Graydon Hall Manor is a Toronto-based venue that specializes in hosting elegant weddings and other special events in its formal gardens and elegant reception spaces. The romantic and luxurious setting offered by this lovely estate includes everything you might want for a princess-style wedding. Stone terraces and cascading fountains make this location ideal for wedding photography, without losing an ounce of elegance.
Facilities and capacity
This venue's two-level facilities tell the story of this exclusive manor starting from the entrance hall leading to the grand staircase where your guests will be received before entering the reception hall and gardens beyond. The reception hall includes two main rooms with protruding bay windows separated by a large dance floor with a head table area. It has a capacity for 128 seated guests. Another possible combination for this space is where the entire main floor is fitted with tables, in which case the capacity is increased to 180 guests. The largest capacity offered is the outdoor terrace which is suited for outdoor weddings and summer events and seats up to 250 guests.
Services offered
The team at Graydon Hall Manor will get to know each soon-to-be newlywed on a personal level, developing an understanding of their dream vision. They will guide you through the coordination process from the very beginning, securing your trust and comfort. The services offered by this exclusive manor include the following:
Private get-ready room
Luxury linens and table settings
Bar services (including a soft bar with teas, juices, and mocktails)
Catering services
Air-conditioned interior
Terrace canopy
Access to parking for 120 cars
Cuisine
Chef Arpi Magyar is responsible for this venue’s deliciously elegant fare that ranges from classic to contemporary. With more than 35 years of experience, Chef Magyar has been establishing himself in some of Toronto's most recognized and respected kitchens. He combines high-quality ingredients from around the globe to create his fantastic menu options which are always customized for you and your guests.
Other facilities
This venue offers other facilities that are perfectly suited for board meetings, team-building retreats, private luncheons, product launches, and more. The principal rooms include the dining room, library, and conservatory which can accommodate up to 250 guests. The coach house seats 90 guests theatre-style and the chinoiserie boardroom fits 20 hollow squares.
History
Originally called the Graydon House, this 1930’s Georgian manor was first built by architects Allan George and Walter Moorehouse for Rupert Bain, a broker/financier. Bain wanted to create a "sportsman's paradise" by completing the 29-room estate with stables for racehorses, kennels for hunting dogs, a 9-hole golf course, and fountains surrounded by spectacular gardens. It became the center for high society life shortly after until it was redesigned into an elegant reception facility in 2000.
Since stage 3 reopening, updated information for a wedding ceremony and reception in 2022 and why we won't be getting married at Graydon Hall
Note: Be prepared to book a year or more in advance, our preferred date in February 2022 (off-peak season) was just booked 7 months in advance by another couple.
First of all, I'd like to say that the GHM is one of the most beautiful, vintage luxury sites in Toronto. This was my number one choice for a venue in the city because of the romantic backdrops, the antique look of the place and the amenities: bridal suite and groom suite, many rooms and a stunning hall, lower lounge, terrace/fountain etc.
Since stage 3 reopening in Ontario, places started to allow site tours while wearing a mask. When I reached out a week ago, one of the event managers, Lisa, replied back the very next day and I was impressed with the information that I was given in such a timely manner.
The breakdown is a lot cheaper for off peak season (November-April) and there's no minimum spending. Manor rental, ceremony in the carriage house and use of the cocktail lounge during off peak season is approximately $8000, if you're getting married on peak season, minimum spending ranges between $10,000-$35,000 depending on the day of the week.
The average budget for my guest count of 60 was approximately $220 a person +HST and 20% service charge and that included:
Manor rental fee
On-site ceremony
In-house chairs and tables, place settings, and over 300 table-linens to select from
Cocktail hour with signature drinks and hors d’oeuvres
Three-course dinner
Standard bar package
Red and White wine
Your own Event Manager to help you with planning and day-of coordination
Our guest count was 60; so about $18,000 after tax and service charge which we felt was reasonable for what was offered. Their Lovely little wedding package is very affordable for just a ceremony (this is only $800 for a 2 hour rental, $400 for each additional hour but there are a ton of restrictions on services offered).
Our event manager said the site tours were booked for weeks and suggested we could do a self-guided tour and then have a follow-up afterwards in order to book the space. Lisa met us at the door and was super friendly and welcoming although she had other couples she was doing tours with at the time.
Unfortunately, the experience went downhill from there, from dusty looking sun damaged purple chairs, to stained coffee tables, to the worse being how we were treated by the housekeeping staff. They were questioning why we were there and didn't stop interfering with our visit even after another event manager confirmed we were on a self-guided tour. It seemed everywhere we went, they followed. It would be comical if it weren't for the awkwardness and tension we felt in the entire space. It was like they didn't trust us and were keeping tabs on us, for example, if I opened a closet door, they would come back and check that everything was in it's place right after. When we went outside, there was a couple being photographed and we were aware of not being in the background, but the housekeeping staff felt they needed to remind us that the area where the couple was, was off limits and that they had paid to be there (unlike us-was implied). We absolutely loved the look of the cocktail lounge and how cool it was temperature wise. We were sitting there cooling off when the housekeeping staff came downstairs, shut off one of the lights nearby and went back upstairs, I took a picture of the area without the light on after they left (it's the first one).
I told Lisa about our experience and how it really impacted our wish to get married there. The housekeeping staff would be there during the set up and take down of the wedding, but even if we were willing to look past this, I was informed that the date I had requested had just been booked by another couple. It was apparently on reserve, and it would have saved us time, money (transport) and embarrassment if we knew that that date was in the process of already being booked before arranging a tour. Hopefully any future couples considering this location learn from our mistakes - don't go on the self guided tour, unless you are absolutely sure you want this venue and you are not flexible with your date.
Sent on 29/07/2021
Graydon Hall Manor's reply:
Tia,
Thank you so much for your valuable feed-back. I wish I could explain the experience you had… I can’t imagine why our custodians would have behaved in such a manner as they are trusted and much loved members of our team who have been with us for over 21 years. I can only apologize on their behalf. I am so sorry for the experience you had.
We have also taken your review to heart and have stopped offering self-guided tours. We had never offered them before and we have only been offering them for a week or two as our Event Managers are overwhelmed with new inquiries and they are fully booked many weeks in advance with scheduled tours. We were trying to accommodate clients desperate to see the space. We have learned quickly that the manor is simply too large and our clients have too many questions to make self-guided tours a reasonable option, even under desperate situations. As your photos illustrate, clients on self-guided tours even make their way into back-of-house / staff-only areas. Yikes!!
Finally, the purple chairs are in an ombre fabric - they aren’t sun bleached at all. You will notice that the fabric fades differently on every chair, quite deliberately. The décor was meant to be whimsical and playful rather than stuffy. Our design fail has been duly noted.
Thank you again for your valuable feedback. It’s how we grow.
We wish you every blessing with your February wedding.
Kindest regards,
Nicole Pieckenhagen, Director
Kristina T.
· Married on 23/11/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
A Magical Venue
I cannot say enough good things about Graydon Hall. From the first meeting, they were fantastic about guiding us through the process, and they helped us put together an incredible event. The team at Graydon is truly fantastic. I felt more cared for and at ease than I had ever expected to feel on my wedding day because I knew they were on top of everything. The food was excellent, the venue was gorgeous, and the staff went above and beyond with everything from helping us carry in our bags for getting ready, to keeping drinks full, to helping tear down at the end of the night. The head waiter and bartender introduced themselves to me at the beginning of the night and told me to come to them if I needed ANYTHING. My guests had an amazing time, and people kept coming up to me saying how amazing the venue and staff were, and how our wedding was the best they'd ever been to. I would recommend Graydon in a heartbeat,
Sent on 17/12/2019
Graydon Hall Manor's reply:
Kristina,
Thank you so very much for your kind words. We love what we do! And, nothing fills our hearts more than a happy bride who felt cared for on her wedding day. It was a great pleasure to have been of service to you and we wish you both every blessing.
Nicole and the Graydon Hall team
Keith F.
· Married on 17/08/2019
4.6
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
3.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Great Venue
We were looking to find a wedding venue somewhat centralized to accommodate our guests.
We were sold on the wow factor when you first walk up to the venue.
The driveway slopes uphill and trees (summer time) block most of the house from the street and parking lot. Once close to the front gate, the grandeur of the manor hits you.
We had several meetings with our event coordinator Marissa and she helped us through the process of getting married at Graydon Hall Manor and did an excellent job at pulling everything together on the day of.
There are so many spots on the grounds for great photo opportunities.
Sent on 24/12/2019
Ian H.
· Married on 13/04/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Professional beginning to after the end!
From our first meeting with our Event Coordinator Melissa, to our multitude of questions by email exchanged over 6 months of planning, to being able to pick up items a few days after our wedding, Graydon Hall Manor staff were superb! Melissa was always there to give us excellent advice, a guiding hand, and quick answers same day. The staff were completely attentive on our wedding day. We and our guests were treated like royalty. Everything was taken care of, including some delightful, unexpected extras, like 'groom' napkins for the 2 newlywed husbands, c/o Mango! Such beautiful touches. The venue itself is just gorgeous. We were lucky to have a sunny day where we made full use of the back terrace and gardens, which are so photogenic. But the inside is equally classy, understated and elegant. Graydon Hall gave us the perfect setting and service we wanted for our special day, and we were not disappointed. We will be forever grateful!
Sent on 21/04/2019
Kalla B.
· Married on 24/08/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Beyond my dreams
The venue and team were like a dream! An absolutely stunning space, well maintained, a flexible and kind team, and delicious catering. I could go on and on about how it exceeded my expectations. The planning team was prompt, patient, kind and made us feel like our ideas and our day were a priority. We enjoyed every moment of the experience and our guests were blown away by the experience. I would highly recommend and would host another event here.
Sent on 20/11/2018
Graydon Hall Manor's reply:
Kalla, thank you so much for sharing your amazing photos and the details of your Graydon Hall experience. We couldn't be more thrilled that you and Lucas had an amazing day. We hope we may be of service again in the future - personally or professionally. Wishing you both all the very best!
- the Graydon Hall Manor team
