Wedding costs in Canada average $30,000 to $42,000. Of course, the price of a wedding varies by city, guest count, theme and venue.
For example, the average cost of a Toronto wedding could easily double that of Atlantic Canada.
In the last year, wedding prices have surged dramatically in tandem with geopolitical trade wars and increased oil prices.
CTV news featured the story of Canadian couple Jessica Korchowiec and Kai Helsdon in their bumpy journey to stay on budget for their wedding.
The two began the wedding planning process in 2024, when they meticulously bugeted for a $25,000 day. But since then, the cost of everything from flowers to fuel have surged to such an extent, their September 5th, 2026 wedding ended up costing $40,000.
“I wasn’t expecting a house wedding to be so expensive. I thought that I had the power to do things cheaper,” Korchowiec told CTV News.
Why are weddings so expensive?
High wedding costs seems self-explanatory. But if you haven’t been married or worked in the wedding industry, you would be amazed by the hidden and obscure costs.
According to Statistics Canada, hosting and attending a wedding have climbed in cost over the last year.
Venue prices for alcoholic drinks jumped 3.3% year-over-year last June and rose another 3.5% sincde then this June. That is a 6.9% increase in total.
Events companies and other business that transport/import products have also been forced to increase prices due to high fuel costs.
Statistics Canada’s Industrial Product Price Index shows producer prices for diesel fuel were 75% higher in August 2026 than in August 2025 (CTV News).
To be clear, that number does not pertain to gas station prices. It reflects costs for companies that depend on trucking and deliveries to secure products.
On that same thread, gasoline prices were 22.8% more in August 2026 than in August 2025. Air carrier prices aslo rose 15% within the same timeframe.
“There’s that ripple effect of everything. Fuel costs go up, which means delivery fees are going up, then wedding fees are going up,” Toronto wedding planner Trevor Frankfort explained to CTV News.
“Getting all of the product for the wedding has now become so much more expensive than it was last summer.”
Frankfort reported needing to have having more conversations with clients about budget and cutting costs.
“Are they willing to go with a cheaper venue, even though it’s not all the glitz and glamor? Or do they need to scale back on food quality or guests? Where are they making those compromises?” he stated.
“Guest count is the biggest hurdle these days because everybody wants to invite everybody, but it’s the easiest way to reduce the cost of your wedding, but keeping it elevated still.”
Higher costs for flowers and flights
“The majority of flowers in Canada are shipped from South America, from Europe, from Asia,” wedding planner Roxy Zapala of Art of Celebrations told CTV News.
“There are some homegrown florals, but a lot of them are shipped, so when the gas prices go up, the price of flowers start to skyrocket. When we’re talking about things like a single bouquet, maybe the price goes up by $5 and $10.”
Couples planning destination weddings and guests coming in from out of town are also faced with more expensive travel and accomodation prices.
In June 2026, traveller-accommodation prices sat 10.1% higher, on a national level, than in June 2025. Overall organized travel and tour packages surged by 26.1% year-over-year.
The increase was even larger in Ontario, at 19.4 per cent although Statistics Canada said the provincial jump was driven in part by higher demand in Toronto during the FIFA World Cup.
“All of those things are affected. It’s like a ripple effect, and all of a sudden everything becomes so much more expensive,” added Zapala. “So maybe guests are declining coming to multiple weddings and only choosing to go to one or two for the year.”
Micro-weddings are making a splash
Humans are built to adapt and Canadians are making the sacrifices needed to pull of their special day.
Destination weddings are a lot less common whereas micro-weddings are sliding into the spotlightl.
In an interview with CTV News, Tracey Manailescu with the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada said “Micro-weddings have an average guest count of 20 to 50 (people) and that’s just their favorite people.”
“They’re must-have people, like friends and family. So maybe you’re going to a restaurant, maybe you’re having a really particular winery or venue that you really want to have this beautiful, elegant setting. Or maybe it could be in your backyard and just downsizing it but upgrading on the florals or upgrading on the things that are really important to them,” she added.
Manailescu says micro-weddings became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since returned as a money-saving trend.
“Then that money that we’re saving, let’s put it towards our house, let’s put it towards our honeymoon, and let’s go to Europe for a month, as opposed to let’s go a week somewhere else and let it go.”
A solid financial plan = a wedding plan
As wedding costs increase, so does the determination of Canadian couples to make it work.
The way we plan for important life events always shifts based on economic landscape, cultural values and personal beleifs.
What we think of as the typical wedding could look a lot different in a year: Less extravagance, guests, home-made wedding cakes, minimal flowers, etc.
At the same time, the way we save and grow our finances to fulfill our goals can also change dramatically in a year.
Even in times of less economic prosperity, you have the power to build your financial security and prioritize milestones the way you envision.
We recommend speaking with a trusted financial professional to develop a plan that will bring your wedding dreams to life.
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