69% of married couples felt ‘pressured’ to blow past wedding budget: survey

CONSUMER 69% of married couples felt ‘pressured’ to blow past wedding budget: survey By Adriana Fallico Global News Posted August 21, 2026 3:04 pm 2 min read View image in full screen FILE -- A small wedding cake is seen with a bride and groom in the background in this undated photo. Getty Images LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE The cost of tying the knot is exceeding many Canadian couples’ wedding budgets, a new Wealthsimple survey suggests. Sixty-nine per cent of married couples surveyed said they “felt pressured to spend more than they were comfortable with.” More than 1,200 people were surveyed regarding the costs of weddings, including those who paid for their own or turned up for someone else’s. Thirty-eight per cent of couples say they were “roughly on budget” with their spending, 41 per cent said they were “somewhat over budget” and 14 per cent were “very over [their] budget.” In comparison, six per cent of couples said they spent “somewhat under budget” and just one per cent reported spending “very under budget.” On average, surveyed couples budgeted to spend $15,000, most of which came from personal savings. Yet, many couples’ final bill came to $25,000 — around 70 per cent higher. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT The survey calls that $25,000 spending a “midpoint,” as across respondents, the bill “ran closer to $37,000 because of a small number of very expensive weddings.” Get daily Ottawa news Get daily Ottawa news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. SIGN UP FOR DAILY OTTAWA NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. Many couples turned to secondary funding as a result, with 28 per cent relying on family, 26 per cent using a credit card and nine taking out a line of credit. 4:47 Wedding hacks: Save money with these DIY options for tablecloths, flowers, decor and more! Stick to the Facts Add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. Nearly a third (32 per cent) of newlyweds stated that “money became a point of tension with their family and friends as they planned their wedding.” MORE ON CONSUMER MORE VIDEOS City of Edmonton considering return of controversial calcium chloride Trump to temporarily lower…