Sarah and Andrew had a gorgeous wedding at 1Hotels Toronto on a beautiful summer day. The boutique hotel was voted by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the top luxury hotels in Toronto and Canada and received a prestigious Readers' Choice Award in 2017. The panoramic views of the city, CN Tower, Rogers Centre and Lake Ontario from the rooftop will make your wedding photos look splendid and we highly recommend that you have a rooftop ceremony and cocktail hour! After you tie the knot having the city at your feat, we will do a quick photo shoot of you and your hubby and we promise great photography results if the weather collaborates. In case it rains, the rooftop lounge is perfect for your cocktail hour. Because the hotel is located in the fashion district in the beautiful King West Village, we highly recommend that you and your bridal party go for a walk in the neighbourhood while we capture candid photographs of you.
We started documenting the special day by photographing the bride's preparation in one of the hotel apartments. Afterwards, we moved to the lobby bar to photograph the groom and groomsmen having a great time! The 110ft Toronto skyline mural makes a perfect backdrop for wedding photos. When the bride was ready, the bride and groom had their first look near Colette Grand Cafe. We loved the body of water that gave the couple privacy and allowed us to capture reflections of their love.
1 Hotels Toronto is a splendid facility located in the coveted King West neighbourhood of the city, where things happen. The skyline view from the rooftop is breathtaking and that alone is a good reason to tie the knot here. If the weather is good, you want to get married on top of the world and enjoy the magic Toronto skyline. This is by far the best spot in town to have a wedding ceremony. During the cocktail hour your guests will enjoy the view, the drinks and hors d'oeuvres, not to mention the company of the bride and groom and the other guests. The Wellington Ballroom is a perfect spot for your wedding reception with its massive floor to ceiling mirrors that will capture the beauty of your big day in all its glory.
The hotel is located in a very vibrant area yet there are a few good places where couples can have their first look before the ceremony. Among them, we love the space besides the Colette Grand Café, the rooftop, the terrace on the first floor in front of the gym, the lobby bar and Victoria Memorial Square Park.
We love the extraordinary views from the rooftop and if possible, we recommend it for a first look. Still, make sure you have a plan B as often you have patrons of the hotels enjoying the pool area and the rooftop bar.
This is a secluded area that offers the bride and groom a chance to have a quiet first look and a few minutes together. We love the body of water and the fact the spot is close to the lobby bar where we can photograph the groom preparation. Once your make-up and hair are done, you can head to the first look and we guide the groom to the spot.
The best part about this spot is that the area is vast and there are no passersby to ruin your moment and photos. The light is generally good as the hotel offers shade. The downside is that there could be patrons of the hotel in the gym.
If the weather is not cooperating, we can photograph your first look in the lobby bar. We will need about 10-15 minutes to move the couches and armchairs around so that you have a clean backdrop for your pictures, but the bartenders have always been great and even offered to help. The downside is that this is not a private area so you might have hotel patrons enjoy a drink or two here.
If you want to invite a large bridal party to your first look, please consider Victoria Memorial Square Park. We can also use the park today some romantic photographs of the couple afterwards. The downside is that this is a public area and that he cannot control the flow of tourists and locals in the park.
Depending on the timeline, we can recommend a few spots for the group photographs. If you are having a late afternoon outdoor ceremony on the rooftop followed by a cocktail hour, the pool area is perfect for family photos. If the weather is not good, we can use the lobby bar with his beautiful mural as a backdrop for group pictures. The Victoria Memorial Square Park is another option for the family shots and finally we can take pictures of the bride and groom greeting the guests at the tables during the reception in the Wellington Ballroom.
Besides the photogenic spots we mentioned for the first look and family photos (rooftop, lobby bar, Colette area, Victoria Memorial Square Park), we love the screening room, Wellington Street (perfect for large bridal party walking shots) and the parking lot across from the hotel when the exposed brick buildings offer a perfect backdrop for bride and groom portraits. The main hotel entrance is also a beautiful location for images of the couple. Please allocate about five minutes for pictures here because most of the time there are guests entering and leaving the hotel. Finally, if you have enough time, do not hesitate to take a walk in the neighbourhood for some candid photographs.
Given its location, it was surprising to see how easy we found parking on the wedding day. The hotel has its own underground parking. Ask the staff to give you a map with directions. There is also a ramp where your decorator and DJ can load and unload items. There is another parking lot across from the hotel, at 535-543 Wellington St. W . Please keep in mind that the hotel is a very popular spot on the weekends and getting out of the parking lot on Wellington Street is a challenge. Please ask our guests to use the Niagara St. Exit.
If you desire to offer your guests valet parking, that can be arranged. Please inquire with the establishment how much that would cost.
Among others, the luxury hotel offers rooms that boast heated floors, walk-in showers and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city or Lake Ontario. We love the spectacular view of CN Tower from the hotel. Also, your guests will enjoy the 42" TVs and free wifi while ordering room service in bed.
One of the biggest attractions of this luxury hotel is its screening room. We used it to take a few romantic portraits of the couple and they helped us tell a beautiful story. As a side note, please inquire if you are allowed to use the room and if there are any events planned in that event space.
On behalf of our photographers and the couple we thank you for your time!
In the summer, this is probably one of the most sought after hotel in Toronto and in the unfortunate event that it is booked, you might want to consider Shangri-La Hotel also located in downtown.
It is conveniently located in the fashion district, close to Lake Ontario and financial district
If you have out of town guests, the location is perfect, within walking distance to the Billy Bishop Airport
The views from the rooftop pool area are second to none
The staff is professional and friendly
The food is delicious
Most rooms have a splendid view, are super clean and most guests love the heated floors and walk-in showers
The access to public transportation
The guests mention the excellent service quality
Weekends at 1 Hotels are extremely busy with patrons of the bars and clubs
Wedding crashers are not uncommon as the club goers sometimes end up on your dance floor. That can be corrected by security.
Some guests complain the establishment is noisy
This is by no means a subjective opinion, but several patrons complain that the hotel is pricey
If you are tying the knot on the rooftop, please note that your guests will need a special card to reach the area. Generally the reception staff escorts the guests to the elevators
The hotel wedding planner, Katy Elliot is unbelievable! She was everywhere: helping the vendors and the staff, arranging the groom's boutonnière, making sure things are going smoothly, etc.
We recommend having a makeup artist and hair stylist come to the hotel for your getting ready. The ladies from Knot Your Average Style were phenomenal. Also, there are two saloons within walking distance from the hotel: Schultz Makeup and Bond Girl Hair.
