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...

Evening wedding at Le Select - ceremony, drinks and dinner!

This was a tremendously lovely wedding at Le Select Bistro, down on Wellington. A marvellous couple, and we had the best time! And of course, the staff is great (I've actually married some of them!), and the food is marvellous...  Great for a group of 25-50 people, for a wedding and dinner.

Small legal wedding behind Trinity College - happy and informal

A very lovely couple who are going abroad were looking for a small legal wedding somewhere around the University.   You can't do this many places, as you need a permit (esp near Hart House).  But if you don't  SEEM like a 'wedding', and you don't bother people, and there's just 4 of you, it's possible to find a little nook and be discreet.  Here's the 5 of us, looking very happy indeed, on the hill behind Trinity College - the new couple are in the middle, witnesses surrounding them. 

At the same time as we finished filling out the papers, a large wedding party marched up the path, bridesmaids in more ruffles and platform shoes than I've seen in ages.  It was quite a fun contrast - both couples very happy, and a beautiful fall day, and cheer all around.  I don't think the fancy wedding realized what we were doing, but the couple who were eloping were tickled by the other entourage!

Pop-up weddings, CN Tower, Museums,Galleries, Monuments, Parks and Gardens

It would be wonderful to be able to just turn up at your favourite location and hold a pop-up wedding.  After conducting weddings for almost 1500 people, I have lots of opinions on pop-up, guerilla, flashmob, and other surprise weddings.

Primarily, it is very difficult to hold a popup wedding in public museums and monuments and all those locations where you met, or hung out.  Most public institutions have guards, and lots of closed -circuit television. They understand what you are doing, and they will come and ask you to stop.  This is also the case with wedding photography, as they will also stop anyone who is trying to do engagement or wedding photos without a permit.  THIS IS WHY you do not see millions of wedding or fashion photographers in your favourite museum, monument (such as Union Station) or gallery.  They do this after hours, or they pay LOTS of money for the privilege.

You can certainly buy a permit for a wedding at Allan Gardens, the beautiful 19th century conservatory.  You CANNOT try to hold a popup there without a permit, as the long-suffering guard's job is to stop you.  The same with the Guild in Scarborough, the music garden, the Toronto Botanic Garden, and parts of the islands.  You cannot hold a wedding on the main UofT campus (around Hart House Circle), as you will be stopped.  You will be stopped quite firmly in the Distillery.  Also, parts of the Brickworks. It is the JOB of the guards to come and ask for your permit.

Please read the post on park weddings.  It's a Catch-22:  you must have a permit for a park wedding - BUT, the parks department will not issue permits for all parks.  The problem is that many weddings abuse the locations (bringing too many people, chairs, high heels, confetti, etc.) and the parks department can't supervise locations not set up for weddings.  YOU may have the best intentions in the world to be respectful, but other people have ruined things for you in advance. This is why High Park has now banned all weddings - because bad people treated it as an event space, not a park.

SO.  Here are some ideas. The CN tower (like Grand Central Station in NY)  will allow you to come in and stand in a corner and have a teeny wedding.  You have to buy admission for everyone anyway, so as long as it's short and you don't bother anyone, it's possible. The tourists will smile, or ignore you, or squeeze around you. You cannot do this at Ripley's, tho you can book the party room and then get tickets for all (which I think come with the booking).

You can't use Queens Park (the front of the building), tho you can use Queen's Park PARK, behind the legislature (by King Eddy).  You cannot use the AGO, but you can book the lovely library in the Grange and have a wedding by the fireplace AND HIGH TEA!  You can also use Grange Park BEHIND the ROM. You cannot do Casa Loma without a permit, but you can pay lots of money for a private wedding in the Conservatory at Casa Loma.  The ROM is all on closed-circuit TV.  Don't try it.  But you can use philosopher's walk, beside the  ROM, and then you inside and take some romantic cell phone pix. 

A legal wedding takes some calm, and some time.  It's not like the movies.  Basically, you need 25 minutes, and some peace and calm, and a place to hear, where your witnesses can also hear properly.  Then you need to sit down and sign all those papers. You must also document the wedding with a photo, in case you need to prove this for a non-traditional wedding.  So you need to be able to take at least cell phone photos.

SO, it's best to find a quiet place for a little legal wedding and THEN go and take some post-wedding photos in your fave location.  Or, try talking to your favourite restaurant or bar, and see whether you can have a quiet corner at 4pm between service, for a 'little private event' , and then stay for food and drinks!  Don't say the word "wedding" at first, just say 'celebration'.  Many locations will be happy to give you your 20 minutes and sell you some prosecco and nibblies.

We might also be able to slip into your nearby small parkette, or some friendly spaces like Trinity Bellwoods, Riverdale, etc.,, with a handful of people.  But for a larger event (over 12 people ) find a location which issues permits:  Allan Gardens, Toronto Botanical, Music Garden, etc.  Ask me.

Please write me with your ideas and I'll try to help.  Little popup weddings are great fun, as long as we can relax and hear and do things properly.  And not bother OTHER people, of course.   Your wedding should be fun and memorable, not fraught with being chased out of your favourite location.

Storys Building - a classy summer wedding!

Fabulous wedding at the Storys Building, a downtown loft near Roy Thompson Hall.  This (and other great weddings) by Photographer Natasha Bardin

Hart House Gallery Grill - a lovely and yummy restaurant venue at UofT

Hart House: Gallery Grill

If you like Hart House at the University of Toronto, but are also looking for a great chef and a 'different' ambience than one of the halls, we've had a couple of weddings lately at the Gallery Grill at Hart House.  It's housed in the old Faculty dining room, overlooking the Great Hall.  We're having a wedding in the intimate grill area later this year, in front of the Fireplace, but this event was in the dining room.  You can have a reasonable number of people - 30-60? Just ask them - esp if this is a seated dinner, which is usual.  But it's best with under 50, I'd think. You also have the front bar area for cocktails, and then the dining room for the dinner.  So, about the same size as the Wedding at Frank at the AGO, or at Le Select, or other restaurants we've used.

Little private weddings in Dufferin Grove and Christie Pitts

Early morning, Dufferin Grove. They were just firing up the pizza ovens.  Kids, dogs, baseball - and a little wedding under a tree. Pretty happy couple!

And south of Christie Pitts, under another nice tree! Still only 7 people, but a little 'fancier', as in, a white dress, a couple of chairs, and no tennies. The tree is hiding the intense soccer game!
Pix below by Pep Phaxay Photography: http://www.pepphaxay.com/

Peter Pan Bistro - small family wedding downtown

Peter Pan Bistro, 2nd Floor

Had a lovely smallish family wedding this weekend for about 40 people on the 2nd floor event space at the Peter Pan Bistro, on Queen West.  Here's the space (we held the ceremony by the fireplace in the front window, then flipped the room for dinner, while they set up a bar in the back space).
The staff was wonderful, the post-wedding cocktail hour was yummy (crab cakes, cheese straws and fun things). I hadn't eaten at the PPan for 30 years or so, so it was really fun to see it transformed.

CN Tower Skypod: small morning wedding

Here we are, up in the CN Tower SkyPod again!  Two happy grooms, and their sisters and dad - and those that are nervous about heights are holding onto the others! Note: you can't 'book' the CN tower for a wedding (unless you book the BigFancyRestaurant?), and this is in the Skypod, where you really can't fit more than 5 people - and other tourists will be passing around and beside you during the wedding, (usually smiling with delight, tho!), and often they take photos and congratulate you.  But if you want a 'special' elopement, this is certainly an idea. It's best on a WEEKDAY MORNING before school is out.  Tho' you never know when busloads of students will turn up.  But it's certainly fun!

Surprise streetcar wedding - bumpy but fun

Here is a quick picture of a streetcar wedding last Sunday. More pictures from the photographer to come soon. 
1) You can rent Toronto streetcars, minimum, 3 hours. They travel on a circuit, and stop briefly at one end for a break/ pictures / etc.  No drinking tho - but some food and live music are nice. We had 50 people, tho there are seats for 46, so some people are always walking around.
2) This was a surprise wedding for the guests (we picked up the musician and me along the way). But you must tell your parents (it might break their hearts not to know) and maybe your BFF.  Then they can be in on the surprise. Note the mum in front holding the flowers.
3)  You should rent a portable amp with a mike.  The TTC mike is only used by the driver.
4)   This is a TRAVELING SHOW.  Toronto natives know how to walk on a moving streetcar. We managed a walk down the aisle with parents, and even a first 'dance' in the back.  We didn't drop the rings, or the bouquet, and the bride is brave in heels.  But I am wearing floor-gripping flats with rubber soles, as I'm holding a few things, including the groom when we went around bends.

TTC Streetcar wedding

This weekend - off to the skypod in the CN tower.  Send me an email if you want to know about either of these things.... 

Small Family Wedding at FRANK, AGO

Here's a nice venue for food and art lovers:  Frank Restaurant at the AGO.  This was a delightful wedding for about 40 people. You could squeeze a few more in, but not too many, if you're going to have a seated meal after.

We had the ceremony in the front gallery on Dundas street, and then moved to the private dining room behind it for the dinner.  The restaurant was still open to other dining guests, but the wedding guests had their own dining room and servers.   Nice art, lovely couple, airy and bright and easy to reach on the streetcar.  Pix is from Alicia Thurston.

Downtown Gothic: Arts and Letters club wedding

There are many stylish modern wedding venues in Toronto - the Gardiner Museum, Tech lofts, modern bars, and cool hotels.  If you are looking for wood beams and stained glass windows, however, there's Hart House, (and Vic college and UC and the Faculty Club at UofT), plus bits of Casa Loma, faux Tudor at the Old mill - and then; the Arts & Letters club, right downtown at Yonge and Elm.  We're having a wedding there tonight, for a couple of great guys from Newfoundland, and about 100 people.

Although the Great Hall can seat lots of people, you can also hold a smaller wedding for 50 or so. There's a grand piano, and a stage, and a fireplace, and original Group of 7 work scattered throughout the building and in the comfortable lounge. Call Joseph, he's great to work with.

New Venue for small weddings: Grange library at the AGO

Just had two wonderful winter weddings in the library of the Grange, behind the AGO. The library window is the last one on the left.  I remember taking my children here when the Grange was still a museum. And now the event planning staff is experimenting with small weddings in the wee 19th century library off the 'members lounge'.

Today we had 2 weddings; the first had a formal seated afternoon tea service (delicious! Earl Grey pannacotta!), and the second had a cocktail reception.  There isn't room to serve more than about 15/20 max at the tea tables, and 12 is about right, so a seated tea service is limited. You could have more people for a standing ceremony and a cocktail hour, but not much more than 18-20, perhaps? (Same size as Allan Gardens).
The staff will also accompany your group or the couple for photos in the galleries of the AGO itself.  The 2nd couple had cocktails and toast in the library at 5, then dinner at FRANK, which is also easy access.    Drop me a note if you want to know more! You can contact the event manager directly:  Jennifer_prince@ago.net

 This is a dinner setup, not a tea, and it's for about 24, but you can see the setting.  This is too many for a ceremony, as we need to stand together by the fireplace, so ceremony AND TEA should max out at about 18.

Happy vows at Fantasy Farm - between the rain showers

It's been a showery summer for outdoor weddings, and sometimes we  had to judge the wedding time closely to fit inside the storm radar (always have a backup location plan! the couple can stand under umbrellas, but you can't move elderly guests out of the showers in a fast-moving storm).

But in this case, we had a great window between showers, and here we are laughing through the vows, and relieved to be out among the flowers.  And overcast is great for photos!

Handsome grooms at the Spoke Club, King Street W

Sunny top deck at the Spoke Club at King/Bathurst - and some handsome grooms (we're looking a bit squinty at the sun - but fortunately, the rain went away!)

(Note: you must be referred by a member of the Spoke Club to book the premises at the members rate)

Simple wedding environments can be elegant - and fun

Sometimes a simple setting is very nice .. tho this isn't a perspective shot, the groom was certainly taller than the bride and I!  A very happy couple, and a simple, elegant wedding.

Alternative destination wedding -- At the airport!

Here is the story of a couple who planned a 'destination' wedding abroad, but in the end, it got too complicated, including trying to get their family overseas.

So, they used the opportunity and the funds they'd saved to go to ... PARIS!

And here is the actual legal wedding, in the departure lounge at Air France!  We had the witnesses, the photographer, and the sunset - and we moved a few chairs, and stood in the corner where we weren't bothering anyone, and -- Voila!  I think the fancier pix from the photographer show the jet behind us.

NOTE, this actually takes a bit of planning, and certainly some flexibility, so please contact me if you're considering this kind of option.. but it was spontaneous fun.

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