The Eglinton Grand

I am reviewing the Eglinton Grand as its potential for a wedding venue after a site visit.
First of all, this is a very unique and beautiful venue! It has a very old hollywood vibe about it. When renting, the entire facility is booked for you, so there are no other events happening at the same time or on the same date. Loved the coordinator here, while her approach was a bit more casual, she was incredibly knowledgeable and very helpful.
Right off the bat, I found a pretty major issue. The venue isn’t exactly accessible. We have some immediate family with severe mobility issues. When you enter the main venue, you go down some stairs and then there’s a set and a half of stairs going up. They do have one of those motorized chairs that goes up the side of the stairs for people who can’t get up them, but with multiple people with mobility issues, that was going to be an issue. As well, I would feel very badly putting people with mobility issues on display or have a spotlight put on them because they would all be waiting for this chair to be free when arriving.
To add to that, the ceremony space has an entirely separate entrance and its own set of stairs. The separate entrance part really threw me for a loop and it was the one thing I really disliked about this venue. Your guests arrive for the ceremony and have to enter a few doors down from the main venue (the main venue has that beautiful marquee and is very clearly marked). And then your guests have to go back out that door, down the street and then enter the main venue. I didn’t particularly like this at all — if the weather is inclement, the guests will have to go back out into nasty weather to get to the actual venue. This part felt very disjointed about the venue.
Otherwise, the venue has a lot of great features, like a huge screen for playing movies on, a really nice lounge at the back of the space for cocktail hour with curtains that will dramatically open onto your reception space. There’s surround sound in this area so that people sitting away from the dance floor can still hear the music, but it can be turned down. A downside is no parking at this venue, so you’re at the mercy of street parking or Green P (there’s one just down the block).
One of the dealbreakers for me was the venue rental fee. If you have enough guests, this fee is reduced (or waived) but if not, it really adds up quickly. This venue would have been in budget if it weren’t for the $ 4000 room rental fee tacked on top.
Overall, a very nice venue for a wedding but just not for us!

If you’re looking for that old feel — for uniqueness — then this is the place.
The kitchen also does an excellent job. Well worth it.

Great place to have a wedding. I have been to their bridal open houses where it features some of their in house vendors. Their bar set up is stunning. Lounge area is modern and sophisticated.
Stage area is large. Dance floor is is a dark brown hardwood/​laminate. Rest is carpeted. Lobby has a large piano. Beautiful venue.
The cons is the parking is difficult to find. And the outside of the venue does not look very posh. The first time I passed by my fiancé had thought it looked a bit sketchy so we did not end up going in to inquire lol
However recently we were invited to their bridal open house, they featured their in house hor d’oeuvres which was amazing. Their beef Tataki– awesome! Service was great too.

Beautiful place for a wedding. This old theater is rejuvenated to its former glory plus some sparkle and embellishments. Be prepared for a grand night of dancing and celebrating the bride and groom in style!
We attended a wedding in January 2015 at the eglinton grand. They had two ceremonies, one was traditional indian and the other canadian themed. The old theater is gorgeous and full of ambiance. I love how they have the wedding couples name listed on the exterior building theater sign which was previously used to list movies when the facility was as a traditional theater.
Complaint #1: The ladies bathroom was freezing cold. I noticed this same cold potty problem when I attended a chinese wedding in 2010 at the eglinton
Complaint#2: Lack of seating on upper level where coffee break and cocktail hour were hosted
Here is a break down of the food which was all arranged by the eglinton grand.
Coffee Break: Between the ceremonies there was a coffee and cake break. I was lucky enough to try all 4 cakes and 2 pastries. Each cake was declious and I would order them again. The pastries on the other hand were bland and not my favourite — definitely not a repeat.
Cocktail hour: The house white wine and signature drink were excellent! To compliment the drinks, they had pulled pork sliders which were topped with a chucky coleslaw (yummy), chicken tandoori skewers (which were full of flavour but too spicy for my liking) and my favourite was the beef wellington bites with a gravy sauce.
Dinner: Started with a yummy salad and pasta was fantastic. I asked for more pasta, however my request was completely ignored!!! The chicken and steak, the carnivore special plate was ok. I wasn’t too impressed with the meat plate

What a unique place to have as your wedding or event venue! I wish there was something like this in Vancouver.
Customize your event name on the theatre awning above the doors! Put a poster of the happy couple where the movie posters usually are inserted! Actually play your favorite movie (silently and in black and white) between speeches and when people are eating and chatting away! Wisk the crowd up to the balcony for drinks and appetizers while you re-​make the room from a place of ceremony to a dining hall, then open up the balcony curtains and allow the crowd to look down at the couple having their first dance on the floor! All these things make for an über cool venue.
Minus one star because the sound system is a little shoddy.

Like the last reviewer I agree that the parking to the Grand is a bit of a mess but that’s what was built around the Grand in the years past and present. The theatre itself is beautiful with a great antique interior and the outside appeal being there at the signage and entrance. This is a good place.

Came here for a winter wedding and I have to admit, looked alright on the outside. This is a classic case of «don’t judge the book by its cover!
They put my friend’s name «up in the lights» which was a great way to greet people (and also to make those driving by aware that «hey…the wedding is HERE!!»
When you walk inside you feel as if you are being taken back to the old black-​and-​white movie era. You can tell that this was an old movie theatre due to its high ceilings and almost cavernous feeling.
We had drinks in the «upper» area of the theatre as the happy couple was getting their photos done. There could have been a bit more seating upstairs since everyone was getting a bit tired and wanted to get dinner going.
Inside is a very beautiful art deco place for holding events and they stuck with that theme right down to the «EXIT» signs. It was very very classy and classic all at the same time without being overbearing.
Sound quality was also very good. The music being played sounded fine and didn’t have to worry about too much of an echo effect.
There were about 15 tables of 10 at this place and we still had a huge dance floor to get your groove on as well.
Just to let you know that parking can be a bit tricky in this area as it is ALWAYS busy. They have Green P and street available, but no actual facility parking. If you are the bride/​groom, they have the front area for you to be dropped off at, but as for leaving the car, well, that’s the chauffeur’s issue!