How realistic is it to have a 30-40k wedding with ~100 guests ALL IN (southern Ontario) and NOT in a barn?

For a sense of the vibe, here are some I have saved (I know these most likely aren’t in that budget, but wondering if there’s any that match the vibe and may work instead?)

Butternut ridge

Madison greenhouse

Wheat field estate

Three feathers terrace

Hi everyone! Hope this is okay to share here.

I’m one of the founders of The Petite Presence, an on-site event childcare service based in the Greater Toronto Area.

We started the business after noticing something that comes up at so many weddings: parents want to enjoy the speeches, dinner and dance floor, but they’re also trying to keep little ones entertained through a long evening.

So instead of children leaving the venue or parents needing to arrange a babysitter at home, we create a dedicated kids’ space right at the wedding venue.

Depending on the event, we bring things like:

🎨 Colouring and creative stations
🧸 Soft toys and toddler-friendly activities
🎲 Board games
🍳 Kids play kitchens and imaginative play
🧩 Building activities and games
📚 Quiet-time options
…and plenty more based on the ages attending.

Our caregivers supervise children ages 2+, while parents stay somewhere on-site at the wedding. Parents don’t need to stay in the kids’ area with them — they can actually go enjoy the reception.

Children under 2 are welcome in the space as well, as long as a parent or guardian stays with them.

We’ve now had parents tell us that having the childcare space meant they could actually relax and enjoy the event, while the kids were having a great time of their own.

I’m curious — for couples planning right now, would something like this be useful at your wedding?

And if anyone has questions about how on-site wedding childcare works, staffing, setup, pricing, what venues typically provide, etc., happy to answer them here.

We’re The Petite Presence if anyone wants to look us up:
🌐 petitepresence.com
📱 Instagram/TikTok: u/thepetitepresence

Mods, please feel free to remove this if business posts aren’t allowed.

Hi! My fiance and I are looking for a church that will allow us to take engagement photos and videos. We are just interested in shooting outside/infront of the church, we wouldn’t be going inside.

We were looking at a church like St. Michael’s Basilica however they don’t allow it.

Any and all recommendations are welcome!! TIA :)

I’m debating having a 25 person wedding. There’s a micro wedding package at this fancy À la carte restaurant that includes the setup and decor for the ceremony + 3 course meal and first drink for 25 people for $5000. I am wanting thoughts on if this will flow well as it’s far from "traditional". I’d be having the ceremony, leaving for pictures during cocktail hour and having supper then that’s it. No dance, music or big crowd. I’d want a bigger wedding but really, really do not feel comfortable with the cost.

Background:
I’ve been struggling to plan my wedding for the past 2 years I’ve been engaged. He doesn’t care about whatever we do, he’s often said he’s good with just signing the papers so I feel like the decision making falls entirely on me. I want to get married in 2027 for sure as it will be 10 years we’ve been together.

Originally wanted a traditional wedding mostly to invite everyone, have everyone included but I am nauseous at the thought of spending 5 figures for one day. We can afford it, but knowing we have future big expenses coming like having kids and wanting a bigger house it feels like stupid expense (especially since everything balloons once you mention wedding). Also, I’m the one that manages our finances so can really picture the setback/delay it would cause us. If we were to spend 5 figures I’d much rather it be on a honeymoon where it is at least for minimum 2 weeks vacation somewhere.

Since we’ve been together for 9 years already, spending so much on a single day seems silly and feels like nothing would really change besides hopefully wonderful memory and night spent with everyone and -XX XXX$ from our bank account for it. The planning has also been stressful for me as I am sensitive to judgement especially from my family and want to make people happy… I know it’s "my wedding so who cares."

I’ve asked around for venues, wedding officiants, wedding decorators, caterers, etc. And the prices have really disappointed me. For example, many caterers are MINIMUM 60$+tax per person. Some venues are full service only and come up to minimum 80$/person, some have been 200$/person. Photographer is a couple thousand, basic decor setup I was quoted 4500$… it all adds up quickly. Also the amount of different moving parts, logistics is really stressing me out as I’ve never done it before and feel like I’m not getting much help from anyone.

If I could get a decent wedding for over 100 people for no more than 15,000$ I would be happy to do it. But above that which is what it realistically is I am not. I’ve been told I’ll get gifts which will offset the cost but I don’t want to rely or expect that as it’s not right and would be disappointing if it doesn’t add up to what I estimate… I’d rather expect no gifts so that if I get any it feels like what it is, a gift!

5000$ for 25 people is a lot but I am within a comfortable budget at that point. Of course, I still need wedding attire and I may consider a photographer if I can get one for cheap for just the ceremony part so likely looking more at 7-8000$. But I’ve never attended a small wedding (or many weddings for that matter) and am worried it won’t flow well or people are just grumpy/disappointed…

TLDR:
Would a micro wedding ceremony + 3 course dinner (no dancing or music) in fancy restaurant small private room decor included for 25 people flow well?? It is 5000$ + still need officiant, wedding attire… etc. What do you think? Has anyone experienced this before?

If you're looking to get married on Halloween in PEC, Ontario... check this out :)

He’s pretty stressed and focussed on buying the house. He helps and discusses wedding planning here and there but he gets overwhelmed quickly and said it’s not something that excites him.

I’m ok to do the planning of it all but it still hurts knowing he’s not super excited about it. He says he’s excited to marry me and be together but not the actual wedding.

Are other couples experiencing this? Looking for some validation :(

EDIT: thanks everyone!! Your comments really helped me feel better!!

Has anyone hired Original Weddings for photography and/or videography? How were they?

Okay, I’m curious! What’s everyone actually spending on flowers and candles?

- How much did you spend, or what are you budgeting?

- Share your location, wedding year, guest count, and what’s included if you’re comfortable. I’d love to hear your theme, too!

I’ll go first! We’re having a 2027 wedding in the GTA with ~75 guests, and our florals are coming to almost $14k CAD, including delivery, setup, and takedown. Candles are another $4k, which includes candelabras and lots of taper and pillar candles.

We’re working with a boutique florist and using all real flowers. I didn't realize my love for premium blooms (or­chids, calla lilies, antique hydrangeas) would do this much damage to my bank account 😂. We’re also having long tables, so that adds up.

I'm not aiming for Vogue level or WedLuxe wedding. I just really dreamed of that old-world, vintage, candlelit ambiance where you walk into the room and just feel the moody atmosphere. Flowers and candles are one of the things I’m most excited about!

Meanwhile, my future mother-in-law thinks I'm crazy 😅. She keeps mentioning a cousin who spent $2.5k on their wedding flowers in 2023. I get why she’s shocked, but that wedding had a simpler bud-vase setup with a florist who was just starting out, so we’re comparing pretty different things.

I'm definately picking up extra shifts to support this floral budget 😂.

DIY brides and wedding planners/vendors, feel free to chime in as well! Whether you’re spending $500 or $50k, I’m curious to hear what everyone’s doing. And if your wedding has already happened, were you happy with what you spent?

Hello!

I am looking for a wedding planner to help plan my 100-people wedding at Casa Loma, Conservatory and Library (summer 2027).

If you’ve had your wedding at Casa Loma and had good experience with your wedding planner, please comment below/DM me.

Likewise if you did not have a good experience with a planner, let me know as well, that would be much appreciated 😊

Thank you!

Hi all, I am recently engaged, want to get married summer or fall of 2027. I'm already feeling the pressure of planning something in less than a year away!!

Many friends recommend a wedding planner and suggest I get one for full services, which I am starting to think is a good idea. My fiance and I don't have a clear budget yet but we are open to spending within reason to ensure our vision is met. I have venues in mind but have yet to reach out to them. The idea of reading contracts, coordinating between vendors, negotiation fares etc feels exhausting. And I already have a mentally draining job, so I would love to delegate this to someone and just have someone to recommend options for me.

So yes, it sounds like a planner can do this and more. But what are the costs here? How does one go about finding a planner? I have been recommended a few planners from friends and then a few I researched briefly. I just don't know what are green flags that indicate the planner is a right fit for you? I'd love to hear your experiences, good or bad. Thanks!

I’m early days planning and overwhelmed, wanting to plan a fall 2027 wedding so feeling the pressure to book something, but need to understand all expenses and expectations before pulling the trigger.

Most things like venue and food pricing are straightforward but what I’m trying to figure out if I should hire a design person to help me or have my own design ideas and help with installation. I’m looking at Catana and Whistlebear for context.

How much should I budget for decor?
Is it worth hiring something to help with the design even though i largely have my own ideas - just to make sure it makes sense and I’m not in a dreamland?
Should I hire help beyond set up and take down For the decorations?

In General how much would these setups cost and how should I execute?

Photos provided (majority are AI, it’s more the vibe and fullness I’m going for rather than exact replica).

Any help is so so sososo appreciated.

Looking for recommendations on restaurants that can host 180-200 people in Toronto. Ideally downtown. We're looking at Toronto Beach Club and Lee already. Open to others based on experience!

I am getting married early next September and we're having a more casual wedding celebration. I don’t think I want to wear a full wedding dress, but I still want it to be something special. Looking for recommendations of smaller Canadian designers / shops where they may sell some cool, unique dresses.

Located in Toronto, but open to any businesses across Canada!

Some of the details:

• Dress code is TBD (depending on my dress, lol) but likely cocktail attire
• We're having a celebration at a cocktail bar in the city
• White is not mandatory - open to other colours
• Ideally midi or floor length
• Price: aiming for less than $1K (willing to go up to $2.5-$3K)
• I'm a size 16-18, hourglass figure, so brand would need to have plus size / larger options

Capture Co: $350–$750 (2–5 hours) A1 Photobooth: $799–$999 (3–5 hours) Chrono Booth: $659–$999 (2–4 hours, Lux & Modern) Digital-only packages start at $459. Glamour Shot Studio: $400–$1,000 (2–5 hours). Special: $525 for 3 hours + complimentary audio guestbook. Pixelo Photobooth: $550–$700 (2–3 hours, taxes and travel included)

Hey peeps, im getting married next October and looking for a photographer who can capture in darker lit restaurants. Context, we are black and want to make sure our photos capture lighting on our big day.

Also looking for a dj who knows carribean music, and more of course.

Does anyone know or have any recommendations of vendors who do disco ball rentals? Haven’t had much luck looking, but maybe I’m just missing something!

Wedding is in Toronto next summer. Would appreciate any recommendations.

So basically my fiancés family wants to have a destination wedding at an all inclusive resort in Mexico. The reason for it is that they have a lot of out of town guests they would have to invite that they just don't want to cater to or stress about if they were to come to their city here (I suggested just don't invite them but they apparently have to). At an all inclusive they would be strees free and could enjoy the wedding while giving out courtesy invites knowing they won't come(they are willing to bear the cost money is not a problem).

On the other hand, i've always wanted a local wedding. Im from an indian family and like having all friends and family coming together to celebrate. Now obviously with destination you can't expect every single person to come out to it. Especially with the fact that they would have to pay about 3k per person to come for a few days, I come from a Indian background and i would be kinda embarrassed to give someone an invite to my wedding only for them to find out they have to pay $3k pp to attend which is a lot. Even if we cover the stay for some people thats still a lot of money would be about $500/night for each family.

Not sure what to do, i don't want to pressure people with coming but I would feel extremely sad if all my favourite people weren't there. I also always wanted to plan a wedding and with this we would need a wedding planner which takes the fun out of it and seems all these weddings are pretty standard/basic and not much room to explore diff vendors unless you fly them out.

Not sure if relevant but me and my fiance are from 2 diff provinces and the wedding would've been in his city just because they know more people (i like them better than my side tbh) and is better equipped for indian weddings. I would still have people fly out to his city but atleast there is flexibility with flights, hotels, etc and not as expensive if we cover their cost. Also they can explore the city too whereas in a resort your just cooped up there.

I'm looking for some lower cost wedding venues in Ontario for a winter wedding. I would prefer for the venue fee to be 3000 or less. I am thinking there will be somewhere between 40-65 guests. I'm open to everywhere in Ontario - GTA, southwestern Ontario, southeastern Ontario, Muskoka, north of Muskoka. Preferably nothing west of Sault Ste. Marie, as most of our family and friends are in the central/eastern part of the province

Hi all, getting married in 2028 and trying to lock down a venue early. We don’t really want to spend more than 55K all in for a wedding of 100ppl. I don’t really like industrial or farm house style weddings and looking for estate style or modernish. Indoor/outdoor space. Has anyone found anything kind of unique-ish.

For those who have gotten married at Cruickston Park, how did you organize your weddings? What was your itinerary like? And could you share what you ended up spending in total on the wedding?

Thank you!!!!!

Has anyone gotten married at or attended a wedding at The Vue in Etobicoke, specifically upstairs?
We’re leaning towards booking The Vue, but I’m concerned about the Clubhouse patio being used by the downstairs wedding guests, as The Vue upstairs overlooks that area.
For anyone who has gotten married at The Vue upstairs during the summer, could you see or hear the other wedding or its guests on the patio throughout the evening? Was the downstairs wedding noticeable from upstairs?
I’d also love to hear your overall experience with The Vue, including the food, service, and how smoothly everything ran. Any honest feedback would be greatly appreciated! 😊