Eloping in Toronto: Location Guide

Toronto is undoubtably one of the most diverse and exciting cities in the world which also makes it one of the best places to elope. Having photographed intimate weddings and elopements in Toronto for the past 5 years, I’ve compiled a laundry list of some of my favourite locations around the city that suit every kind of vibe you might be going for on your wedding day. One of the most important and key elements you need to consider when learning how to plan an elopement in Toronto is the LOCATION, whether it be for ceremony, the getting ready or the portraits, choosing a location that reflects your personalities will ultimately be the winning ingredient in your overall elopement experience.

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OUTDOOR VENUES

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Toronto has so an incredible range of amazing outdoor locations where you can host your elopement. If you’re a dog owner outdoor elopements give you an opportunity to include your fur baby in your special day without worry. The city parks are open year round so you can pick a time of year and season that speaks more to your vibe without having to compromise feeling comfortable. If you’re into camping or hiking an outdoor adventure-elopement is a no-brainer and worth considering for your wedding day since it would provide a top to bottom experience for you and your partner.

Some of my favourite outdoor elopement locations in Toronto include:

• The Scarborough Bluffs

• High Park (Colborne Lodge)

• KEW Gardens

• Riverdale Park

• Toronto Island 

• Rouge River

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SMALL RESTAURANTS & BARS

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Another fantastic year-round option for your Toronto elopement is inside your favourite restaurant or bar. Most places in the city will book out their space or a private room for special events. A major bonus of restaurant weddings is that the food is one less thing to decide on so if you’re a foodie or appreciate intimate ambiance a restaurant elopement is the way to go and Toronto isn’t short on fantastic options.

Here are some of my favourite restaurant elopement locations in Toronto:

• Allen’s on the Danforth

• Ricarda’s in downtown Toronto

• Boxcar Social coffee shop & bar

• The Chase in the financial district

• Prey Tell Bar on College Street

• Fat Pasha’s in the Annex 

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BOUTIQUE HOTELS

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A more contemporary elopement location option in Toronto is at one of the many boutique hotels across the city.  There’s a lot of benefits to hosting your elopement at a boutique hotel and it would give your wedding day timeline a lot of breathing room and flexibility to add various experience elements to your day. A boutique hotel also gives you the option of getting ready together or separately without the burden of distance, so the option of an intimate first look can still happen with this option. All boutique hotels are also equipped with beautiful private lounges and rooftop patios, either would make stunning locations to exchange vows and have as your wedding ceremony location.  The boutique hotels in Toronto are all expertly located so venturing out for portraits or other activities is convenient and realistic with the added perk of being able to have your wedding dinner at the contemporary restaurant within the hotel upon your return from your elopement adventure.

Here are some of my favourite boutique hotel elopement locations in Toronto:

• The Drake Hotel on Queen West

• The Annex Hotel in the Annex

• The Gladstone Hotel on Queen West

• The Kimpton Saint George Hotel in the Annex

• The Broadview Hotel on Queen East

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VINTAGE VENUES

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An often overlooked option for eloping in Toronto is one of the many vintage historical sites around the city. Most of these locations offer hourly rates that are quite affordable and with manor like spaces, hosting your ceremony in an authentic vintage mansion is entirely possible. These locations are best suited for truly intimate elopements as their spaces are normally capped at smaller numbers. The option of utilizing one of these venues for your couples portraits is a great rainy-day backup plan. If you’re a history buff or simply want to be surrounded by opulent and vintage artworks you should absolutely consider eloping on the grounds of a beautiful historical site.

Here are some of my favourite vintage venues for eloping in Toronto:

• The Campbell House in downtown Toronto

• The Spadina House in the Annex

• Osgood Hall in Downtown Toronto

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INDUSTRIAL VENUES

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The industrial aesthetic is quintessential Toronto and you won’t be short on option if this is the vibe you're hoping your urban elopement will have.  The range of diversity for locations is immense. You can have a more elegant elopement location and utilize any of the museums or art galleries the city has to offer or you can keep things simple and book a modern loft somewhere in the Junction to celebrate your wedding. The industrial vibe can also be taken into a completely different direction and you can make the most of one of the many cool and amazing local breweries to have a ceremony location for your wedding. With so many great urban location options your elopement day can be spent walking the local neighbourhoods, stopping somewhere for coffee and a bite before making your way back to have a crisp cold locally crafted beer. An industrial elopement is perfect for anyone who wants an authentic Toronto experience during their urban elopement adventure.

Some of my favourite industrial venues for elopements in Toronto are:

• The AGO

• The Burroughs

• The Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA)

• ARTA Gallery

• Any vintage Toronto loft you can find on AirBnB

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AT HOME / BACKYARD

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Hosting your elopement at home or in your (or a family’s) backyard is a guaranteed way to create a meaningful elopement experience. This option gives you more creative freedom with how you want to celebrate your wedding day and its the ultimate way to create the most flexible and fluid elopement experience.  A backyard elopement is a truly vintage approach to having your wedding and it creates a level of intimacy that is unmatched. Just because the majority of your elopement would happen at home doesn’t mean that the adventure stops there. The flexible timeline would allow the perfect opportunity for a short day trip or drive to a beautiful nearby location to enjoy yourself in and soak up the entire elopement experience… just with the added benefit of crashing into bed whenever you feel like it!

Some backyard elopement locations to consider: 

• Your own backyard

• Family member’s backyard

• Friend’s backyard

And if you don’t have backyard consider eloping: 

• at home

• In the living room

It’s also important to consider a few things before finalizing your ideal dream elopement location.

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The Scenery & Views
(The Vibe)

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Make sure you pick a vibe that’s undoubtably you, think about what sort of scenery and energy inspires you? Do you want to be secluded in nature or would you prefer to be in the the high energy of downtown? When saying your vows to each other would you rather be surrounded by trees or old architecture?  

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Weather

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Is there a specific season you want to get married in? If you prefer the warmer weather or can withstand the slight chill of the spring or fall, it’s important to pick a location that works well with the time of year you’re planning to elope.  It’s also important to ask yourself if you’re comfortable being caught in the rain or unexpected snowfall if you’re eloping somewhere within nature and outside.

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Accessibility

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When planning an elopement in Toronto it’s incredibly important to be mindful of a locations accessibility. Do we need to drive or take the ferry? Do you have guests attending will they be able to get to location with ease? If we’re hiking to a remote location ask yourself if you want to make it a full-day adventure or if you prefer somewhere that’s accessible by car but still has breathtaking views.

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Privacy

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Is it important for you to have the utmost seclusion and privacy when exchanging vows or are you comfortable with a few people walking by? If a place is normally chaotic you also have the option of waking up super early to have it all to yourselves or you could always go for the romantic vibe and opt for an evening option. Despite being Canada’s largest city, you CAN have privacy and intimacy on your elopement even if it’s the Urban Mecca of Toronto.

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Overall Experience

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When eloping you should also consider OTHER things you want to do on your wedding day besides exchanging vows. The wedding day starts from the moment you wake up and last until late into the evening when you crash in bed for the first time as a married couple. Think of all the things in-between that would make for an exciting and fun day together, there’s no formula for an elopement so make sure you add elements of your passions and inspirations throughout the day to make it truly memorable.

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Who’s Coming?

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Are you planning on keeping the elopement super intimate and just spending the day alone together or do you want a small group of friends and family coming to celebrate at some point also? How many friends and family would you want at the ceremony and celebration? Don’t forgot to take your guests into consideration when planning out your elopement so that you choose locations that create a stress-free timeline to ensure the ultimate wedding day experience.

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Locations that have MEANING

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One of the best rules of thumb on how to plan an elopement in Toronto is to pick locations that have authentic meaning to you and your relationship. Is there a particular pub or coffee shop you absolutely love? Make time to stop by and say hey to familiar faces and visit familiar places, doing so will create a comfortable and easy-going environment where you’ll both feel like yourselves. Having an emotional attachment to locations you choose is a sure-fire way to have an incredible elopement experience that you’ll look back on with fond memories.|


The location of your elopement is the backbone of the entire experience so make sure you think profoundly about it during your planning process. Ask yourselves what places are significant in your lives currently or historically, what values do you share, what experiences or activities have brought you closer together, if there was only one place you could spend an entire day together where would that be?  Elopements are meant to be fun and symbolic of your connection, be true to yourselves when choosing an eloping location in Toronto and that is ultimately how you’ll plan a beautiful elopement that will make you feel deeply and that you can look back fondly with emotional nostalgia.

IF YOU NEED SOME INSPIRATION, CHECK OUT THESE REAL ELOPEMENTS:

updated: Feb 2, 2021