In January of 2019, an unprompted email from Ashley Yim at Graydon Hall had an instant impact on our company. Simply it said: “I just wanted to reach out and give you some good news. As a few of us have worked with your DJs we have decided in unison that we would love to add you to our exclusive DJ list! Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead of us!”
At the time, we were very excited about the new business opportunity, but we had little foresight into what this would mean for us. When the pandemic ravaged our industry and forced clients across the city to change their event plans due to indoor capacity restrictions, Graydon Hall rose above the rest and was able to accommodate weddings by shifting it’s dining to a tented outdoor option, allowing for larger guests counts than their indoor capacity. This, in turn, allowed not only for their booked clients to proceed with their plans, but also for new clients to secure the space in hopes of using the stunning grounds for their wedding.
Since events reopened in Ontario in July of 2021, we’ve had 15 amazing weddings go ahead there, 4 of them on the Labour Day long weekend alone. And now, reflecting back on this past year and what this venue has meant to our team, we can officially call Graydon Hall our second home.
Why Everyone Loves Graydon Hall
There is no shortage of venues in Toronto to choose from for a reception, but there are few that can rival the splendour of Graydon Hall Manor. With the recent closing of the similarly beautiful Estates of Sunnybrook, you’d be hard pressed to find a comparable manor house venue anywhere in the GTA to hold a regal wedding affair.
When the 29-room Georgian manor was built in 1936, orientation had clearly been studied with care. Seclusion of the garden would have made it a lovely personal backyard, but it truly makes for an ideal private wedding ceremony location. The garden front faces south-southeast, so as to give full sun to the gardens while securing protection from northwest winds, and permitting use of a shady terrace in the late afternoon.
Once inside the manor house itself, you feel as though you have stepped back in time, as though visiting the dwelling of a wealthy royal family from the Bridgerton series, complete with iron gates, a glorious fountain, and cobblestone walkways.
If you’ve ever attended an event at Graydon Hall, you are also likely to have noticed how incredible the quality of the food is. Along with being a beautiful venue, the food is often the most commented on highlight of an event, long after the impressions of stepping onto the grounds have set in.
What Clients Have To Say
In preparation for this article, we reached out to some of our recent clients and asked them to let you know what they loved about us and their experience at Graydon Hall. Here’s just a sampling of what they had to say:
“We had multiple comments from our guests that Graydon Hall was the best venue they have ever been to – which is just the best possible compliment! We knew we had to get married there from the moment we saw it. There is a magic to it that we hadn’t experienced anywhere else. It made our wedding feel intimate yet luxe, personal but like a dream. One of our favourite things about the venue is that you don’t really need to do anything to it but show up! Every aspect indoor and out is perfection. This is key especially if you feel bogged down with wedding planning. And don’t even get us started on the food. All of our guests shared it was one of the best meals they’ve ever had – not just at a wedding. Food is key for a memorable guest experience and Graydon Hall really blew this aspect out of the water. The planning process was also a breeze, and their team is available for any and every little question you might have.
“We knew we wanted to work with you from our first conversation. We weren’t confident in our ability to pick our music, and you really made us feel comfortable – we felt like you GOT us right off the bat. There were a couple lesser known tracks we used to describe our style and they turned out to be your favourites as well. What more could we ask for! You dedicated a lot of time pre wedding for us to feel super comfortable, and walk through every detail, which is an OCD brides dream! We really leaned on your experience with the venue and in general, as you gave us great run of show input.
“Overall, our wedding was an absolute fairy tale and we wouldn’t gave changed a thing!” – Kayla & Spencer, September 16th 2021
“We recently had our wedding at Graydon Hall with DJ Floh Back Productions. You came recommended from our venue, and I got a good feeling about you the very first time we spoke.
“We were originally scheduled to get married in July of 2020, but we had to reschedule it 3 times due to Covid. You and your team were so nice and so accommodating each time we had to postpone. I could tell they really cared and just wanted our wedding to be a success.
“When we met with you a week before our wedding I could tell we were in good hands. You understood our vibe and any stress or worries I had about the music completely melted away. The night was amazing! You did a great job at playing the music we wanted and reading the room. We had the best time and everyone loved the music.” – Sandra & Ari, September 3rd 2021
“We can start by acknowledging that planning a wedding during COVID was stressful. Thankfully, you made that much less so!! From the very first time we got off the phone with you, we knew we wanted to work with you. You were a calming influence in a stressful time. But you didn’t just talk the talk, you walked the walk as well. You were kind and attentive, personable yet professional. You made the process of planning better!
“As far as the services provided by your team, they were top notch. You asked the right questions and read the guests at our venue and managed to play the perfect soundtrack to our perfect day. You also provided our livestream services which we were generally quite happy with. We had great turnout online and the only changes we would have made if we were to do it all again were from the planning side to ensure our guests could follow the order of ceremony more closely. The audio and video quality were top notch and we would absolutely choose to have your team for any future event.” – Amy & Chris, July 11th 2021
“The Floh Back team was absolutely fantastic. We highly recommend them if you are looking to throw a great party. We were SO happy we chose them for our wedding where they provided DJ services as well as live streaming which was so important given the COVID restrictions on guest count, as it allowed all our friends and family to watch our ceremony virtually. You were awesome from booking all the way up to the day of where he played hit after hit, even with little direction from us. Thank you for making our day even more perfect.” – Julia and Daniel, September 4th 2021
The GHM Team
We wanted to take a moment to recognize the team at GHM. Like the lyrics from the Cheers them song go, there is something so comforting about knowing a venue and its staff so well that when you walk in everyone knows your name. From Nicole and her events team of Ashley, Lisa, Lucy, and Rebecca, to the kitchen and banquet team led by Bill, everyone at Graydon Hall has a standard for excellence and takes great pride in creating the highest level of quality for the guests. We are honoured to be one of their exclusive partners, and hope to continue to be part of the team for years to come.
Thank you to our contributing photographers:
Arthur Mola www.arthurmola.com (Heading photo)
Ally + Nicholas www.allyandnicholas.com
Mango Studios www.mangostudios.com
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