A Romantic Harding Waterfront Estate Wedding

Harding Waterfront Estate has flown a bit under the radar until the last few years when it’s making a name for itself as a great Toronto wedding venue. It’s one of only a few wedding venues with tent reception options on site which makes it an incredibly unique option.

It’s located a short drive from Toronto right on the Mississauga - Oakville border. It features a gorgeous 50 ft x 70 ft glass pavilion (3500 sq. ft) which can accommodate up to 240 guests for a seated wedding reception and a standing capacity of 500. The vaulted ceilings are a soaring 18’ high, draped in sheer fabric and adorned with 6 dimmable crystal chandeliers. Air conditioning and heating are available seasonally which is rare to find in these types of event spaces.

The grounds are immaculate with lush gardens all around. The outdoor ceremony space overlooks Joshua’s Creek and Lake Ontario is visible from the rear terrace of the estate’s main building, Bell-Gairdner House.

The flexibility within the rental period of the wedding day also lends itself well to getting ready on-site and photos on the property.

Have a scroll through the beautiful photos captured by Cleland Photographs. Florals were designed by Fable Floral Design, stationery by All That’s Lovely and linens, chairs and tabletop pieces by Simply Beautiful Decor.

A Colourful Summer Tent Wedding in Copetown, Ontario

By now you probably know that tent weddings are our jam and a challenge we embrace with open arms. There’s something about building a beautiful space where nothing exists that will never get old. And this particular wedding is a great example of a wedding that oozes class but with a casual edge. I think that also sums up so much of what we try to do with all of the weddings we plan so this feels like a great example of what we strive to build.

Not only that, this was something we fully planned in just four months. The family’s property is stunning, with the home being over 150 years old. It was standing in 1867 when the Dominion of Canada was created. How neat is that?!

Guests were greeted by a champagne table with the sounds of a New Orleans-style band playing, and it felt like a true celebration! The ceremony was set under a huge old tree, offering shade for guests and an incredible backdrop for the exchanging of vows and a reception following, catered by the incomparable Treadwell Catering and bartended by our favourite mobile bar truck, The Sway Bar. Guelph Tent Rentals pole tent was a showstopper with its Father of the Bride lighting, making a lovely glow all night long. Kendon Design Co. was tasked with the responsibility of filling the space with colourful florals including a round ceiling installation hanging above the head table, set directly in the middle of guests for a less formal feel. Simply Beautiful Decor’s fresh new line of Hampton Plaid linens and Florina Tan dinnerware helped to feed that casual chic design vibe. Once dinner was complete, The St. Royals, our favourite Toronto wedding band, kicked off the dance party with a short break that somehow so perfectly timed the launch of a firework show! It was all so serendipitous.

Oh, and I can’t forget to mention what is probably my favourite wedding cake that I think I’ve ever had for a client. A huge thank you to The Dessert Room for making this one just so perfect!

Kayla Potter Photography outdid herself capturing all of the details we all worked so tirelessly on for and we, and I am sure our clients, will be forever grateful! I still cannot get over the incredible flat lay she did of the invitation suite so carefully designed by Statue Rue, along with all of the other wedding stationery pieces.

We wanted this to feel fun, bright, joyful, and elegant and I think we accomplished just that. Enjoy scrolling through this beautiful colourful summer tent wedding in Copetown, Ontario. You’ll find the links to all of our wonderful vendors at the bottom of this post.

A Colourful, Private Estate Tent Wedding in Millgrove, Ontario

Kathryn and Evan’s colourful, pattern-filled wedding took place on her parent’s private estate in Millgrove, Ontario on October 2, 2022.

If you’ve followed along for a while, you know we love the challenges of planning tent weddings on private estates. The best part is that you can start from scratch with the design as there’s not much that controls the aesthetic like you would have in a traditional venue with its own style.

We started with a colour palette that pretty much included the rainbow and got started on the custom colour-blocked wedding invitations with Paper and Poste and a stunning lush floral design by Forever Wildfield. We then got the tent secured which was a gorgeous sailcloth tent from Guelph Tent Rentals. From there, we worked with Simply Beautiful Decor and Plate Occasions to select linens and tabletop pieces to carry through the navy and teals from our colour palette in a way that felt refined and elegant but still very in line with a more relaxed setting of home.

When it came time to food and beverage options, Kathryn had a specific vision in mind and there was no question that Saving Thyme Bistro would cater the event as Kathryn’s family has been long-time patrons of the restaurant. The cocktail experience was important to both Kathryn and Evan, and The Sway Bar knocked it out of the park preparing six speciality cocktails while also making sure everyone had their favourite wine and beer at the ready. To satisfy the sweet-tooth post-dinner, Sweet Celebrations created an epic cookie bar!

Additional lovely vendors include Radford Beauty, Signal Hill Band, 586 Event Group, and Wellington Music

Captured by Will Reid Photo.

Service: Full Planning and Design

THE FLOORPLAN

Tent wedding floorplan layouts can be tricky since you’re starting from scratch. Below is the floorplan we created in case it helps inspire your own tent wedding reception floorplan layout.

Intimate Backyard Wedding in Moore Park, Toronto

2023 was the year of the quick plans. It started with a 6-month, a 4-month plan and then Nicole and Blake came along with the challenge of 2 months as they both had job opportunities abroad that came up quickly so we went to work. So yes, we can make pretty much any planning timeline happen.

They wanted an intimate backyard wedding and although we ended up around 80 people in their backyard we still managed to meet that intimate feeling through thoughtful use of the available space. The backyard was small (large by Toronto standards) and had two different levels providing a nice break in the flow, allowing for the space to feel as though it was larger than it was.

A tent spanned the two spaces which provided cohesive style and protection from the sun in the afternoon and as equally important, some warm, soft romantic lighting overhead at night. Backyard tent weddings are often meant to be intimate and we certainly feel this one met that goal.

Toronto wedding caterer, The Food Dudes knocked the catering and bartending out of the park and Toronto wedding photographers 515 Photo Co. captured it all beautifully. D&D Party Rentals provided the gorgeous tent with Chairman Mills providing all the remaining rentals and florals were done by family friend and wedding florist, Liz Giancola. DJ Dash kept the group partying and even had the neighbours dancing up a storm until 1a!

Colourful Tented Wedding in Burlington, Ontario

This private estate tented wedding in Lowville was such a joy to design and plan. Julie, our bride, wanted flowers everywhere and she certainly wasn’t afraid of colour. Pulling together all the spring colours created a fun, upbeat, upscale, and romantic wedding aesthetic at their home. Food and guest experience were incredibly important to our couple, Julie and Tom, and they wanted to ensure guests had a choice for all courses. We were fortunate to work again with Gourmet Chef at Your Table who did an incredible job bringing that goal to life.

The available level ground was limited so we did a long narrow tent 15’ deep and 50’ long in addition to a canopy on the patio to connect the dining tent with the house. A huge thank you to Special Event Rentals for their assistance in creating an intimate setting for their 65 guests and a feeling of an extension of their home.

Their dog, Harper, was almost the star of the show with his own place setting at the head table including the beef tenderloin for dinner. Have a scroll through the photos to see him being a very good boy!

We were thrilled to assist Julie and Tom with their wedding planning. Tent weddings are tricky to plan as there are so many moving parts but with careful consideration, they can be a success and worth all the effort.

Photographed by Cleland Photographs, florals by Kendon Design Co., tent and rentals from Special Event Rentals, stationery by Statue Rue, catering by Gourmet Chef at Your Table, cake, and sweets from Sweet Celebrations, and beauty by ES Bridal.

Service: Full Planning and Design

Private Estate Tent Spring Bridal Shower in burlington, ontario

Lianne’s gorgeous bridal shower took place in June of 2022 under a tent in her parent’s beautiful backyard in Burlington, Ontario. Spring weather can change on a dime and will pose extra challenges for outdoor events so planning accordingly is key. We certainly lucked out with the most gorgeous weather and ran into just a little rain for about 5 minutes; thank you, Weather Gods!

Also, can you even believe we ended up in the most perfect location with the tent perfectly sitting atop the beautiful artificial grass? It made for the most incredible base for an outdoor setting.

We’ll let the images speak for themselves with all the gorgeous details from some incredible local vendors.

Photographed by Robin Sassi, tent and rentals from Special Event Rentals, florals by Sue Gallo Designs, stationery by Statue Rue, cake from Cake and Kale, and catering from Gourmet Chef at Your Table, this day truly is one of our favourites!

Casa Loma Glass Pavilion Wedding

The glass pavilion at Casa Loma is a gorgeous option for those who want a tent wedding look but either don’t have the property available or even want to organize something at home.

Jackie and Don opted for a photography permit at Spadina Museum just next door to Casa Loma, removing the need for wasted travel time at multiple locations.

For the design, Casa Loma’s Glass Pavilion’s white floors, glass walls and ceiling with the white drapery and beautiful chandeliers make it a gorgeous base. Jackie wanted a minimalist design but one that still had some depth. So we kept with the standard square tables available from the venue and covered them in soft ivory velvet linens and a caramel-coloured napkin. We opted for three different candle colours to add more interest without adding clutter. The floral arrangements were a mix of low and tall to help keep the eye moving around the room.

Lastly, for the floor plan, we went non-traditional and had Jackie and Don sitting at one of the long tables in the room. Since the stage in the space is a permanent fixture, and Jackie and Don didn’t want to be on display, we kept the ceremony musicians to play during dinner and placed them on the stage with the ceremony florals repurposed as a backdrop for them. You can see a photo of this layout below.

A custom floorplan for the Glass Pavilion at Casa Loma.

Photographed by Tara McMullen, stationery by Paper and Poste, floral design by Blush and Bloom, linens and tabletop by Simply Beautiful Decor. Tables and chairs from Event Rental Group. Beauty by Bruna Mata and Off the Grid. Live musicians GTA Strings, DJ by DJPPlus.