Narcity spoke to wedding planner Elena Siavelis to get her recommendations for the best wedding venues in Toronto.
Siavelis runs Events By Elena and has 11 years of experience in the wedding industry. She spilled on some of the best venues in the 6ix, from the historic Casa Loma to the chic Hotel X, and we've tried to do an apples-to-apples comparison of the expenses so you know what the same wedding would cost you at each spot.
Of course, it's worth keeping in mind that these are all ballpark estimates and not exact. Each venue stressed that no two weddings are alike, so there might be some differences depending on what you want. Think of these estimates as the bare minimum of what you should expect to pay for your venue, ceremony, and food and drink.
Here's the approximate cost of hosting a summer 2024 wedding with 150 guests at six of Toronto's best wedding venues. All figures are before taxes.
Casa Loma
Price estimate for Summer 2024: $34,000 (Friday or Sunday) or $43,000 (Saturday)
Address: 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, ON
Casa Loma has a minimum spend to reserve your wedding day with them.
On Fridays and Sundays, the minimum spend for food and beverage is $27,000, while Saturdays and long-weekend Sundays start at $36,000. Either way, you can also expect a historical preservation fee of $5,000 and a ceremony fee of $2,000, plus audio-visual, parking and any other add-ons you may want.
Pricing will depend on which of the five chef menus you choose and how many guests you have.
What the package includes: Casa Loma has two event spaces you can choose from for your ceremony — the Library and Conservatory inside the castle or the Glass Pavilion located in the lower gardens.
The Glass Pavilion is only open from late May to mid-September and can host up to 200 guests for a seated dinner reception with a dance floor or 220 without a dance floor.
The Library and Conservatory are booked as one space, with the ceremony in the Conservatory hosting up to 180 guests while the Library can host up to 210 guests for a seated reception.
Each wedding package comes with a bridal suite fit for 15 people and everything you would need for food and beverages including dinnerware, table linens, furniture, and servers, bartenders, security and other staff.
About the venue: Casa Loma is a historic castle built in 1914 in Midtown Toronto. This stunning castle is perfect for a couple looking for their fairytale wedding.
Casa Loma website
The Symes
Price estimate for summer 2024: $16,300, plus catering (about $38,800 total)
Address: 150 Symes Rd., Toronto, ON
A 150-person wedding at The Symes in the Grand Symes room in the summer of 2024 will run you about $38,800.
What the package includes: Most amenities at this venue are à la carte, but this estimate includes the space rental, an on-site manager, security, parking, furniture, a bridal suite and a standard bar package with seven hours of service.
We've also assumed about $150 per person for catering, which is not offered by the venue itself. It's worth noting that this estimate doesn't include linens or place settings as many of the others on this list do.
The Symes has two bookable spaces for your big day: the Grand Symes and the Scarlett Room.
The Grand Symes is on the main floor and has vaulted ceilings with massive skylights and a capacity of 350 guests.
The Scarlett Room is on the second storey with original red brick and round windows for more natural light and this intimate space can hold 280 people. It also features an adjacent rooftop terrace, which has a tent for coverage so you can soak up the city views, rain or shine.
About the venue: This 1930s heritage building actually used to be a city-owned incinerator. Restored in 2017, it has retained its industrial art deco charm with exposed brick, soaring ceilings with steel beams and concrete columns, and tons of natural light.
The Symes website
Graydon Hall Manor
Price estimate for summer 2024: $37,500 to $45,000
Address: 185 Graydon Hall Dr., Toronto, ON
Graydon Hall Manor suggests budgeting about $250 to $300 per person for their weddings in summer 2024.
What the package includes: While everything is completely customizable, the estimate above includes an on-site ceremony, a cocktail hour with signature drinks and hors d'oeuvres, a three-course dinner, a standard bar package and red and white wine.
It also includes furniture, table linens and place settings as well as an event manager to help with planning and coordination on your big day.
There are a few spaces to choose from for each part of your big day, including the gardens, terrace, lower lounge and great hall. You'll have exclusive use of the entire manor as they only ever host one wedding at a time.
About the venue: Graydon Hall Manor is a 29-room mansion, built in 1936 and restored in 2000, on a sprawling 150 acres overlooking the Don Valley. It has a 160-foot-long terrace and stunning formal gardens to explore.
Graydon Hall Manor website
Hotel X
Price estimate for Summer 2024: $41,400 to $48,600
Address: 111 Princes' Blvd., Toronto, ON
Hotel X offers three packages for summer 2024. Their Xcellence package is $230 per person, Xquisite is $250 per person and Xceptional is $270 per person, plus a 20% administrative fee and HST.
What the package includes: All three packages feature premium inclusions such as a suite for the wedding night, preferential room rates for guests, valet parking for the couple, a sparkling wine toast with dinner, tableside wine service with dinner, dinnerware, table linens, coat check and more.
The Xcellence package comes with a tasting for two guests, a six-hour deluxe open bar, six appetizers, a first course, a main course, a dessert course, coffee and tea service and a late-night snack.
For $20 more per head, the Xquisite package has all the above plus an extra two guests for the tasting, an extra hour on the open bar, an extra appetizer, premium proteins, and a second late-night snack option.
For another $20 extra per guest, the Xceptional option has everything in the Xquisite package plus two more guests for the tasting (six total), an open bar upgrade to "premium," an eighth appetizer, a pasta course, and a dessert upgrade.
About the venue: Hotel X is a luxurious hotel in downtown Toronto with several event spaces to host your big day, from a rooftop patio and terrace to one of their stunning grand ballrooms.
Hotel X website
The Globe and Mail Centre
Price estimate for Summer 2024: $30,000, plus catering (about $52,500 total)
Address: 351 King St. E., Suite 1600, Toronto, ON
What the package includes: The wedding venue price is $200 per person and includes an open bar, staff, furniture and an event manager to guide you through the planning process.
The package includes access to the large terrace where you can host your cocktail reception in front of breathtaking lake and city views.
The space is indoor and outdoor and set to accommodate your reception, dinner and dancing with the option of a ceremony on site, according to their website.
When it comes to food, you can choose from their list of preferred caterers or bring in your own for an additional fee. Catering estimates vary but if you assume $150 per person for food, then you're looking at a final price tag of about $52,500.
About the venue: The Globe and Mail Centre is one of the newer venues on this list at less than a decade old. The 17-storey building houses the eponymous newspaper's headquarters and other offices, while the event space is on the top floor.
The Globe and Mail Centre website
Aga Khan Museum
Price estimate for summer 2024: $68,700
Address: 77 Wynford Dr., Toronto, ON
The stunning Aga Khan Museum offers several areas you can use for your wedding, but you can expect a wedding there to run you at least $68,700 (although for the sake of comparison, it's worth noting that some of the costs at this venue are HST-exempt as the museum is a registered charity).
What the package includes: Most of the offerings at this venue are à la carte, and there are tons of options to choose from. Our estimate will get you a ceremony in the formal gardens, a seated cocktail and dinner reception in the atrium, furniture, staff, a bridal suite and two dressing rooms, and an audio-visual package.
However, you can also opt for their on-site restaurant and tented terrace, which will bump you closer to a six-figure bill at the end of the day, although the visuals at this spot are truly priceless.
About the venue: The Aga Khan Museum is 15 minutes from downtown Toronto and showcases art from historic and contemporary Muslim civilizations and communities, according to their website.
This venue comes with indoor and outdoor spaces to choose from and has no shortage of stunning art and architecture.
Aga Khan Museum website
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
