Host your green wedding in the heart of the Don Valley

Many people know the Brick Works for the weekly Farmers Market or for its beloved children’s programming or for popular events like the Winter Market. However, what you might not know is that so many of our beautiful spaces on site can be rented out for weddings.

Nestled in Toronto’s lush ravines, surrounded by breathtaking hertiage buildings, Evergreen Brick Works offers a truly unique setting for weddings. Throughout the years, some of the most picturesque weddings have taken place at the Brick Works. From intimate wedding ceremonies on the Frances and Tim Price Terrace to 200+ people weddings in the CRH Gallery & Koerner Gardens — we’ve seen it all!

Evergreen Brick Works operates as a social enterprise, meaning that revenue generated from weddings goes back into advancing the Brick Works as an internationally recognized community hub and demonstration centre for urban innovation. It allows us to offer free programming like Weekend Nature Play that helps children connect to nature, a free Shuttle Bus that brings people to and from the site and so much more.

“We’re always humbled and honoured to be chosen as the backdrop of an important milestone in our couple’s lives. It is fulfilling to know that the revenue from weddings and events here is not profit for an individual but goes towards funding our on-profit initiatives like the Housing Supply Challenge Support Program and School Ground Greening.”

– Julia Dewolde, Event Manager at Evergreen

When hosting a wedding at the Brick Works, our experienced Events Team is there to guide through every step of the planning process and to make sure that your wedding is seamlessly executed from beginning to end. We spoke with the Events Team at Evergreen to learn more about weddings at the Brick Works. Here’s what they had to say.

In what ways is Evergreen Brick Works a sustainable wedding venue?

Our team is cognizant of the negative environmental implications within our industry and are committed to turn this around by showcasing sustainable leadership across our event operations. Here are some exampes of sustainability efforts:

• The Shuttle Bus – We offer a free daily Shuttle Bus which guests can use to travel to and from the Brick Works. For those that drive, we have pay-per-use parking spots where all parking revenue goes towards Evergreens’ social enterprise, helping us to deliver accessible and inclusive educational programs that bring nature back to cities.
• Sustainable buildings – The Centre for Green Cities, our newest building on-site, holds a Platinum LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). We have a high efficiency, renewable geo-exchange system to heat and cool our buildings, creating a near zero carbon campus. Rainwater is also collected and stored for reuse in gardening and toilets. This in conjunction with water conserving toilets, faucets and waterless urinals, reduces water use by more than 60%.
• Sourcing locally – Our bar program supports a selection of sustainable and locally sourced products, from farms and distilleries with likeminded, regenerative initiatives such as Dillon’s Distillery, Stratus Vineyards, Tawse Winery and more.
• Waste management – We have a robust waste management system on-site, with single use plastics being prohibited and caterers required to recycle cooking oil. Finally, leftover food that meets rescue requirements is donated to local not-for-profits in need through our partnership with Second Harvest.

Can you tell us about Evergreen’s preference for choosing vendors that aim to minimize their impact on the environment?

We love ecofriendly vendors! We partner with vendors that each meet certain criteria including: producing little to no waste, creating no toxic biproducts, using recycled, reusable and compostable products/materials, energy efficiency, using sustainable transport, sourcing locally, having LEAF, LEED or FEAST ON certification, conserving water and social responsibility.

We encourage our clients to always go with eco-friendly vendors when they can. We have created a list of sustainable vendors that we share with all our clients.

What are your teams’ favourite spaces on site for weddings?

For smaller weddings, the BMO Atrium is one of our favourites as it overlooks the Children’s Garden and the north trails.

Photo credit: Will Reid Photo

The CRH Gallery is a wonderous place for larger weddings and can easily adapt to the client’s dream wedding. Whether they prefer an industrial style look with a graffiti backdrop or something more whimsical with flowing drapes, chandeliers and hanging flowers, the CRH Gallery is so versatile and with Koerner Gardens available for cocktail hour, what more could one really ask for!

On a sunny day, who can resist having a ceremony outside on the Frances and Tim Price Terrace which overlooks the pond. It’s a magical place in all seasons, whether you’re surrounded by the blossoming of the spring flowers, all the greenery of summer or autumn’s majestic colours.

What makes the Brick Works a unique wedding venue?

There are some beautiful heritage spaces with rich histories in the city, but Evergreen Brick Works stands out as one of the largest venues coupled with outdoor spaces, lush nature and parking which can be elusive in the downtown core. Our large space allows for limitless possibilities and customization and the beautiful Frances and Tim Price Terrace is a popular choice for ceremonies with acres of trails as the backdrop.

Photo credit: 515 Photo Co.

We’ve had wedding with rotating stages, drum lines, suspended aerialists pouring champagne — we always love a good hora.

Are you interested in hosting your wedding at the Brick Works? Get in touch with us today by sending an email to events@evergreen.ca.