Weddings in Vaughan
Vaughan’s banquet halls are known for their scale. Some have decades of history, grand lobbies and ballrooms that seat a thousand guests or more, often with bridal suites built in.
That makes Vaughan a natural choice for the reception or walima when the guest list is long. Families often pair it with a smaller nikah, held at a masjid or at home a day or two earlier.
Most of the big halls are clustered around Jane Street, Highway 7 and Highway 27, in Concord and Woodbridge. Touring three or four in one afternoon is realistic, and worth doing: the rooms differ more in person than in photos.
Saturdays in the warm months go first at the large halls. If your Saturday is taken, ask about a Friday or a Sunday.
Banquet halls to look at
The five below publish their own room capacities. Ask each what comes with the room, since packages differ widely between them.
- Paradise Banquet Hall (Jane Street): six ballrooms and an outdoor garden, hosting wedding receptions since 1976.
- Château Le Jardin (Highway 27, Woodbridge): a West Wing for dinner and dance events of up to 1,100, smaller rooms besides, and a private bridal suite with each ballroom.
- Hazelton Manor (Peelar Road, Concord): two rooms of up to 300 guests that combine into a ballroom for 800, with more than 400 free parking spaces.
- Universal Eventspace (Highway 7): 85,000 square feet across six function rooms, with outdoor terraces and capacity for more than 2,000 guests.
- Bellvue (Jane Street): a wedding venue with a variety of event spaces. Ask to see each room when you visit.
For your nikah
- Masjid Vaughan, an initiative of the Risalah Foundation. Its website lists nikah among its services and directs visitors to park at Vaughan City Hall.
- Jaffari Community Centre (Bathurst Street, Thornhill), a centre of the Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto.
The large halls can usually set aside a private room for a nikah before the reception, which saves a convoy across the city. Ask when you tour. For a masjid nikah, contact the office about dates and requirements as soon as your date is set.
Getting there and parking
Vaughan has direct access to Highways 400, 407 and 427, and Pearson is about 10 kilometres away. Give guests from downtown Toronto 35 to 45 minutes on a clear evening, Brampton 25 to 35, and Markham 25 to 30 on the 407, which is a toll road.
Line 1 of the subway ends at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre on Highway 7, where Viva buses connect along the corridor. On weekdays the last southbound train leaves a little after 1 a.m., which helps guests heading back into Toronto without a car.
Parking is a Vaughan strength. The big halls are built around large lots, and Hazelton Manor lists more than 400 free spaces. For a crowd of 800, ask about attendants at the entrance so cars don’t back up onto the road.
Highway 400 is the one to watch in winter. A storm on a Saturday afternoon can hold the whole baraat on the ramp, so pad the timeline and keep the cars warm.
Local tips
- Vaughan’s photography by-law requires a permit for paid photography on City land, parks included, and it names weddings specifically. Unless the permit says otherwise, it covers a one-hour block, including setup and takedown.
- The Kortright Centre for Conservation, on Pine Valley Drive in Woodbridge, sells wedding photo permits through TRCA. Only outdoor photography is allowed on the permit.
- Several of the big halls sit within a few minutes of each other, so put the hall’s full name and street on the invitation. “The banquet hall in Vaughan” sends cousins to the wrong lobby.
- Ask every hall about a private room for getting ready and for the women’s side. At Château Le Jardin, each ballroom comes with its own bridal suite.
How we plan in Vaughan
Large halls reward careful planning. The stage, lighting, sound and seating all have to suit the room. Your coordinator works it through with you, and we manage every vendor, from decor to cars, so you have one team and one person to call. Check your date