Popup micro family wedding at UofT on a quiet Sunday morning

 

Quiet little micro wedding at Univ of Toronto

It's summer, and University is quiet at the moment, especially on a Sunday morning before lunch.  You can pre-BOOK a few places for small weddings (Hart House, Vic College, etc.).  But sometimes you can also just wander in with a handful of family and find a quiet corner.  I liked this stone step, because I'm really short and the groom was a Big Friendly Giant.  Please contact me if you want to chat about location ideas.  

ElopeToronto.com - Globe and Mail agrees this is a 'trend'

COUPLES ARE ELOPING TO CREATE ONE-OF-A-KIND WEDDINGS

well, after officiating at 1500 elopements in 20 years, I can agree with this article. (grin)

But there are a few RULES:

1) Tell your mom, if you tell your mom things anyway

2) Tell your best friend and siblings, if you tell them things anyway.

3) You don't need rings or flowers, unless you WANT them.  

4) Dress up, or down, bring along a friend with a guitar, or don't bother.  

5) Don't confuse an elopement with a flashmob wedding.  Find a quiet tree, or your own apartment or a hotel, or a beach, or a backyard.  Find a little peace and privacy for 20 minutes.  THEN go out and take pix all over town if you wish. 

there are zillions of articles on this blog with advice, or just contact me.  MaryBeaty (at) Gmail.com

HAVE FUN!  

What is a 'Micro Wedding' ? (aka PopUp wedding)

Micro wedding is a new term for a small private wedding. Here's a news clip about this 'trend' 
Send us an enquiry here and we'll explain more.

We have conducted 'micro weddings' since 2004.  They are also called 'elopements', 'small civil weddings', 'city hall weddings', 'pop-up weddings', 'house weddings', 'registry weddings', 'family weddings" and lots of other terms, and it basically means the way your great-grandparents were probably married. 

In earlier days, people generally got married at home, in the 'parlour' or outside on the lawn.  You got dressed in the bedroom, and the family and local ladies made the wedding brunch.  

Today's couples often choose a park, the condo party room, someone's balcony, or a quiet corner of a city landmark, or any place you can gather with a small group for a half hour, the same as you would hold a graduation picnic, a birthday party, or just any little celebration. Dress-up is optional!

Feel free to write me with any questions, and I'm happy to make suggestions.

Save the funds you would have spent on the 'big fat' wedding - and go on a travel adventure! 

A few recent micro elopements :)

Micro wedding in my apartment (check the sox!)

Micro wedding in the backyard of my apartment

Popup in the couple's condo

Winter locations for micro-weddings (popups, elopements, 'signings')

Brrr. Although we do conduct outdoor weddings in winter, and have ventured to snowy spots like the Brickworks. Grange Park and Riverdale Park, and even the skating rink at Nathan Phillips, I DO RECOMMEND indoor locations for your small intimate micro-wedding.  We need to have about 30 minutes for the wedding and signing, and it gets COLD, and we can't sign if it's wet.

SO!  Your apartment, my apartment, your friend's condo event room are handy.  Most restaurants will let you stand in a quiet corner at 4pm (before evening service) and hold a quick wedding, (don't say "wedding", say "private meeting" - they don't want to worry about confetti and champagne serving). But do ask about private 'snugs', small dinner party rooms at places like the Irish pubs on the Danforth.

But you can also rent a co-working room at various locations, like the Centre for Social Innovation on Spadina, etc. Just think, 'where could I hold a small meeting?', and you'll think of places you could hold a small wedding.  Contact me at marybeaty (at) gmail (dot) com, and I can offer suggestions.  Happy planning! 

How to arrange a simple legal non-religious 'civil' wedding in Toronto ('micro wedding')

We offer simple 'civil' legal wedding ceremonies:  non-religious & non-denominational, (similar to a 'City Hall' or 'Justice of the Peace' wedding) including elopements, private ceremonies, legal ceremonies for destination weddings, (aka  'micro-wedding', 'signings' or 'registration of a marriage') and friendly family & community-style weddings.  I make house calls! You may have a wedding at your home, apartment, in a park, hotel, restaurant, or other location of choice. Or hot air balloon.

Questions big or small? Use this [ENQUIRY FORM] and I'll write back! I will also send a sample contract and a fee scale. Fees are simple, and based on the size of the wedding, and include transportation and office fees. See FAQ and main website for more information for both small and larger events.

Mary is licensed as a Marriage Officiant ("wedding Celebrant") by the Registrar General of Ontario, and the Ontario Humanist Society and has performed over 1500 civil weddings. I am currently the Secular Humanist Chaplain at the University of Toronto  

HUMANISM is an ethical philosophy of secular living, stating we all share a duty of care to each other, to lead ethical lives of compassion and respect, for other people, and the world we all share. Humanist Wedding Ceremonies are simple, meaningful, non-religious legal marriage ceremonies, which reflect your wishes, your values, and your story. We also provide ceremonies for baby-namings, memorials, and other life events. 

NOTE: If you are viewing the MOBILE version of this blog, there's lots more info in the desktop version. There's a 'web version' link at the foot of the first page of posts, or view on your laptop.

Micro (popup) wedding in High Park on a sunny morning.

A "micro wedding' is a new term for an elopement or small civil wedding.  We like High Park, because it's so big you can find a nice spot for a small wedding on the day you get there.  We avoided the family picnics and daycares, and found a great spot under a trellis, for the couple, the witnesses a few friends and family and a toddler or two (who could run around a bit).  Wonderful morning, serenaded by the birds.  And then a celebration brunch.

Newly married couple in High Park

Small (micro) wedding at Victoria College

Micro elopement on the steps at Vic College

The couple booked the STEPS at Vic College, and we had a lovely small wedding in the Quad.  Around us were people taking photos for BIG weddings later in the day, but we were finished and happy and ready for the celebration dinner at a restaurant by the time the other couples were resting up for their events.

Small weddings are very traditional, actually - and quite fun. 

Small Legal wedding at home

Riverdale Home Wedding

 Small legal weddings are back, also called 'micro-weddings', a new term for elopements, in post-covid times.  This is in Riverdale, walkable from my home. And yes, another tall couple.  I think I'll start calling myself a Hobbit.  But it was a happy wedding, with a few friends and champagne.  

Gerrard Laneway outdoor wedding

 

Gerrard laneway elopement

During Covid, we sometimes met outside (in this case, outside the restaurant) and held the weddings in small spaces - like the laneway!!  Quick and simple - and quite fun.

King Street condo balcony wedding, a bit cold, but Happy

The sun went behind a cloud, but the couple are pretty happy.  But we had a nice simple civil wedding, despite the chill. All you need is a quiet location, and about 30 minutes, and then perhaps a little champagne!

 

Balcony wedding King Street

AGO: grey day in Grange park, and a Great wedding!

Here we are in front of the Henry Moore statue group behind the AGO in Grange Park.  There were kids and babies and skateboarders all around, but they gave us a space for a short, lovely wedding.  And the rain held off till the end!

Couple and witnesses, AGO, Grange Park

Grange Park wedding couple and Mary

Signing Register in front of Grange, AGO

nb:  The bride above is an astronomer.  Below is ANOTHER University of Toronto astronomer, and we managed to hold the wedding inside the planetarium! (the new one, in the basement of the physics building).  So, fuzzy pix, but wonderful!  But you can only do this if you are -- an astronomer!

U of T Astronomy wedding

Condo Party room legal wedding - simple and lovely

This delightful couple also had a destination wedding in the South.  So this was their legal wedding, held with just their family witnesses, in the Party Room of their condo.  It was a weekday event, so we had the lovely big room to ourselves - with the fire on in the background, and lots of space to take photos.  Here, we've held the brief legal ceremony, and we're just finished signing all the papers!

Party Room Condo wedding

Simple legal weddings, in a home, condo, or AirBnB!

AirBnB penthouse

It's cold this month!  So we found a number of solutions to simple legal weddings.  Here are we are in an Air BnB penthouse and below in an apartment of a friend. In both these weddings, parents attended by Skype!  We have lately also used the games room of a condo, some hotel rooms (find deals on Groupon!), and a couple of condo party rooms.

Friend's apartment

Riverdale park wedding and a serenade

Here's a magic wedding - just the family, under a tree in Riverdale (no baseball game in session), and another stump to sign all the papers.  But then the parents surprised the couple with a song - and all the small gifts mentioned in the lyrics.  I was wondering what the guitar was for - and then we all got a wonderful surprise.

After the wedding, everyone happy

Family serenade for the new couple (singing the verses and presenting a tiny gift)

Living room elopement - three decades later

apartment elopement

This amazing couple have been together over 30 years.  We had a wonderful wedding in my living room, and a few tears popped up - but mostly we were very cheerful indeed! 

A "Rush" tribute wedding at Queen's Park

Queens Park Souvenir!

This lovely couple were RUSH fans, and so they wanted to be married on 12/21 in front of Queen's Park.  If you know RUSH, you know what this means.
Of course Queen's Park won't LET YOU DO THIS.
But we found the little parkette by the Physics building down on College,  and we held the wedding where we could SEE Queen's Park behind us!  Clever!  And then we sneakily went up to Queen's Park Circle and took some photos anyway.  The guard was a bit huffy, but we distracted him enough to get a photo!

RUSH wedding Dec 21

Cosy Winter Elopement, an anniversary, and Dutch Comfort Food

We had a number of nice winter elopements this year, in parks, in hotels, in apartments, and other fun locations, including the CN Tower & Ripley's Aquarium. [Note: please see this POST on pop-up weddings at landmarks like Museums and tourist spaces. Most places will NOT allow this, as they have lots of annoyed guards on close-circuit cameras.  The wedding at Ripley's was in the Party room, with booking permission - and then museums passes for all!]

Solstice Wedding 

This little winter solstice wedding took place in my own flat, in front of the fireplace, with just the Bride's family here in town, and the Groom's family skyping in from Sweden.  We had a LOVELY time, as it was also my own 50th wedding anniversary!
The couple went to lunch in Yorkville with their family, and then to to the Kensington Solstice Parade.  We went to St Lawrence Market to buy oysters and prosecco.

My family ALSO took us to our anniversary lunch at a new Danforth restaurant, BorrelTo.  (I actually married the owners, over on Ward's Island, AND I discovered I had also conducted the wedding of the cook's auntie!) and then we ate up the entire menu of Dutch Comfort Food.  They've never had a wedding there, but they COULD close up for a small private event - the beers are fabulous, and the food is perfect for a cocktail reception.

And now here we are, 50 years ago and now, still laughing together at Borrel.

Dec 21, 1967 - a bit of emotion

Dec 23, 2017 - still talking!

Wedding at short notice - delightful midday ceremony

This great couple were working out plane tickets and witnesses, and a license - and a location - all in a short space of time.  It all came together, with wedding outfits and delighted friends and a luckily available room at the University Multifaith Centre,  and a beautiful sunny winter morning.

Romantic proposal and wedding on University of Toronto campus

Short version:  the bench-where-the-proposal-was-accepted was duly labelled so by the groom.  We re-united here, with 2 witnesses, and had a short legal wedding, before the couple had their family celebration at the end of the week.
(then they went back to work at the University. I hope they have a working lunch together on the bench occasionally!)
It's tricky to have little weddings on campus, as security staff will usually stop you - but this was a lucky exception, as it was early in the morning at the end of summer term, and nobody noticed us, hiding away. In fact, most of the campus was locked up, so the staff could have a holiday.  But we had the romantic story & the bench to show, just in case.  

the proposal bench (it says: "She said yes")

Newly Married couple (and the bench!)

(again, don't try eloping on campus without permission. The job of the security guards is to stop you.  Please ask for advice, here's an enquiry FORM)

Riverdale Park - baseball and a wedding in the setting sun

Due to a broken scooter and a few snaggles, we didn't get to the wedding till the 7th inning (game going on down below), but we had enough sun for a lovely sunset wedding.   The team congratulated the couple warmly!

Riverdale Park wedding - CN tower view 

Riverdale Park wedding at dusk