With a famous city skyline, tons of outdoor spaces, and some of the best vendors in the world, it’s no wonder that Toronto is a popular choice for weddings. New to the scene? An uptick in intimate weddings. Many couples are choosing to prioritize guest experience over total capacity, which opens up a whole new set of doors when it comes to venue possibilities.
Dreaming of an intimate wedding with live entertainment on a city rooftop? A dedicated event space with high ceilings, modern amenities, and all-in-one micro wedding packages? A historic venue with a star-studded reputation? No dream is too big or too niche when venue shopping on the Giggster app.
We won’t make you throw your event budget spreadsheet out the window either! Wedding ceremonies with us are truly budget-friendly; we give you magazine-worthy settings without the luxury price tag.
Every wedding celebration could benefit from Giggster. We’ve got an intimate venue for every couple that’s sure to leave your guests’ jaws on the floor.
With rentals spanning from the hustle and bustle of Queen Street West to the furthest reaches of North York, a wedding booked with Giggster could look like this:
Take it underground for a dark and moody ambiance. Toronto’s selection of sophisticated wine cellars, speakeasy cocktail bars, and uber-chill brewery lounges are the personality infusion your event has been missing.
Want expert events teams who know how to treat wedding clients with care? Choose from one of our dedicated event spaces like bright and airy ballrooms, cocktail-hour approved waterfront patios, and refurbished Victorian homes. You can also go for an elegant French restaurant for your wedding reception.
For micro weddings with a minimalist, urban vibe, go the unconventional route and rent out an art gallery. With walls decked out in everything from modern-mixed media art to contemporary acrylic works, this is a no-to-low decor solution- you’ll barely need to spruce things up!
Exceptional Variety & Quality: Planning a memorable big day starts with selecting a stunning backdrop. From warehouses in the distillery district with exposed brick walls to a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of downtown Toronto, our selection of amazing small wedding venues is 636 properties large!
Hassle-Free Booking: The Giggster app provides a clear outline of what each venue offers and transparent pricing so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. Speaking of pricing, did you know that couples on a budget can find their dream wedding venue for as little as $20/hour?
24-Hour Free Cancellation Policy: You might change your mind throughout the wedding planning process and that’s totally okay. You'll have free cancellation for a booking canceled within 24 hours of confirmation, provided the booking is made at least 48 hours before the event.
Platform Protections: Don’t let liability, disruptions, or damage concerns get in the way of your fabulous celebration. Let us take care of it! An unforgettable experience at one of our favorite small wedding venues like Victorian Event Space With Full Kitchen without the stress is as easy as availing one of our protection plans.
Before choosing a wedding venue in Toronto, there’s some city-specific knowledge you may need. After all, the more you know ahead of time, the better you can craft a positive guest experience.
Advantages
Toronto wedding venues are beautiful year-round. Summer is a popular choice but autumn colors, crisp white snow, and blossoming trees would all make wonderful backdrops with totally different vibes.
The city is home to tons of unique wedding vendors. Did you know you can have a live florist building boutonnieres and corsages for every guest on the spot? A boozy popsicle truck? The possibilities are endless.
Public transportation is easy, ample, and affordable.
Disadvantages
While there’s tons of parking available in Toronto, it can be difficult to find during surge hours (like before a concert or sports game) and it’s definitely not going to be cheap.
Certain areas are not safe after dark, so you’ll want to be sure you have safety plans in place with alcohol involved and guests traveling home.
From art lovers to urban trendsetters, we have a small wedding venue that will appeal to every type of couple. Here are a handful of fan-favorite places where you can host intimate ceremonies:
Industrial Lofts – A Little Bit of Fun. Artsy couples who love an unexpected twist will adore the eclectic furniture and decor of these brick-and-beam-laden studios. Typically used for photography, these lofts have ample natural light and a cozy feel. There are tons of lounge areas for cocktail hour and even a place to hang a disco ball for a pop-up dance floor. What more could you need?
Restaurant Buyouts – A Foodie-Approved Micro Wedding. If fine dining is the #1 priority, don’t mess around with in-house catering or costly top-chef teams. Bring your guests straight to one of Toronto’s best restaurants for your dinner reception. In addition to great food, these intimate wedding venues boast beautiful designs; you may even want to take your wedding inspiration/color palette from them to keep things cohesive!
Up in the Clouds – City Rooftops. Imagine tying the knot with the cityscape lit up behind you and the breeze in your hair. With views of famous Toronto landmarks, beautiful architecture, historic charm of the downtown core, and Lake Ontario on the horizon, this is the ideal spot for couples who value a unique setting and an urban vibe. Whether you want to host your event at sunset or after dark when the bright lights come out to play, you can’t deny that a rooftop venue makes for a highly romantic celebration.
Luxury Yachts – Say I Do at Sunset on the Lake. If you want to feel like it’s just you, your soon-to-be-spouse, and no one else in the entire world (save for your closest friends and family), a slow-paced cruise around the harbor on a luxury yacht is exactly what your wedding needs. With a wedding ceremony on the bow and a first dance under the stars, this is an intimate affair fit for celebrities and royalty.
As much as we’d love to claim that all you need for your wedding is the perfect venue with a serene ambiance, we know that so much more goes into making this important milestone memorable. Here are some stress-reducing planning tips so you can look back and cherish this time before your wedding instead of grimacing about what a headache it was to pull together:
Decide How You Want to Tell Your Love Story – Many couples like to partake in some creative projects to showcase who they are on their wedding day. This could be photo walls of yourself as children, interactive trivia questions on your napkins, or a well-written story of how you met on your ceremony programs.
Sort Out Your Guest List – One of the more difficult parts of hosting a small wedding is paring down the list of friends and family who get an invite. Unfortunately, you need to draw the line somewhere, so decide whether you want to start with a firm number and fill in the blanks or set a firm boundary (i.e. immediate family and bridal party only, no kids) and see what head count that leaves you with.
Create a Timeline and Give It to All of Your Vendors – Believe it or not, the timing of your ceremony, first look, cake cutting, and exit are really important to your service providers. Your photographer, for one, but your cake will also need to be delivered for a reception time to avoid issues with heat/sitting out, and your hair/makeup artist may stick around for last-minute touch-ups until you’re basically ready to walk down the aisle. There’s so much that goes into making a wedding run smoothly and you may not always know what it takes to make a certain vendor successful. Give them as much information as you can and trust that it’s in their hands.
Even if you’re only planning an intimate celebration, the cost of hosting a wedding in the city can be sky-high. Here are some of our favorite ways to reduce financial strain, without giving up on your dream wedding:
Take dancing lessons at home.
Whether you have two left feet and just want to make sure you don’t embarrass yourself or you want a dramatic, choreographed first dance to impress your guests, dancing lessons are a must for many couples. But if private lessons at a studio are a bit outside your budget, consider turning to the internet. You can subscribe to platforms like Skillshare to connect with pros, or even cast YouTube tutorials up on your living room TV screen. Pour some wine, get dressed up, and turn it into a romantic stay-at-home date night.
Skip the planner, not the day-of-coordinator.
Hey, if you’re a type-A personality and you can handle balancing all the logistics and creative aspects of wedding planning on your own, by all means, skip hiring a wedding planner. This is a big cost that’s worth it for some and not for others. But even if you decide to take the DIY approach, consider hiring a day-of-coordinator. You’re going to be busy and emotionally invested on your wedding day, so you need someone who can delegate tasks and handle disruptions on your behalf. Think of it as a way to protect your investments on your special day and ensure you get the full experience you planned and paid for.
Choose a single venue for both ceremony and reception.
Having a versatile venue where you can transition from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception will not only save you on booking/rental costs but will also help you cut down on additional decor and transportation for guests.
From exposed brick breweries to private yachts, we’ve got more than our fair share of amazing venues to host your special day. If you’re planning a wedding in Toronto, the Giggster spp should be the first place you turn to.