It seems like there’s always a new wedding statistic floating around. But more often than not, the stat is based on old data from the US or UK. So how do Canadian weddings stack up?
And what does your wedding look like in comparison to the rest of Canada? Are you following the norms or striking out on your own? There’s no right answer but it’s always interesting to see which way our country is heading down the aisle.
The following stats are from studies conducted between 2015 and 2017. All of the answers are based on Canadian weddings (sources below).
Budgets
The average Canadian wedding and honeymoon costs $30,717 (2015). Here’s the breakdown: venue for $8,798, catering for $6,877, a band for $3,848, photography for $2,435 and the rehearsal dinner for $1,935.
14% of couples say they are willing to spend more than $20,000 on their wedding
31% of couples went over their initial budget
61% of couples are paying for their wedding themselves while 39% are hitting up the Bank of Mom & Dad
85% of Canadians surveyed say wedding spending is out of control
Engagement
20% of all engagements happen in December
The average cost of an engagement ring is $4,700
29% of brides have their engagement ring picked out before the proposal and 60% are involved in helping to pick out their own ring (either before or after the proposal)
17% of couples report more bickering since getting engaged (sad, but understandable given that you’re dealing with finances and families)
Pre-Wedding
40% of brides think signing a pre-nuptial agreement is a good idea
Brides spend an average of 4.4 hours per week reading wedding-related material
40% of brides-to-be think pre-wedding events (bachelor/bachelorette, shower, etc.) are just as important as the wedding day
The Dress
75% of brides would consider a pre-owned dress as long as it was their style
30% of brides contemplate a coloured, non-white dress (go for it, ladies!)
The average cost of a wedding dress in Canada is $1,779
Wedding Day
Picture courtesy of Smart Courses
25% of weddings held from November to April are destination weddings overseas. Overall, 14% of Canadian weddings are destination weddings.
23% of weddings occur in August
The average number of wedding guests is 129
40% of couples create their own wedding day hashtag
The average age of a Canadian couple tying the knot is 30 years old
Wedding Party
Picture courtesy of Smart Courses
The average cost of being a bridesmaid or groomsmen in a wedding party is $366
19% of bridesmaids spend between $500 and $999 to be in a wedding
11% of bridesmaids have spent more than $1,000!
Wedding Gifts
The average cost of an “acceptable” wedding gift is $147
51% of respondents believe you should spend between $100 – $199 on a wedding gift
83% believe they spent the right amount
15% have lied about how much they spent on a wedding gift
Controversially, Yahoo Finance reports the average wedding gift cost for one person attending is $252.94 and $336.53 for a couple attending
Honeymoon
The Bahamas is the most popular honeymoon destination for the 6th year in a row
1/3 of respondents were planning a honeymoon that involved adventure travel
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Sources: http://globalnews.ca/news/3559608/how-much-do-canadians-spend-on-weddings-the-cost-breakdown-will-surprise-you/, http://www.slice.ca/weddings/photos/canadian-wedding-facts/#!8070ab518e0415917ed48f6269f01f18, http://notable.ca/2015-stats-everything-youve-ever-wanted-to-know-about-weddings-in-canada/, http://globalnews.ca/news/2553299/wedding-planning-by-the-numbers-how-much-couples-are-spending-and-on-what/
written by Riana Ang-Canning
How does your wedding compare with Canadian averages?
Which one of these wedding numbers shocked you the most?
Riana Ang-Canning has been working with Young Hip & Married since 2017. She is a professional content writer with experience in travel, lifestyle and weddings. Riana not only writes Young Hip & Married blog posts but is also involved with the company's internal communications, social media, copywriting and more. She knows YHM, and the wedding world, inside and out!
