Special event permit - Ontario

LCBO has a Special Event Permit with a charge to pay and you can present that at the store once printed. I believe there are some restrictions when you do come across reading it closely.

They will put a special number on the alcohol you buy with a sticker. Any unbroken stickers can be returned. No alcohol will be permitted at the venue without that sticker which will match your permit. I'm not sure they would put the sticker on each bottle that you buy if you buy it slowly over the next year....I believe it all has to be bought at once.

View quoted message Not sure what you mean by venue registering. If the venue is serving its own alcohol that you pay for, then they'll be licensed and you don't have to do anything. But an event venue doesn't have to be licensed to serve alcohol (for example, community centres). In that case, it's up to the event host to obtain a Special Occasion Permit and hire licensed bar staff to serve the drinks.


I would still suggest you wait until closer to the wedding to buy the alcohol. You can return unopened alcohol that you purchase via the SOP back to the LCBO within 30 days. If you buy something now that no one touches at the wedding, you're stuck with it. Just save the cash that you intend to buy alcohol with in a piggy bank or locked account until when you pick everything up. And if heaven forbid you need to dip into the funds, you probably much rather have the cash to take care of life's situations than a bunch of bottles of booze lying around.

View quoted message We have a venue, so should they not be registered for by-law....


Not everyone has money just sitting around, so we want to shop slowly so we can still afford to live. Unfortunately times are difficult with COVID-19.

Per the AGCO:

When to apply

Permit applications for Private Events must be submitted at least 10 days before the event takes place.

For outdoor events, the permit holder must write to the local municipality, police, and fire and health departments notifying them of the event. The building department must be notified as well if a tent, marquee, pavilion or tiered seating is used.

This notification must be provided at least 30 days before the event takes place if fewer than 5,000 people per day are expected to attend the event, or at least 60 days before the event takes place if 5,000 people per day or more are expected to attend the event.

For outdoor events, you must submit a sketch showing the dimensions (size) of the proposed permit area and the location of any tiered seating.

Any particular reason you want to hang on to alcohol for a year in advance? I know most alcohol doesn't go bad or expire, but why have it sitting in your house for that long as opposed to grabbing it the week or month of the wedding when (hopefully) the stores are less chaotic and there are restrictions with in-store shopping.

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Awesome.

Let me know how you get on

👊🏽

View quoted message Absolutely, thanks so much!

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Yeah, chicken or the egg, right.

Making the application, which is quite easy, will get you your answer.

And, as my contact was saying, there's no "too early" for these permits.

Make sense?

View quoted message No there is just limited information 😩

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Has someone told you you cannot?

View quoted message Even for a 2022 wedding??

Hey, Caitlyn.
Look at this link -> here

You can apply. I reached out to a friend and they are making applications early - there is no "too early".

Reason being there is a back-log for processing. So, best be to start now, IMHO.

Let me know how you get on!