Kotsy Photography Venue Tours – Old Mill Toronto

Greetings engaged couples & wedding visionaries! Kotsy Photography here at Old Mill Toronto for the premiere installment of Kotsy Photography Venue Tours.

Today I’m taking you on an exclusive tour of one of Toronto’s most enchanting and historic venues that’s celebrating its 110^th birthday this year! So let’s dive in and discover why this spot might be the dream location for your special day – big or small.

Before we get started – if you’d rather watch the tour, which includes more footage of Old Mill Toronto, then you can stream it below.

What makes Old Mill so special is its marriage of gothic architecture and enchanting gardens for photo shoots. And the rooms here? Incredibly versatile. Whether you’re envisioning a lavish ballroom bash or an intimate celebration, there’s a spot amongst the 16 unique spaces with your name on it.

From 10 people to over 500, Old Mill has you covered! But I’m getting ahead of myself here, let’s take a look where you’ll start your day – the ceremony spaces!

Chapel

Our tour begins in the 16^th century candlelit chapel. With a capacity of 120 people, the chapel features stained glass windows where afternoon bookings are often treated to a beautiful colour cast over the pews.

Ceremonies here have access to an officiant and the ability to book musicians to play any instrument you desire. The antique chandeliers were brought from the UK in the 60s and each of them feature individual candles that are lit for each service.

Secret Garden

If you’d rather tie the knot outside while surrounded in greenery, then the Secret Garden is for you! With a limestone patio, beautiful landscaping and backup plans in place due to inclement weather, it’s got everything you need for the perfect outdoor ceremony up to 80 guests.

Sssh, there’s even a secret path that leads to the Secret Garden!

Guildhall Ballroom

The next part of our tour is reception spaces, starting with the Guildhall Ballroom. This fabulous space is the most sought on the property and you can easily see why.

It’s got a 14ft high coffered ceiling, exquisite chandeliers, floor to ceiling windows with private patio access and enough space to host 180 guests. It’s a real gem!

That’s not all either! Available exclusively to all Guildhall reservations is it’s patio for wedding ceremonies. This multi-level outdoor space showcases more architectural features and less greenery than the Secret Garden. It also overlooks the courtyard/21 West Patio and fountain.

Brule Rooms

Next up we have the versatile Brule Ballrooms with 13ft high Tudor-style ceilings, wooden beams and functioning stone fireplaces.

Brule Room A, B or C are perfect for smaller celebrations of up to 180 guests or booking multiple can accommodate guest lists up to 450. There’s really no wedding too big for Brule.

Westminster

Westminster is our next stop with features including elaborate crown molding, 14ft high ceilings, chandeliers, a fireplace, traditional décor and a capacity of 100 guests.

Humber

You’ll find Tudor-style windows inside the Humber room along with chandeliers, original hardwood floors, a side room perfect for a bar or buffet setup and a 90 guest capacity.

Balmoral

Moving along to the Balmoral room featuring elaborate crown molding, 14ft high ceilings, chandeliers, traditional décor and enough space for 80 guests.

Victoria

Surrounded by floor to ceiling windows, the Victoria room has a great view of the Old Mill Courtyard and Fountains, hardwood flooring, crystal accented chandeliers and space for 55 guests. You’ll feel like you’re in a palace.

Garrett

The Garret room is available as an extension to the Victoria room for cocktail receptions and features Tudor-style ceilings, wooden beams, a fireplace and enough room to host 55 guests.

Garden Room

The next stop is the Garden Room featuring chandeliers, hardwood floors, lots of natural light from floor to ceiling windows and a 54 guest capacity. It also offers direct access to the Secret Garden patio.

Drawing Room

Moving on to the bi-level Drawing Room, we have another fireplace, lots of windows for natural light and seasonal access to its own patio, which can be also be used as a ceremony space. The Drawing Room is perfect for intimate weddings with a guest count of up to 28.

Royal Oak

The Royal Oak room features wainscoting with hardwood floors to match. But it’s most stunning feature has to be the antique dining table that can seat up to 18 people.

Kingsbrook

The Kingsbrook room features a fireplace, traditional chandeliers, a drop down screen, multiple floor to ceilings windows, a capacity of 50 guests and direct access to a private outdoor patio.

Mill

You’ll find another fireplace inside the Mill room, along with natural décor, big windows for lots of natural light from the courtyard and enough space for 60 guests.

York

And the final room on our tour – the York room with its small decorative library, hardwood floors, electric fireplace, drop down screen and a 40 guest capacity.

Dining Room

If that’s not enough options for you, the restaurant has several spaces that can be rented out including The Terrace Room featuring floor to ceiling windows, The Print Room and full dining room. Capacities in these spaces are 50, 60 and 150+.

Not only are the spaces a great vibe, but the restaurant made OpenTable’s 2023 Top 100 Restaurants in Canada and 2024 Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in Canada, including Top 10 in Toronto!

Outdoor Photo Shoot Locations

Now that we’ve seen the ceremony and reception spaces, it’s time to check out my favourite part of Old Mill Toronto – the stunning locations for photo sessions. And what better place to start than right here out front.

This is a great spot for family and wedding party photos. If the weather isn’t ideal, you can dip into the covered section of the drop off drive-way.

There’s also this large cannon on the front lawn, perfect for unique couples shots.      

Also just down the street outside the restaurant you’ll find Old Mill Toronto’s beautiful heritage features mixed with greenery.

Now we’re at my favourite location – the courtyard! Not only is it beautiful with all the surrounding stone buildings, but there’s so many areas that will provide a wide variety of backgrounds for your wedding album.

First up – a big wooden bridge, perfect for groups or couples shots. A large wooden staircase, excellent for couple’s photos and beautiful walkways with greenery, a water fountain and more of Old Mill’s stunning façade. I can’t think of anything better for a photo session.

Moving just outside the courtyard, there’s a lot more to see like this set of stone stairs, a beautiful waterfall, and the entrance to the Old Mill Inn and Spa.

Finally there’s a gritty underpass for silhouette shots and some urban flair as well as a large stone-walled bridge over the Humber River. You really have a bit of everything here.

Indoor Photo Shoot Locations

If you’re having a winter wedding, dealing with inclement weather or just want to keep the photo session going, there’s a lot more inside too.

We’ll start with the grand staircase before moving onto the various picturesque hallways, all with their own unique look.

And then there’s another set of stairs, great for groups or even solo shots.

And how about another set of stairs for good measure?

You could honestly spend an entire day doing a photo session without leaving the property, it’s THAT good!

And there you have it, our tour is complete! If a mix of natural beauty, historic architecture, and a dash of timeless celebration is on your wedding wish list, Old Mill Toronto ticks all the boxes.

And for capturing every moment that matters, look no further!

I pride myself on creating a fun and relaxed vibe that allows any couple comfortable in front of the camera.

I’d love to hear more about your wedding and see if I’m a great fit for you and your partner. Reach out using the link below to get things started!