Congratulations on your engagement! Planning a wedding is an exciting, overwhelming stage of life to go through. It helps to have friends and family that can support you through this emotional, exhilarating journey. If you're considering having your wedding in Georgina, Ontario, this guide helps point you in the direction of the best local vendors.
Why You Should Consider Georgina, Ontario
Georgina, Ontario is the most northern municipality in York Region. Some consider it part of the Greater Toronto Area, and others don't know it exists! This quaint area is made up of Keswick, Sutton, and Jackson's Point, and borders the bottom part of Lake Simcoe (Cook's Bay). There are a number of Conservation Areas and beaches to choose from for engagement and wedding photos. Georgina is a lovely place to consider hosting your wedding if you're looking for that "rustic" charm without being too far from Toronto. The number one draw to having a wedding in Georgina is wedding photos by the lake!
1. Find a Wedding Venue in Georgina
It can be a fun adventure setting up visits at wedding venues. Find a weekend in your calendar and make a trip out of the city to visit Jackson's Point and Keswick. Here are a few local wedding venues that are worth checking out:
Briar's Resort & Spa
The Briar's Resort & Spa is right on the water, has several ceremony and reception areas to choose from (both indoor and outdoor), and has plenty of old buildings and well maintained gardens. One bride I've talked to said some of the buildings "could use a bit more upkeep", but she didn't mind too much, as it added to the rustic feeling of her photos. As a wedding photographer, I appreciated the variety of gardens, lakefront, forested areas, and building options to pose my couples in front of.
- Price: $128 per head
- Capacity: 40 - 220 guests
- Services: Catering, bar, linen rentals, set-up and tear-down
- What brides love: The rustic charm
- What brides didn't love: The Briar's wedding coordinator wasn't super helpful, and couples tend to do a lot of the planning themselves
Ramada Jackson's Point
Ramada Jackson's Point is a one-stop shop for weddings on Lake Simcoe. Fun fact - this is the only place in Ontario where you can have a ceremony right in the lake (on a dock, of course). They offer everything from catering to linen rentals, and over six reception spaces to choose from.
- Price: $130 per head
- Capacity: 60 - 200 guests
- Services: catering, linen rentals, cocktail receptions, rehearsal dinners, preferred vendor list, lighting for reception space, and a variety of menus to choose from
- What brides love: The lake, and friendly staff and manager
- What bride's didn't love: Multiple reports of errors due to miscommunication (chairs not being setup correctly, cocktail hour being late, essential details being missed by the in-house wedding planner). It's recommended by one bride to make sure everything is written down and gone over in detail with the wedding planner to avoid mistakes.
SV Country Events
Located in Sutton, SV Country Events is a 155 acre farm with breathtaking photo locations that offers a rustic wedding vibe. They have indoor and outdoor wedding spaces available, and only book one wedding at a time (you have access to the entire private grounds). They have a variety of booking options - micro weddings, DIY, and full-service packages.
- Price: $25,000 for 60 guests, $100 per additional (all-inclusive package)
- Capacity: 250 guests
- Services: Event rentals, set-up, tear-down, catering, DJ, photographer, officiant, wagon rides during cocktail hour
- What brides love: Large and secluded property
- What brides didn't love: Poor venue management, not returning deposits due to COVID cancellations, and misleading terms for the all-inclusive package.
the barn 1906
A rustic farm venue in Bradford, Ontario, the barn 1906 is a 100-acre picturesque property with multiple outdoor ceremony sites, a newly renovated Bridal suite, and a barn with a capacity of 200 people. This venue has sparkling reviews, with brides commenting on how pleased they were with the family and staff that helped make their wedding days beautiful.
- Reception site fee: $8000
- Capacity: 200 guests
- Services: Exclusive caterers, furnishing and decor, ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, air-conditioned bridal suite, lighting and sound, clean-up.
- What brides love: The stunning venue and the family that owns and runs it.
- What brides didn't love: Having to rent guest washrooms on top of the already-steep venue fee (the barn does not having plumbing).
