The City of Toronto is inviting LGBTQ couples from around the world to get married at Casa Loma free of charge during a mass wedding at World Pride this summer.
About 200 couples will be able to tie the knot at the June 26 wedding, dubbed the Celebration of Love, which will take place on the second day of the 10-day World Pride event.
During a news conference on Monday morning, Toronto city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and deputy mayor Norm Kelly screened a promotional video for the upcoming nuptials.
“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity… for couples who are travelling to Toronto who may be coming from other places where if you were LGBTQ or two-spirited you would not be welcome, you would not be loved and certainly your country and your city would not permit you to get married,” she said.
“I think that we have a spectacular opportunity this June… to open our doors of Toronto and to roll out the rainbow carpet.”
Wong-Tam said she hopes the event will be the biggest international LGBTQ wedding in history.
The average Canadian wedding is estimated to cost approximately $15,000, and the city councillor said she hopes the event will also help to reduce some of the financial barriers for couples who want to get married.
“Not only are you dealing with the stigma of being gay or lesbian in certain places that you may be travelling from but also the fact that it can be very costly,” she said.
“What we are hoping to do is to create a very elegant wedding. That is why we have chosen the most spectacular wedding venue in the city to host the event.”
The wedding itinerary includes red carpet photographs, welcome cocktails, a ceremony, and reception with dinner and dancing.
The bill for the mass wedding will be footed by the city’s corporate partners Casa Loma and Liberty Entertainment.
Guest tickets can be purchased for $45 plus tax.
For more information on the Celebration of Love, go to www.prideweddingtoronto.com.
