Severn Lodge Wedding venue guide
A Practical Guide to Planning a Wedding at Severn Lodge
If you’re looking for a cottage wedding venue in Muskoka that feels more like a weekend at the lake, Severn Lodge should be on your shortlist. It’s the kind of place where guests arrive, drop their bags and slide into vacation mode right away.
After spending time photographing at Severn Lodge over the years, this overview is for couples considering it for a Muskoka cottage-style wedding.
Location and setting
Severn Lodge is located in Port Severn, Ontario - on Gloucester Pool, part of the historic Trent Severn Waterway. It’s about a 90-minute drive north of Toronto, making it easy to reach for you and your guests while still feeling completely Muskoka.
The property sits directly on the water and is surrounded by mature trees, docks and open shoreline. Visually, it offers what most couples associate with a classic Muskoka wedding: lake views, boats, pine forests and sunsets over the water.
Wedding ceremony and reception flow
Weddings at Severn Lodge typically follow a lakeside ceremony followed by an on-site reception. Because the venue functions as a resort, everything happens in one location. This reduces logistics for couples and guests and creates a more relaxed pace to the day.
One notable feature is the Sevlo, a 1922 mahogany Ditchburn motor launch that has been part of the lodge for decades. It is sometimes used for bridal arrivals, couple portraits, or guest cruises. When incorporated, it tends to feel natural rather than theatrical, especially for couples drawn to Muskoka’s boating history.
On-site accommodation for guests
One of the most practical advantages of Severn Lodge is guest accommodation. Weddings often feel more like a weekend gathering than a single event because guests stay on the property.
Accommodation options include hotel-style rooms, one- and two-bedroom suites, private cottages with kitchens, and lakeview villas. Many units overlook Gloucester Pool or are a short walk to the water. From a planning standpoint, this simplifies transportation and allows guests to fully settle in.
From experience, weddings here tend to feel less rushed because guests are not watching the clock or planning drives home.
Resort map of Severn Lodge
Food and dining
Severn Lodge operates as an all-inclusive resort during its season, which means its kitchen is accustomed to serving large groups consistently. Couples can choose inclusive meal plans or work with the venue on customized wedding dining.
Meals are prepared on-site and because guests remain at the resort, food becomes part of the overall experience rather than a single scheduled service. This is especially noticeable for multi-day weddings or events that include welcome dinners or next-day breakfasts.
Activities and guest experience
Unlike traditional banquet venues, Severn Lodge offers a wide range of recreational activities that guests can access during the wedding weekend. These include swimming areas, a sandy beach, heated outdoor pool, water trampoline, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, hiking trails, tennis, pickleball, games rooms and evening entertainment.
For couples with families attending, supervised children’s programs are available during the operating season, which can be helpful for guest experience planning.
These amenities shift the atmosphere from formal event to a vacation getaway, which appeals to couples who want their wedding to feel social and unstructured.
Seasonality and availability
Severn Lodge operates from May through October. Because the venue is seasonal and popular for both family vacations and weddings, booking timelines can be longer than traditional venues. Flexibility with dates can help with availability.
Who Severn Lodge tends to suit best
Think of it this way – an entire weekend with your closest friends and family instead of a few rushed hours squeezed into a single afternoon. With everyone staying on-site in their own cabins, the wedding naturally stretches into a full weekend together. Guests arrive, settle in, wander down to the water, reconnect over meals and bonfires - and end up spending far more meaningful time together than they would at a traditional venue.
Families get the chance to meet and actually get to know one another and by the time the ceremony happens, it already feels like everyone has been there for days. The result is a relaxed, shared-cottage experience rather than a one-day event that flies by.
Based on how weddings unfold here, Severn Lodge is a good fit for couples who value:
A classic Muskoka cottage-style, waterfront setting
Having guests on-site with you for a full weekend
A relaxed timeline rather than a tightly scheduled day
Outdoor scenery over formal interiors
A balance between structure and flexibility
All-in-one wedding with ceremony, accommodations, activities and meals all taken care of
It would be less ideal for couples looking for a formal ballroom-style wedding or a one-night-only event.
A photographer’s perspective
From my photography perspective, Severn Lodge allows couples to slow down and actually experience their wedding. Getting ready, ceremony, portraits, dinner and evening reception flow together naturally, without interruptions like travelling between venues or other locations.
The classic Muskoka forest and waterfront provide a beautiful backdrop where the setting does much of the heavy lifting. The natural atmosphere helps everyone relax and genuinely enjoy themselves which shines through in the photos.
For couples researching Muskoka wedding venues with a cottage, resort-style feel, Severn Lodge is best thought of not as a traditional venue, but as a wedding weekend location where scenery, accommodation,
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Severn Lodge Information:
Severn Lodge Address: 116 Gloucester Trail, Port Severn, ON L0K 1S0
Severn Lodge Accommodations: There’s a mix of hotel style rooms for smaller groups and 2 bedroom units for larger families. All-inclusive packages are available that include meals, most resort recreation facilities, supervised kids activities and evening entertainment.
Severn Lodge Parking: There is plenty of free outdoor parking as you arrive at the lodge.
Severn Lodge Reviews: See their Google Reviews
