Not every bride needs a puffy, pastry-shaped dress, and not every venue needs to be surrounded by church bells and stained glass windows. For those that dare to do something different, many of Toronto’s hottest restaurants moonlight as beautiful wedding venues. Whether you’re looking to celebrate your big day in an industrial chic setting with exposed brick walls and ebony furnishings, or if an elegant space with a view overlooking the city is more your style, you can be sure these venues will surprise your guests with an unforgettable wedding worth foregoing tradition…
CC Lounge
Whiskey loving couple? The new CC Lounge, Toronto’s latest prohibition-era inspired whiskey bar and supper club, is a fabulous 4000 square-foot venue for the couple that wants a 1920’s style wedding. Featuring North America’s first whiskey tunnel with over 100 varieties of whiskey, your guests certainly won’t be bored at this eclectic space also offering a fantastic menu by Chef Brent Richardson (Beer Bistro, La Carnita). Located in the historic Beardmore Building, CC Lounge is draped in crystals, velvet and gold and features private booths made of hundred-year-old whiskey barrels. They can accommodate 100 guests for seated events and 300 cocktail-style.
Michael’s on Simcoe
Michael’s luxuriously combines the best contemporary Italian cuisine with classic cocktail favourites for a dining experience you won’t soon forget. For a seated meal, the dining room, bar, and lounge can hold up to 140 guests altogether. For a stand up reception, they can hold 250. A minimum spend is necessary for exclusive use of their space, and is determined by the season and timing of the event. Chef Derek von Raesfeld can create a customized menu, or there are also set menu options.
Steam Whistle Roundhouse
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, this brewery has two scenic event spaces: The Hall offers a breathtaking view of the Toronto skyline and seats a maximum of 250 people, while the Gallery is best suited for hosting a cocktail reception and can accommodate 250 guests standing and 80 seated. Depending on the time of the event, the Gallery costs from $1,150 to $3,600 to rent, while the Hall costs $2,900 to $3,600. Providers of catering services must be chosen from Steam Whistle’s Exclusive Suppliers list, which includes the talented Oliver & Bonacini Group and the trendy caterers The Food Dudes.
Gusto 101
This is another Italian restaurant, but we simply couldn’t resist including it. It sports delicious fare that is both comforting and elegant, and the rooftop patio is one of the best in the city – plus it’s available both in summer and winter. The entire restaurant is available for a buyout and can accommodate 238 guests, with a required minimum spend of $15,000 for lunch and up to $40,000 for dinner depending on the time of year. You also have the option of buying out just the rooftop patio, which accommodates 100 guests – the minimum spend required for lunch is $6,000, while the spend for dinner is up to $20,000.
The Aperture Room at The Thornton-Smith Building
Designed in the early 1900s, The Aperture Room in the historic Thornton-Smith Building has newly partnered with Oliver & Bonacini to create an upper level hospitality experience. The room located in the prominent heritage building is full of character and charm making it perfect for a small enchanting wedding. The Aperture Room can accommodate 180 guests for a standing cocktail reception, or 120 guests for a seated. Set menus are offered but menus can also be customized by the Oliver & Bonacini hospitality experts.
MoRoCo Chocolat
A chic Parisian hideaway in Yorkville, this is the ultimate chocolate lover’s paradise. MoRoCo’s space can be booked in its entirety for up to 120 guests, with a custom menu designed by Chef Eyal Liebman to make your event truly memorable. The cost of the buyout is $150 per person with a minimum required food and beverage expenditure to be met ($60 for lunch or dessert and $90 for dinner, per person) plus a venue surcharge that is dependent on the number of guests and time of day.
Archeo
The perfect blend of contemporary style and historic tradition, Archeo’s industrial decor is both elegant and comforting. They can accommodate up to 150 people, with the price ranging from $3,000 to $13,000 depending on the day and time. Customized menus include pancetta risotto croquets, barbeque duck steamed buns, smoked salmon crostini, lobster and apple sandwiches, or venison tartare. After what will inevitably be one of the most important dinners of your life, the beautiful private back patio is ideal to romance the night away.
The Drake Hotel
Lively and stylish, this Queen West hotspot is known for its great music and fun crowd. They do buyouts in the casual Café, the dynamic Lounge, the cozy Sky Yard, the decadent Room 222, and the fashionable Underground. Depending on your needs, capacity varies between 10 and 200, with the price dependent on the guest count, time of year, and time of day. Each menu is customized to suit the event and the client, and they assure that they are very flexible and can work with all sorts of budgets.
99 Sudbury
While many may relate to this space as a fancy gym located on Toronto’s small charming Sudbury Street, it is also home to three event spaces all of which have a special feeling ideal for an intimate wedding. Whether you’ve always imagined a small wedding with 50 of your closet friends and family or a traditional ceremony and seated dinner of 250 guests, 99 Sudbury’s three spaces can be personalized to create the wedding you’ve always imagined. Prices are competitive and their in house planning team is very cooperative to ensure you’re wedding is unforgettable and affordable.
Mariposa Cruises
OK so this might not be that unconventional but it’s certainly not a church! Mariposa Cruises has a fleet of six ships docked along Queens Quay on the Toronto harbour. While they have 27 years of experience under their belt, the ships have been given an upgrade making the decor quite spectacular. They can accommodate anywhere from 15 to 575 people and offer full service catering and in-house wedding coordinators.
Canoe
If you’re looking to treat your guests to one of the best views in the city, search no further than Canoe. Offering breathtaking lakeside views, Canoe also has a special restaurant buyout menu package available that can be completely customized. The restaurant can hold up to 140 seated and 250 for a reception, and there is no charge to use the space, provided the minimum food and beverage expenditure is met. On Saturdays, the minimum spend required is $18,000, and on Sundays it’s $12,000. With menu options like chilled watercress soup, olive oil poached halibut, and white chocolate Riesling mousse, you can guarantee your wedding will be both elegant and unique.
The Forth
This upscale Danforth establishment with chef Zachary Albertsen at the helm produces top of the line fare in a very cool environment. The second floor dining room can accommodate up to 180 seated and 300 standing, with the minimum spend for buying out this level ranging from $8,000 to $15,000. The third floor lounge can accommodate up to 80 seated and 180 standing, and the minimum spend ranges from $3,000 to $5,000. While they have set menu options, they will customize a menu just as you want to ensure your special day is flawless and tasty.
Do you have any other unconventional wedding venues that we might have missed? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewtheVibe.
