Small family wedding at Home in Little Italy - Sunday brunch!

Home wedding

We were originally planning on Trinity Bellwoods, but the weather did not cooperate, so we had a small home wedding instead at their home near Little Italy.  Lovely and light, just the family, and then everyone went out to brunch to celebrate - and I moseyed on to ANOTHER wedding up on Bathurst, where they hosted a family brunch in the house, with uncles and aunts and cousins and all.  Lovely busy sunny family wedding day!

Trinity Bellwoods elopement - in the north end, tucked in a small grove

Because sometimes you have to avoid the frisbee games, the jogging mommies, and the dogs - but it's a big park, and there is peace on a sunny afternoon 

Trinity Bellwoods Summer Wedding

Comment: and here is the eclipse!  I was wandering around Trinity Bellwoods a few weeks later, handing out safety glasses, and met a couple I married 3 years ago!  ah, Toronto....

Looking for Green Space: Elopements and outdoors ideas

The little pathway between the ROM/ Royal Conservatory and Trinity College is a lovely wooded walk we have used over the years for little informal weddings. Lots of nice trees, and a little paved nook or two to stand quietly in a circle.  Yes, people are always passing by, and you have to watch for the music camp children running around for recess (quite busy now in July, several camps - best at 5pm), and sometimes there are sports events at Trinity field, but it's a public space and you can't get/don't need a permit for 4 or 5 people to stand under a tree for 20 minutes.

Philosophers Walk 

NOTE: You MUST get a PERMIT for the main UofT campus, by Hart House, so don't even try holding an informal wedding or anything resembling a wedding photoshoot, or the security staff will stop you. Alternatives nearby are Queens Park (if there isn't a fair or expo), or some of the little Annex parkettes.  To the west, we had a little wedding in Bickford Park (south of Christie Pitts), under a nice tree, tho we had to compete with Saturday morning soccer! Once again, just 6 people. You can't bring a large group.  Rule of thumb: Over a DOZEN PEOPLE usually requires a permit. Because a dozen is a GROUP.  Write me if you have questions, please.

Trinity Bellwoods

Trinity Bellwoods still works for small groups, and Dufferin grove, tho you should ask the committee for larger groups than 8-ish. In the East, you can take a small group to the bottom of Withrow Park or Riverdale, or some other local small parks.  Don't even think of holding an elopement in the Distillery without a permit, tho. You can work out something with the Brickworks, and have lunch at Cafe Belong. Brickworks will want a permit and a fee for anything other than a small 'standing around-doesn't-look like a wedding' group. Be aware.
Northwards, there are little parks around Walmer, a nice little memorial park at Avenue Road and St Clair, and we've had little weddings in a few little community parkettes by people's homes.

Allan Gardens

In terms of downtown permits /rentals, (for elopements and slightly bigger groups, 12-30) you can 'rent a garden' inside Allan Gardens, Here we are last week. You can also get a permit for the Rose Garden at St James Park.  You can also RENT Casa Loma's Conservatory for just yourselves, or a group - same price for both ($$$$$). Be creative, scout your neighbourhood. Condo parks are great, because you can bring a group. Back gardens at restaurants are pretty.  You can get a picnic permit for the Island for a group event, or just wander over and find a spot - or arrange a little wedding at the Cafe garden, and yummy lunch!

Allan Gardens is great inside, but your permit also covers the grounds and the flowers outside. Here is the flower garden, and the wedding party in front of the greenhouse.

Allan Gardens front garden

Allan Gardens front of greenhouse

Trinity BellWoods - elopement in Squirrel Alley and by the baseball game

Trinity Elopements! Just the five of us - the couple, the officiant, and the 2 witnesses-who-became-photographers.
Here's a June wedding, overlooking the baseball diamond...

And a spring wedding with the CN tower carefully positioned...

The last time we had an early morning wedding in Trinity Bellwoods, we DID see the White Squirrel! - this time, we chose Squirrel Walk for a later afternoon wedding, with just the 2 witnesses, and a lovely bride and groom. I hope they're having a super celebration dinner right about now...

and another - most of these in the North section by Dundas, a little quieter.

Winter Weddings in the Park - Leslieville and Trinity Bellwoods, happy and cold

We're all very happy, but I've got long underwear on  :-) Note that we went back to the house, in each case, to sign the license and have some celebratory drinks....

Leslieville Playground, December

Trinity Bellwoods, December

Trinity Bellwoods Elopement in early morning

as in -- 9am!  And we saw the white squirrel! And then we went to the White Squirrel Coffeeshop to sign the Marriage License, of course.

Morning Elopement in Trinity Bellwoods

At the Gates of Trinity Bellwoods Park

Nice weather, nice weddings....backyards, Trinity Bellwoods, St James, Wards Island...

Wards island wednesday

Trinity Bellwoods

Harbourfront

On the Danforth

St James Gazebo

Ashbridges Bay

Roncesvalles Front Porch

Nice fall elopement at Trinity Bellwoods Park

Yes, it can be done!  A beautiful fall day, and a circle of us standing in the fallen leaves while dogs ran on the left and workout mommies jogged with strollers on the right of us. We signed the license at a picnic table and took pictures by the gates.
Remember, you can't officially BOOK a park like Trinity for a wedding - but if you're just having an impromptu celebration, with a handful of people (we had 8) you can usually just turn up and have a small, brief wedding. And hugs all around.