Someone just got married at a Toronto dive bar
There are plenty of splashy venues for getting hitched in Toronto, but many of them require a reservation months or even years in advance, and booking fees can amount to thousands of dollars.
So, when one couple found themselves wanting to tie the knot but without the resources to do it at a more conventional venue, the groom simply reached out to the local bar where he’s been a regular since it opened.
The result was a totally unique wedding ceremony that took place at Penny’s Bar on what would have normally been a sleepy Sunday evening.
Ian Vaisive and Ai Yamada originally had planned to get married in High Park and have their friends “cater the reception” with a potluck picnic.
Afraid to rely on the recent stormy weather and having heard that High Park doesn’t look too kindly to being used as a makeshift wedding venue, Vaisive made an inquiry at Penny’s.
Penny’s bartenders were asked to do the decorating less than two weeks before the ceremony.
Their hurried decor, inspired and obtained from the likes of Walmart, Dollarama, Amazon Prime and Pinterest, was supplemented by 30 lotus tea light decorations handmade by Yamada.
Apparently friends still came through with the potluck dinner for food, the Caesars were flowing and a friend DJ’d.
The pair weren’t in such a rush to get married for purely romantic reasons. Yamada has to head back to Japan soon, and it’ll be a while until she gets back, so there was no time to waste.
