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

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!

Small little dinner party wedding at Le Select, and a few other smaller venues

So - a dozen people gathered at Le Select on a Tuesday for a small, intimate wedding.  The garden ('jardin') was available, and so we had the canapes, toasts and ceremony in the back, and then they had a dinner in one of the back side rooms.  It's possible to do this during the week, (weekends are often busier) and have a lovely smallish wedding. We were originally going to go over to the island, or somewhere by the water, but the weather has been pretty iffy, and in fact, this was the 34 degree day - so the shade of the canopy over the back jardin was great.  Wonderful evening.

next week - off to the Arts and Letters club, Fantasy Farm, a private wedding in Cabbagetown, Casa Loma in the conservatory, over to the Rectory cafe on Ward's, and another small family wedding upstairs at the Gladstone...  when TIFF is over, lets hope the TTC repairs are swift!