest renovation this year,” concluded Greg. As the couple turn the page on a new chapter, they both agree it was worth the risk to start a rural business and encourage others on P.E.I. to follow in their footsteps. For more information about the Grand Victorian, visit www. grandvictorianpei.com.