In Canada, we call it marriage

Welcome to Pride month in Toronto!  

I receive calls from as far as Australia from couples who ask questions like “Do you do same-sex weddings?” or “What are the rules about who you will marry?” or “What do you think about equal marriage?”  My answer is always “In Canada we call it marriage, and the only rule I have is that you love one another.”

Wherever you come from – and whether your love is celebrated as it should be in that jurisdiction –  we want you to know that you are welcome here in Toronto and we want to celebrate your love with you to the fullest!  In 2014 during World Pride in our beautiful city, over 100 couples were married at a spectacular mass wedding on the grounds of our famous Casa Loma.  It was such a privilege to be present on that hot summer day full of love and joy (and thousands of champagne flutes!).   While there won’t be a gigantic group ceremony this year, many couples will still take the opportunity to declare their love to one another in the midst of one of the largest Pride Celebrations in the world.  If you are one of these lucky couples, we invite you to explore how Joyously Inclusive Pop Up Weddings can help you do just that.

Sometimes people ask me what different considerations need to be taken into account when planning a LGBTQ2SIA+ wedding.  Usually folks are thinking about some traditional ceremony elements that once were determined based on gender identity.  For example – who if – anyone – walks down the aisle? (A:  Anyone who wants to… one of you, both of you, none of you…” Or on which side of the aisle should my friends and family sit? (A: This isn’t a hockey game, there are no sides – so just choose a good seat!) How will we be introduced at the end of the ceremony? (You get to pick! Mr and Mr?  Mrs. and Mrs?  John and John?  Pookie and Sugar Bear?).

We will work with you one-on-one to craft a wedding ceremony that is as traditional or as contemporary as you would like.  You can write your own vows or choose from some of our carefully curated options.  We provide all the extras that make a wedding stand out – lovely flowers, gorgeous skyline backdrop, professional photographs.  We can even create a signature cocktail and design wedding programs if you like.

At Joyously Inclusive, we believe deeply that no matter who you are, where you live, who you love, how much money you have or what your beliefs may be…  you deserve a beautiful and unique wedding ceremony and reception crafted to reflect your love for one another.