River's Edge at the Arlington

-A PERSPECTIVE FROM A WEDDING DJ/MUSICIAN-

I've wanted to write this for a few weeks now because I keep thinking about how amazing my experience was at Arlington. I've been a wedding DJ for years and just before Christmas, I played my first wedding ever at the Arlington Hotel. I had such a wonderful experience!

As you already know from other reviews, the space is beautiful. The view over the river is breath-taking. And if you are looking for a picturesque location for wedding photos. This is it. But as a DJ/Musician, I'll also add that the acoustics inside the main area are actually really good! But that's not the only thing that makes this such a good venue in my experience.

I had never been here before, so I wasn't sure where to load in, what the all the procedures were, or anything really. So my first stop was the front desk. I was greeted with a smile and very courteous staff who were happy to direct me and make sure I had everything I needed. The day-of coordinator (Mikaela) was a joy to work with. Super friendly, offered a coffee, and helped to keep the night moving smoothly between the reception and the kitchen. All the other staff (bar, servers, porters) were all friendly and helpful. At the end of the night, Mikaela stayed back until I finished loading out. This almost never happens at other venues, so this stood out to me.

I'm not sure if this is a Paris thing or an Arlington Hotel thing, but I truly felt like I was part of the family there. Literally every single staff member I interacted with was friendly, happy, and helpful. I really hope I get to come back again!

If you are a couple considering the Arlington Hotel (River's Edge) for your wedding, you can rest assured that you are making a good choice at all levels. If this is how a venue treats its staff and incoming vendors, you know they're going to treat you well! I highly recommend!

Myself and my husband got married here last weekend and it was nothing but amazing! The venue is absolutely gorgeous and the cocktail space is perfect for the amount of people we had. We had the maximum number of guests which I believe was 155. We had our ceremony against the beautiful windows that oversee the Grand River and it was very picturesque. The only complaint I had were about service here and there. The food was tasty and all the guests loved the meal! They did not have any dressing on a lot of the salads that were served, but promptly brought dressing to the salad that were missing it. I would recommend that when they have a large group of 155 people they should require two bartenders even though the one that we had was absolutely amazing and she was able to keep up with a very high demand crowd! The staff from start to finish were so helpful kind and flexible. I highly recommend getting married here! It was the best weekend of our lives.

We had our wedding at this venue a few weeks ago and were so happy with how the day turned out. the space is beautiful, the food was great, and the day went off without any issues. Thank you to Ashley for walking us through the whole process, and to all those who helped on the day of the wedding. we liked that this venue has many inclusions so it made the planning process a lot easier - our DJ and officiant had also worked there many times so the whole day went so smoothly. Paris is beautiful and a perfect backdrop for a wedding.

Cora was wonderful at the wedding we went to! Very personable and kind!

Sandra - I love you

Sandra was wonderful at a wedding I attended! 12/10 espresso martinis!!! Thank you!!

SANDRA IS THE BEST!!!!! Great vibes great personality!!!! The best drinks!!! 10/10 would recommend!!!

Great venue, Sandra the bartender was awesome, very personable and so sweet!! She definitely went above and beyond! Thanks for helping to make my daughter’s day so much fun!!

Had an amazing time at Rivers Edge, partially because of Amber. What a super star!

Rivers Edge is so beautiful, great employees like Amber. And I love their hustle crossing that busy intersection with food and drink

Great time as always!

We had our wedding at River’s Edge in Paris, ON, and it was absolutely perfect. The staff were incredibly supportive, professional, and made the whole process feel smooth and stress-free.

One of the best parts was how much was handled in-house — catering, setup, some décor, and coordination — which meant fewer vendors to manage and way less to worry about on the day. Everything ran seamlessly, and we were able to truly enjoy the moment.

The venue itself is stunning, with beautiful views of the Grand River and a warm, elegant atmosphere with a rustic brick wall. Our guests loved it, and so did we. We highly recommend River’s Edge to anyone looking for a gorgeous venue with top-tier service!

Great place for a get together as long as the dj doesn't crank the music up too loud

I Djied This Venue for a wedding the venue was great but the food was cold

We recently hosted our wedding at this venue, and while there were some wonderful aspects to our experience, there were also a few disappointments that we feel are worth sharing.

First, the venue and hotel itself are absolutely beautiful. The setting provided a stunning backdrop for our day, and the grounds were well maintained and picturesque. Anais, Cora, and Andrea were truly fantastic — professional, kind, and incredibly helpful throughout the planning process and the big day.

The food overall was good, but not quite the standout we were hoping for — several guests mentioned that their meals arrived cold, which was a bit of a letdown.

Unfortunately, there were a few issues that impacted our experience. While not the venue’s fault, the ongoing construction in the town of Paris definitely took away from the charm and atmosphere we were expecting for our wedding weekend.

One of the more difficult parts of the day involved Sabrina, who was rude and unprofessional during the setup. She made inappropriate comments to our bridal parties and family members, including walking into my bridal suite to say my future husband was “high maintenance” and remarking that one of my bridesmaid’s dresses was too revealing — both comments were uncalled for and left a sour impression. Unfortunately, there are a handful of other examples I could provide.

Another challenge was the staff turnover leading up to our wedding. The change in venue contacts caused confusion and resulted in miscommunications about key details, which added stress during a time that should have felt exciting and organized.

In summary, the venue has so much potential — it’s visually stunning and has some excellent team members — but better communication and more professional oversight are needed to truly deliver the experience couples expect on such an important day.