Category Archives: Venues

Where To Host Your Wedding Reception

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When choosing a venue for your wedding there are a couple of things to keep in mind: number of guests, budget, time of year and availability. Here are a couple of different types of venues and what you can expect when booking them.

Hotel: A hotel is a great place to get married if you have a long guests list and if many of them are from out of town (accommodations are a no-brainer!). Hotels have onsite catering and some rentals, such as tables and chairs, are included in the cost. Plus, if you’re hosting your ceremony at the hotel, as well, there are no transportation issues to think about. Weddings often take place in a hotel’s ballroom, though, so you’ll need to invest in décor to make a statement.

Sutton Place Hotel

Restaurant: I love the idea of a restaurant wedding; it’s intimate, casual and easy. You will need little décor, rentals are included and you’ll know exactly what to expect with the food. Keep in mind that you’ll be limited to specific days and times of the week in which the space can be rented out. You’ll also have to limit your number of guests (on average, a restaurant can usually accommodate 100 people). Seating will likely be untraditional; it’s worth asking to see photos of previous events to get an idea of how tables can be configured.

Terroni Restaurant

Art gallery or museum: Hosting a wedding at an art gallery or museum will definitely impress your guests and make a statement. Keep in mind though this will be one of your more expensive options. You will need to bring in most of your suppliers, rentals, catering, décor and wait staff. And you might have to use the venue’s preferred suppliers, though this is not a bad thing because they will often be the best in the business and they’ll already know the ins and outs about that particular space.

The Art Gallery of Ontario

Private residence: Getting married in the house you grew up in or at the cottage where your fiancé used to spend his summers will make people feel right at home. Depending on the size of your wedding, this can be a simple affair or a lot of work. If you can fit everyone inside for dinner (in case of rain) and there are enough bathrooms, chances are this won’t be a huge undertaking. But once you go over that magic number, you have to consider a tent, rentals, catering, transportation, décor, service staff, accommodations and most importantly, portable washrooms.

Backyard Wedding

Destination wedding: Who wouldn’t want to get married under the Tuscan sun or on a remote island surrounded by friends and family? If this is your dream, there is only one way to do it properly: hire an experienced destination wedding planner and let them take care of all the details. There really is no other way to do it.

Wedding in Iceland

Golf clubs and resorts: There are some great benefits to hosting a wedding at a golf club or resort. They have large dinning rooms, onsite catering, rentals are included and the view is usually spectacular. Plenty of green space makes for great wedding photos and the guests and wedding party will have a great morning out on the golf course. Be warned, though, that transportation might be an issue as most clubs are located outside of the city.

Toronto Hunt Club

Visit The Wedding Show January 14-16 at the Carlu to help you decide which venue is the right choice for you.

Photography By:

1. Documentographer
2. Storey Wilkins Photography
3. Laura Jane Petelko
4. Danijela Weddings
5. Bragi Þór Jósefsson
6. Laura Jane Petelko

The First Wedding At Terroni

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I’ve always been a huge fan of restaurant weddings, so when Kara Greenwood from Belle Fleur Events mentioned recently that she helped plan the first wedding held at Terroni on Adelaide Street here in Toronto, I knew I had to feature it on this site.

Eliane Shore and Jascha Jabes met on a blind date and, three years later — August 8, 2010, to be exact — they were married at Holy Blossom Temple, followed by a 200-person reception at Terroni. I asked Eliane why they picked Terroni and her reasons were simple: good food, fun venue and a downtown location — three key factors in hosting a great party.

Sometimes inaugural weddings at a venue can be a bit unorganized, so I asked both Eliane and Kara about how the evening went from a logistical point of view. Neither one could stop raving about the service and food, and both sang the praises of Terroni’s events coordinator, Patti. I was so thrilled to hear this because to find a relaxed yet classy venue that holds 200 people for a cocktail reception is not an easy feat in this city!

I always ask couples to share their favourite part of their wedding, and I loved what Jascha had to say: “When [Eliane] agreed to marry me. The late-night gelato bar and the pizza.” Life doesn’t get much better than that, if you ask me.

Photography: Storey Wilkins Photography
Wedding Planner: Belle Fleur Events
Ceremony Venue: Holy Blossom
Reception Venue: Terroni on Adelaide Street
Dress: Drew, Vineyard Collection by Priscilla of Boston from Pearl Bridal House
Shoes: Roberto Capucci from David’s
Suit: Custom made by Harry Rosen
Necklace: Barbara Jacob Jewellery
Flowers: Pink Twig
Cake: Terroni
Music: DJ Lazy Ray (in house Terroni’s DJ)

Mad Hatter Tea Party in Disneyland

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A few weeks ago Nancy da Costa and Mo Govindji of Mango Studio’s flew down to California to photograph the wedding of Irrum and Jeff at Disneyland.  The day before the wedding Irrum hosted a girls-only Mad Hatter Tea Party. Not only did the décor, food and setting bring the theme to life but also the main activity, each girl had to make a hat with the supplies that were at their place setting.

With construction paper, tissue, scissors and glue, the girls went to work creating one-of-a-kind crowns. Once they were completed, Nancy and Mo were given the important task of judging the hats which ended up in a tie. The tie breaker: a spoon and egg race on the grass heels and all.