Recently engaged? What a happy time, but when the excitement starts to wear off and you have to sit down and plan a wedding, things have become a bit stressful for you. There’s a lot of detail and planning that goes into this exceptional celebration, but you have no clue where to start. That’s ok. I’m here to help you.

Keep reading this planning guide if you want to host the best wedding in Toronto. It includes tips, vendor recommendations and unique venues to have a spectacular wedding.

Steam Whistle Brewery, Toronto - Eyekahfoto

My name is Claudia and I’m a Toronto wedding planner who has designed hundreds of weddings and events and the magic still isn’t lost on me.

For me, a wedding is about choosing only the very best - partner, planner and people - to make sure every element meets your high standards (mine too!). That’s why I want to share some tips I learned along the way after planning so many amazing Toronto weddings and events.

Planning a wedding can be overwhelming in general. But when you’re looking to host in the busy city of Toronto, Canada, then you probably have to put a bit more time (and money) into planning your special day.

Let’s start with the basics. Below are your first steps to plan an amazing wedding.

Put a guest list together

Knowing how many people you’ll have at your wedding is very important. You need to know guest count because this will help with venue selection, budget and many other details like catering, decor, and so on.

Make a list of all the family, friends, co-workers and anyone you’d like to celebrate your wedding with. Be sure to ask your parents to review your guest list, because it’s often they too want to invite guests. It’s better to know this from the beginning, so you aren’t trying to seat 150 guests in a venue that holds 120 max. Once you finalize your guest list, it’s time to move onto the next step.

Create a realistic budget

You need to discuss your budget right from the beginning with everyone who is contrbuting to it. If your parents are putting money towards flowers, find out the exact amount, so you can budget accordingly. Having a realistic budget will set you up for success.

Most couples come up with a budget and don’t stick to it. This is because the original number they had in mind was not realistic for the wedding they envisioned (more on that below). This is why hiring a wedding planner can be very helpful. They know the average pricing of most wedding vendors and details, so they can create a tailored budget based on your needs and wants.

Once your budget is created, do your best to stick to it! If you spent more on your wedding invitations then planned, maybe cut back on day of stationery items to level it out. Making tweaks along the way will help you stay within your budget, so you don’t have to stress about it later.

Theme/Style

Think about what you want your wedding to look and feel like. Do you envision it at a trendy downtown restaurant with 50 of your closest family and friends? Or will it be an over-the-top celebration in one of Toronto’s trendiest hotels?

This is the time to ask each other what you both want for your wedding day. What colours will your flowers be? Will it be a seated dinner, or a cocktail style reception? Casual vs black tie? It’s important to discuss your wedding goals from the start, so there’s no confusion if you want different things. And if you do want different things, that’s ok. Now is the time to discuss those details and meet halfway with your wants. A memorable wedding will have personal touches that compliment both of you as a couple.

Kind Edward Hotel, Crystal Ballroom, Toronto - Robert Mauriell Photography

Choose a wedding venue

There are so many factors to take into consideration when finding the perfect wedding venue for your ceremony and reception, like guest count, location, style, formality, etc. Lucky for you, if you’ve been following the steps listed above then you’ll be able to narrow down your venue search pretty easily.

Before finalizing a venue, you need to determine if your ceremony and reception will be at the same location. If they’re at different locations, then be sure check availability for both once you have a date in mind. You don’t want to book your church for your ceremony, then find out the venue you loved doesn’t have availability. If you need more help on choosing the best location for your wedding, then you’ll want to read this blog post: 5 Tips to Choose Your Wedding Venue

If you’re looking for an amazing venue in Toronto, below is a list of our top 10 faves:

Steam Whistle Brewery

Hotel X

Palais Royale

Crystal Ballroom - King Edward Hotel

Evergreen Brickworks

1 Hotel

Book a wedding planner

Wedding planners have experience and knowledge on where to begin with the whole wedding planning process. Planners can help you save time, money and a lot of the back and forth. You may think to yourself, “It’s not in the budget” or “I’m a hands on type of person” and this is VERY common. But think to yourself, if you were buying a house would you hire a real estate agent? The answer should be yes! You want an expert to lead you in the right direction and be on your side while planning one of the biggest events of your life.

Claudia and Co. has planning packages that are customized for each couple, because your wedding should be unique to you. We find more of our couples are saying that they couldn't have done it without a planner, even just for the comfort of having that professional to bounce ideas off of and of course making sure their wedding day runs smoothly.

Do you still need a wedding planner and feel like we would vibe? Then you should reach out to see if we have your wedding date available through our contact page.

Graydon Hall Manor, Toronto - Beautiful Life Studios

Alright, you’ve finalized your guest list, made a realistic budget, secured your venue (ceremony & reception) and maybe even got yourself a planner (a decision you won’t regret!).

What’s next?

It’s time to focus on booking the rest of your vendors.

Looking to save time scrolling through Instagram and minimize the amount of google reviews you’ll read to find vendors? After all, you want to book the best vendors for you. Don’t worry, we got you! Below you’ll find a curated list of some of our fave Toronto vendors.

Vendor Recommendations

Florists Decor Photography

Flowerly Table Tales North Story Weddings

Ashton Creative Right Choice Linen Eyekahfoto

Hunt & Gather Simply Beautiful Decor Mango Studios

Videography Beauty Stationery

SDE Weddings Lavish Flair Paper & Poste

Corrine McDonald Films RM Beauty Lounge Paper Damsels

2000 Photography & Cinema JK GLam By Modern Social

Once you have your vendor team booked, try and work on the smaller details like getting your marriage license (all info for that is below), putting a timeline together and thinking about how you can add those personal touches to your special day.

Remember, your wedding should reflect you, your style, the music you like and so on. Nonetheless, you want to create an unforgettable experience for all your guests, but always have your best interest in mind. Your guests want to come celebrate you and your love, so give them just that!

You’ll be sure to have the best wedding in Toronto if you follow this guide. And if you need more tips and help? Contact us with any questions.

Eventmrkt - Hearts of Hearts Photography

Legal Requirements to get

Married in Toronto

Here’s what you’ll need if you’re getting married in Toronto:

Marriage license (more info on how to obtain a marriage license below)
Two witnesses

If you’re going to city hall, that’s all you’ll need. However, if you’re having a ceremony then you will need a marriage officiant authorized in Ontario. The average price for a Toronto officiant is $650-$1000. Before booking your officiant, you should meet with them whether it’s virtually, in-person or over the phone. You want someone to marry you that you both get along with and someone who understands your love story. Ask them about their process and any other questions that are important to you, before making the final decision. Getting married is such a special moment, so you want to make sure you have the right person doing it for you.

Some officiants that we’ve worked with in the past and absolutely loved:

Anneille - A Little I Do

Dennis - LaBuick Ceremonies

Jeremy - All You Need is Love

Shirin Spencer

How to Obtain a Marriage License in Toronto, Ontario

To get a marriage license you will need to:

Bring 2 pieces of government-issued identification for each person getting married. One piece of identification must include your photo.
Examples of government-issued identification:
- Government-issued birth certificate, including any change of name certificates
- Valid passport
- Record of immigrant landing
- Canadian Citizenship Card
- Valid driver’s license
- Valid Ontario Photo Card
- Pay a fee (fees vary and depend on the municipality)
  Please check your municipality’s website to ensure you have all of the

information required to purchase a marriage license.

A marriage license is valid for three months from the date it was issued.

For more information visit Service Ontario.

St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church - Beautiful Life Studios

To end this blog post, I wanted to share some KEY planning tips when hosting your wedding in downtown Toronto. There’s so many gorgeous venues in the city, along with amazing views for the best photos. However, if you want to have a smooth wedding day for all then be sure to follow these tips below.

Toronto Wedding Planning Tips

Block rooms at nearby hotels months in advance to ensure availability and better pricing. You can include 1-2 options for guests and be sure to note these details on your invitations and/or wedding website.
Book shuttle(s) for your guests or consider having valet service. Parking is limited and can be very expensive downtown, so providing this service for your guests will definitely be appreciated and add to an incredible guest experience.
Give yourself extra time when creating your wedding timeline. There’s always traffic in Toronto, so it’s best to give yourself some buffer time between locations (ceremony to photo location), or when you’re determining the beauty schedule. If you have an extra 15 mins for hair & makeup and finish early, enjoy that time to have a celebratory moment with your wedding party.
Book a multi-purpose photo location. For example, a suite at Bisha Hotel where you can get photos done in the morning with your wedding party, some portraits and even your first look.

These are just the first steps in planning your wedding, along with a few tips and information that will help cross those to do’s off your wedding list. But let’s be honest, so much of your time, money and energy will go into planning this one-of-a-kind celebration. So why not do yourself a favor and hire a wedding planner.

They will be able to help you keep on track with the planning process, give you solid vendor recommendations and just be there by your side, every step of the way. This will allow you to enjoy your wedding planning journey and then on wedding day, be able to take it all in because you won’t have to worry if the flowers were delivered. Contact us now to see if we have your wedding date available!