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

Toronto Hotel Elopements - cosy private weddings

I'm reposting this article on Winter Weddings, as I'm too busy with winter weddings to put up a new post!  But you can read about winter wedding ideas here

Several couples chose to hold small private weddings and elopements in Toronto hotels this last couple of weeks, specifically, the King Eddy, the Windsor Arms, The Grand Hotel on Jarvis, the Gladstone, and the Templar Hotel on Adelaide. [this month, include the Radisson, Trump, Four Seasons]. It's a nice way to have a special event, and some privacy. The witnesses were mostly friends, family, or in one case, their children.

It's your choice whether to inform the hotel you're holding a wedding.  It can have benefits, or it can add costs.  One couple informed the staff they were getting married, and they got 'upgraded' to a penthouse.  (They also moved the furniture out of the way a bit, scattered some biodegradeable rose petals and brought a guitar along instead of an IPAD). note: the Windsor Hotel has some rooms with guitars - they are, however, mostly out of tune...  Some rooms also have pianos, tho this might be more useful in the sitting room than the bedroom?

 

Windsor Arms Hotel Suite with Piano

Another couple BOOKED a penthouse room, but just said they were 'celebrating an occasion',  A third was so discreet I don't think the hotel ever realized we were holding a small wedding.  Some couples chose to go to dinner afterward (in the hotel, in a couple of cases) or just to the bar for oysters and champagne to celebrate.  Finding ourselves without one witness, one hotel sent up a Concierge, who had a lovely time and even got a little verklempt!

We have held larger family weddings at hotels that cater in-room events, like the Four Seasons and the Plaza and the Trump. They will deliver drinks, a cake, and at the Four Seasons, even a chef.  But if you just want a quiet romantic elopement, find a nice cozy room with a view, and bring your own champagne. Check Groupon! Get upgraded!

Small Private Wedding at Templar Hotel

Small Private Wedding at King Edward Hotel

Romantic winter elopement - Hilton Hotel by the fireplace

We had planned an outdoor ceremony - perhaps on the waterfront, or on the ferry, or even on the island.  Then we thought about Grange Park by the Bell Tower, or even the grounds of Osgoode Hall.  But the weather turned nasty - so we asked the downtown Hilton if they had a room we could use.  They kindly said that they would open the tower lounge just for us, for a short private wedding.  Hurrah!

and after the wedding, the view...

Small Hotel Wedding - King Eddy

This was a wonderful wedding in a hotel suite at the King Eddy. The couple had been partners for 34 years!  King Eddy has are a series of rooms (I think that end in 86? you can ask the desk...) which have an alcove in each room, and they make a perfect space for a wedding.  Note the gingers in the group!

King Eddy Private Wedding

Condo and Hotel Weddings - suites and party rooms

Just off, over the river (the Don) and through the woods (Ravine) to a nice family wedding in Granny's condo.  Condo party rooms and your grandmother's lovely apartment might be a nice place to host a small family wedding, if she's willing.

OR, you can invite everyone to your hotel suite.  We had a nice winter wedding in THIS beautiful suite at the Yorkville Four Seasons - they have a couple of large suites available for group event, AND the wedding was catered by the Four Seasons hotel, with the chef preparing the meal in the condo suite, and wait staff. Here's the dining table in this view.  And marvellous flowers, as well.

Small private winter weddings - indoor locations

We have a small flurry of winter elopements scheduled, mostly for under a dozen family and friends. We've been outside, in a few restaurants and 'secret' city spots.  But in rainy cold weather, it's good to have an inside option, and one of the best is a HOTEL SUITE.  You can dress up nicely, pour some champagne, take lots of pictures, and everyone has a place to sit down.  You can even order room service for the cupcakes or smoked salmon.  Look on groupon and other sale sites for hotel deals -  Expedia has a deal at the Royal York right now!  You can ask the hotel about their policy of wedding photo permits, but if you are a guest, they should be helpful.  The older hotels often have bigger rooms, the newer boutique hotels are also used to requests for small weddings.  The concierge should be your friend, see what you can arrange with them (room service, even flowers).  Or just book in, call your witnesses, book your officiant, and have a lovely quiet wedding. 

Smaller Spring weddings! Inside/outside

We've braved the elements this spring, in the snow, in the rain, and had some lovely lucky days, in Philosopher's walk, in some local parks, and cosy inside Allan Gardens in the spring flowers.  The back patio at Le Select is sunny now, and the Brickworks is coming up a few times soon.  We might slip into the Ravine next week for a little family wedding, and they're cleaning up the garden in front of St James gazebo.  For inside comfort, several couples have used hotels, and smaller meeting rooms or suites:  the Trump Tower, the Park Hyatt, Gladstone, Four Seasons, etc.  And I've seen lots of new condo party rooms, some quite wonderful.  Restaurants are good spring ideas, some have nice patios you can snag if the sun is out - been to Bravi, Le Select, and Terroni's, all for family-size weddings.  You can always book the Hart House chapel and have a great lunch at the Gallery Grill (but only September thru June, alas! tho they now have sunday brunch and a cocktail hour!

update - finally! hot weather! Off to the Brickworks, (stunning tonight - baby ducks, too...) then Todmorden Mills, the Ravine, St James Cathedral park, and the top deck of a few townhouses - nice to see the sky.  Some Pride weddings, in homes and backyards, and a bar or two -- Happy Summer!

Gladstone, Upper lounge - intimate location

Gladstone, Upper lounge

We usually hold weddings in the ballroom at the Gladstone (or, once, in the Tower Room suite for a family group) but lately we've had a few smaller weddings (15-40 people) in the upstairs lounge area.  Here is a nice little wedding in the upper lounge - just a small group of friend and family, and then a nice dinner downstairs.  And there's that fun elevator!  You can have some drinks set up at a portable bar, and then go downstairs for more food. 

We had another wedding here on the night of Nuit Blanche! It was very much fun, tho some art patrons wanted to see things as dusk fell.  Check the dates of Toronto events when you plan a wedding!

Tiff Elopement!

Here are two wonderful people, who came up north for TIFF, and got married at the Thompson Hotel, in a bit of calm time in the middle of the crazy (Brad Pitt's bodyguards at the pool, George Clooney sneaking in the hotel...).  But the real romance was here - C and B, together 13 years, had a wonderful, intimate Canadian wedding in the Big Smoke.  Lifted us up for whole day.... I don't usually put comments in these snippets, but they wrote to say they're home, and the wedding was 'perfect', and they felt they'd known us for years (my husband was a witness).  We felt the same - and wish them a lifetime of happiness, just like this.

Hotel Rooms make great sites for indoor winter weddings

It's cold out there. The Ice rink at City Hall, High Park, the island, cherry beach in winter - all COLD, people! Red noses! Brrr! Consider splurging on a great hotel room, in one of the icons: Park Hyatt has great suites (here's a pix from their website), and the Royal York is a bit tatty, but still has some good windows, or of course you might choose the hipper Gladstone or the Drake. Or try the Hilton, or one of the new boutique hotels like St Germain.
Make sure there is enough ROOM, tho - some of the boutique hotels only have room for that great bed, and nowhere to stand. So do your research, or ask the staff for a room with a VIEW or with room to entertain. Then hold your small wedding in your room, and sign the license on the fancy table and order room service. You can always arrange to go down and take wedding photos in the lobby and in the entrance afterwards. We had a nice little elopement wedding at Sutton Place this winter for a couple from out of the city (meaning they came in from Mississauga and survived the trip). Just order a few flowers, and bring a some gravlax and champagne, and have a wonderful winter wedding.

Drake Hotel Wedding Location

And down the block from the Gladstone, still on Queen Street West, is the Drake Hotel , of course.  We also had a bit of a retro themed wedding, but that seems natural in the SkyYard (roof deck).  We used the tiki bar as a backdrop, and signed the license on the bar.  Fortunately, the rain held off!  So all the guests could crowd around the middle area.  The food and drink service was great - as was the boardroom area for the bride, and for signing things and collecting ourselves.  The guests had a ball.

Small weddings - rent a hotel suite

You can rent a suite or just a big hotel room (try something quirky like the Gladstone or the Drake or something grander like the Royal York or King Eddy, if you want more space than the boutique hotels). The couple can stay there, (or in a smaller room), and you can have drinks catered (check about bringing in a cake or cupcakes) and hold the ceremony in the room.

Then set up for a mini-reception, license signing and pictures, and take everyone to dinner in the hotel restaurant. Warm, cozy, and you don't have to hire cabs or walk through snow and slush to another venue.