A Spring Wedding at Graydon Hall Manor

Jamie and Aidan were married May 27, 2022 at Graydon Hall Manor in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in the gardens and a reception under the tent. Photographed by Alix Gould Photography and florals by Sweet Woodruff, it truly was a stunning garden vibe. Graydon Hall Manor is one of the finest wedding venues in Toronto with exceptional service, an incredible food and beverage experience, and impeccably maintained grounds. The venue is exclusive to the couple and options are endless in how couples choose to use the space. It truly feels like you’ve stepped into another world when really you’re a short trip from the heart of downtown Toronto.

Beauty by Jen Evoy and music from St. Royals.

The Best Toronto Area Wedding Venues with Epic Food, Service and Design Experiences

After almost a decade in the Toronto wedding scene, I’ve experienced my share of wedding venues and there are a few that easily stand out from the rest. My clients want venues that offer not only a beautiful backdrop but also a culinary experience and level of service to match. I’ve compiled my favourite Toronto area wedding venues that are the best at consistently offering all three favourite requirements.

1. THE UNIVERSITY CLUB OF TORONTO

   I’ve talked before about my love for The University Club of Toronto, so it should come as no surprise that it tops my list of favourite wedding venues in the Toronto area. This venue has everything. It’s centrally located at Queen and University and easily accessed by both public transit and car. While there are lots of hotels nearby, there are also hotel rooms available on the property. Osgoode Hall is right across the street and, bonus points, it doesn’t require a photography permit! With exclusive use of the property, there are so many options for event flow and the Presidential Suite on the main floor is perfect for getting ready on site. My favourite event flow is getting ready in that beautiful Presidential Suite, ceremony upstairs in the Library, cocktails in the Pine Lounge on the main floor, and back up to the second floor for dinner in the Ballroom and dancing back in the Library post-dinner!

   It’s also incredibly beautiful both inside and out with lots of character and architectural details and it plays really well into endless colour palettes. The food is AMAZING, the service is impeccable. Oh, and did I mention the butter is whipped and formed into swans?! Yes, swans.

   See more of Emilie and Leo’s amazing wedding at The University Club of Toronto here.

Will Reid Photography. Blush and Bloom.

2. THE ARLINGTON ESTATE

Located just North of Toronto, in Kleinburg, Arlington Estate offers not only a beautiful space but a top-notch client and guest experience. They also take good care of all vendors coming in, making it an especially lovely place to work and easily on the list of favourite Toronto area wedding venues. There’s a beautiful outdoor space for wedding ceremonies and the East and West Wing Ballrooms are the perfect base and opportunity to add your own style. Everything you could imagine has been taken care of in this space with stunning bridal suites, large terraces overlooking the gardens and even espresso machines in the lobby bar. Not only is the food is impeccable but its presentation is beyond. They’re flexible with drop off and pick up times for your personal items and it’s just all-around a wonderful space to be.

Blush and Bloom. Purple Tree Photography.

3. ELORA MILL

Perfect for an easy mini-destination wedding, The Elora Mill is an absolute gem. Elora is a gorgeous small town and incredibly quaint for the perfect weekend getaway just an hour and a half from the Toronto core. The Mill’s hotel has a spa on-site for some relaxation time and the Elora Gorge allows for some exploring and of course, epic photos. Everywhere you look, this town and property are nothing but beautiful. Both the outdoor ceremony space and the indoor rain backup of the Chapel are absolutely stunning so regardless of the weather, you simply cannot be disappointed with the backdrop. The reception spaces will take your breath away with their unique, very upscale, and elegant, yet rustic design. The whitewash oversized harvest tables pair perfectly with the linen-covered round tables to create some extra interest in the space. The culinary experience is perfect for the foodie and the service experience is unmatched. The only shortcoming is the lack of flexibility with the ceremony times, but that can be easily overlooked with the beauty of the space and when you realize how well they run their show and just how many design details come with this space.

See more of Suzanna and Kyle’s Elora Mill wedding here.

Scarlet O’Neill Photography. Hunt and Gather Floral.

4. THE PEARLE HOTEL

While The Pearle Hotel is a brand new hotel, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a massive shakeup to the Toronto wedding scene. Based in downtown Burlington, Ontario, The Pearle Hotel is owned by Pearle Hospitality who also owns the aforementioned The Elora Mill. As with the rest of their properties, the aesthetics of this space are top-notch and the service will be second to none. There are hotel rooms on-site and a Hammam Spa perfect for relaxing and a weekend getaway for your guests! There are stunning views of Lake Ontario from both event spaces and also quick access to the waterfront and Spencer Smith Park which is free for wedding photos. Fitting for weddings of 150 to 400 guests, it’s definitely a space to watch and experience to have when it opens in the spring of 2021.

5. STRATUS VINEYARDS

Located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the heart of Niagara’s wine country, Stratus Vineyards offers a beautiful blend of modern contemporary and garden party vibes. It’s about an hour and a half from Toronto and perfect for a weekend getaway experience for couples and their guests. While there are no accommodations or spa on-site, there is an endless number of options nearby. The wine is obviously amazing and all beers offered are local, which is such a plus for those who love supporting local. They have a few preferred caterers, all of whom will blow your taste buds away, and they’ll also work with Stratus to pair wines with each course for the ultimate experience.

As for ceremony and reception options, the most popular is to have the ceremony outside facing the vineyard, cocktails on the terrace, reception in the Press Alley, and dancing in the retail space. So with exclusive use of the space, you’re really able to use all areas! If you’ve got extra in your budget, you can reverse things by putting a tent out on the grass for dinner and having your ceremony inside!

There are two things to note about hosting a Stratus Vineyards wedding. The first being the strict timing they have regarding wedding party, guest arrival, and ceremony start times, but it’s all done in an effort to ensure the experience of their retail customers is a positive one. Sound restrictions can also be a concern for some couples so if you wanted to dance the night away under the stars you’ll be disappointed as there are strict rules in the Niagara area about noise levels especially after 11p so you’ll have to move your party inside the retail space for dancing.

For more images from Jane and Jason’s tent wedding at Stratus Vineyards, click here.

Mango Studios. Simply Beautiful Decor. Premier Tents.

Formal Bohemian Wedding at Airship 37

Amanda and Jordan's wedding at Airship 37 was an extra special day for me. Jordan and I worked together years ago before my days as a wedding planner and we stayed in touch long after. Shortly after their engagement, they reached out for my assistance as a wedding designer, as they weren't quite sure how to fuse their two very different tastes in design. He's a tux-wearing fox and she's a boho-chic babe. It was so much fun designing a formal bohemian wedding that perfectly blended their two styles. First up, we worked on finding stationery that would set the tone and ended up going with this gold foil invitation suite from Minted which perfectly fit the bill. The kraft paper envelope balanced by the gold floral accent and taupe ink was just the mix we needed. Lots of white space gave it all breathing room, allowing each element to stand out on its own. We then got working on the gorgeous blank canvas at their wedding venue, Airship 37 and bringing the rest of the vision to life. Airship 37, also happens to be one of my favourite industrial wedding venues in Toronto because of its chameleon-like ability to support any kind of wedding style. We put the focus on the florals in the space, bright and colourful, with lots of structure, but plenty of movement to feel wildly in control. With the help of Ashley Elaine Florals, we hung flowers from the ceiling and arranged them on the arch and made sure to carefully place and repurpose these elements later when the room was converted to the reception space. There are a few favourite elements for me, but the crowning jewel of this wedding at Airship 37 was the bohemian wedding cake so carefully constructed by Cakelaine, an incredible wedding cake decorator here in Toronto and my best-kept secret. She so perfectly took the vision that was in our heads and absolutely knocked it out of the park, making it beyond anything we had expected with that gorgeous macrame fondant texture. One of my other favourite little details had to be the crystals at each place setting, each with a different meaning, as explained on the back of the menu. A nice little surprise for guests to take home with well-wishes from the couple. And my last favourite little detail is the replication of the floral pattern from the invitation added to the front of the bar in vinyl! Of course, we wouldn't have anything to show if it weren't for the incredible Kimon Kaketsis, who was on hand to perfectly document the day.

Photography Kimon Kaketsis
Florals Ashley Elaine Florals
Design Laura Olsen Events
Cake Cakelaine
Venue Airship 37

Officiant Dick Combeer
Dress Watters
Tux Tiger of Sweden
DJ Kushmin B

Harding Waterfront Estate Wedding | Oakville Wedding Venue

Oh, my heart. Laura and Dan's colourful Harding Waterfront Estate wedding will forever be in my memory as a wonderful day. These two and their families had so much love for one another. It was such a beautiful celebration that was so graceful from beginning to end. Laura and Dan made the extra effort to include both of their families in all of the planning and crafting fun (everything from those cute glitter table numbers to the ceremony arch and pedestals!) and it did not go unnoticed. Sometimes being so hands on with the wedding planning, families have a hard time relaxing on the day. But not these guys! Every single person was relaxed and comfortable right from the first sips of coffee in the morning to when we left them when they were dancing away under the stars. They left their planning hats at the rehearsal, knowing they were in good hands with us! Ashley Elaine Florals nailed it with the bright, playful pink palette, making it feel mature and crush-worthy! Jennifer See Studios captured the entire day and colours so brilliantly and Evolved Entertainment kept everybody on the dance floor busting a move right until the last note was played. The Harding Waterfront Estate is a gorgeous outdoor tented wedding venue with exclusive access to the stunning historic mansion a short distance away from the heart of beautiful downtown Oakville. Thank you, Laura and Dan for entrusting us with such a special day in your lives. It was such an honour to be alongside as you celebrated your wedding in a beautiful way. Please enjoy these captures by Jennifer See Studios of their stunning Harding Waterfront Estate wedding.

Photography Jennifer See Studios
Florals Ashley Elaine Florals
Planning Laura Olsen Events
DJ Evolved Entertainment

Hair and Makeup BLO Oakville
Venue The Harding Waterfront Estate
Transportation | Erin Mills Limousine

Romantic Castle Wedding at Casa Loma

They met in elementary school and had a romantic castle wedding at Casa Loma. Could it be any more perfect?As I was selecting images for this post, I found myself smiling. Fitting, as I remember smiling through the entire day for Erin and Andrew's wedding at Casa Loma. As planners, you never now what character you are going to get in a wedding party this size, but we couldn't have asked for a better group of people. They were all genuinely thrilled to be celebrating with their best friends, respectful of each other and making Erin and Andrew's day truly special and perfect for them. It was clear they were a tight knit group, friends for ages, and had a great time together.This feeling carried straight through to the vendors they asked to support them on their wedding day. Some of the most seriously dreamy and genuinely lovely vendors I have had the pleasure of working with, came together to bring it to life. Barb Simkova of Tara McMullen Photography captured the day beautifully, keeping everyone relaxed and having a great time. Captivate Photo + Cinema was there to film the day. Blush and Bloom created glorious, luscious white and green floral dreaminess to create a truly classic-inspired affair. Have a peek through the gallery below to see this romantic castle wedding at Casa Loma. It's the stuff dreams are made of.

romantic castle wedding at casa loma, casa loma wedding, tara mucmullen photography, castle wedding, toronto wedding planner

Photography Barb Simkova of Tara McMullen Photography
Videography Captivate Photo + Cinema
Florals Blush and Bloom
Hair and Makeup Nicole Richards and Co.
Venue Casa Loma
Cake Tori's Bakeshop
DJ DJ Floh Back
Rolls Royce A Rolls Choice
Officiant All You Need is Love

Rustic Romantic Wedding at Airship 37

One of my favourite wedding venues in Toronto is Airship 37. It's impossible to be bored when designing weddings for this space as the possibilities are endless!For bride Kerry, it was important to create a soft, romantic aesthetic to balance the industrial feel of the venue. She wanted to drape the ceiling, but knowing it would be a huge expense, I encouraged her to rethink the idea. Together we brainstormed how we could draw the eye down to the tables rather than up towards the ceiling. By creating a focal point in the centre of the room above the head table, we tricked the eye into focusing on that rather than the industrial lighting of which she wasn’t fond. We layered warms shades of taupes, blush and cafe browns over top of various shades and textures of white.We kept things simple and focused our attention on doing the most important things really well. This saved a bunch of money while still creating the soft and airy rustic romantic wedding aesthetic.The ceremony altar we built with Ashley Elaine Florals was one of the prettiest we have done so far! Simple copper piping draped with fabrics of varying textures and a lush floral accent was just enough to soften the barn board wall. We added candles in varying heights behind it to pull the eye right to the centre of the altar.Megan Laura Photography was on hand to capture all the beauty. They are some of my favourite photos to date. For the rest of the team scroll down!

Photography Megan Laura Photography
Florals Ashley Elaine Florals
Hair and Makeup Jen Evoy Hair and Makeup
Venue Airship37
Day-of Stationery Paula Lee Calligraphy
Invitation Suite Minted
Officiant Enduring Promises, Ron Shantz.

Before the Wedding, Ontario Marriage Requirements

Wedding season is here! Before you run off to get married, you will need to make sure you have met the Ontario marriage requirements and obtained your marriage licence!

Before you can get married, you'll need a marriage license, which can be obtained from any town across Ontario. In other words, it doesn't matter whether it's obtained in Ottawa and the wedding is in Toronto, you can get it from anywhere! A marriage license is valid for 90 days from the date it was issued so you will need to wait until you are within 3 months of the wedding before you apply.

STEP 1

Download the Marriage Licence Application form (PDF)

STEP 2

Collect two pieces of valid government-issued identification for you and your wife or husband-to-be.One piece of identification must include your photo.

• birth certificate (including any change of name certificates);

• passport;

• record of immigrant landing; Canadian Citizenship Card;

• driver's licence;

• or Ontario Photo Card.

STEP 3

Find a local city hall, town hall or municipal office.

STEP 4

Bring the completed application form, identification and payment to your local city hall, town hall or municipal office. The price for the marriage license will vary in each city/municipality so be sure to check with your l before heading out.

STEP 5

Bring your marriage license and all paperwork with you to be passed off to your officiant or wedding planner.

STEP 6 

After the ceremony, be sure to place the remaining paperwork from your officiant in a safe, secure place.