It's nearly fall, which means wedding season is close to wrapping up, and many budget-conscious Canadians are probably secretly thankful for the break from Saturday RSVPs and gift registries.
But if you're one of the newly engaged planning your own big day, or you've just spent a summer hopping between other people's weddings, a new survey from Wealthsimple has some numbers worth knowing, especially if you live in Quebec.
The survey polled 2,083 Wealthsimple clients across Canada in July, including 682 in Quebec, covering recent newlyweds, guests, wedding-party members, newly engaged couples, and people who've put off marrying because of the cost. And the results suggest Quebec is now the province where weddings don't break the bank the way they do everywhere else.
Quebec couples spend way less than the rest of the country
Nationally, the typical couple budgets $15,000 for their wedding and ends up spending $25,000, about 70% more than planned. The average, pulled up by a handful of especially expensive weddings, lands closer to $37,000.
The cost in Quebec is not as steep. According to the results, the median wedding among recently married Quebec couples falls in the $10,000 to $19,999 range, a full tier below the rest of Canada, where the median sits at $20,000 to $29,999. Nearly half of Quebec couples (47%) spent under $10,000 on their wedding, roughly double the national rate of 23%. And 72% of Quebec couples kept the whole thing under $20,000, compared to just 37% elsewhere.
Quebec couples are also far better at sticking to whatever budget they set. Only 38% went over budget, compared to 58% in the rest of Canada, and just 53% felt pressured to spend beyond their comfort zone, versus 72% nationally.
A lack of wedding debt (and regret)
Just 3% of married Quebec couples are still paying off wedding debt, compared to 16% in the rest of Canada. Regret is rare too: only 3% of Quebec couples wish they'd spent differently, while 88% feel comfortable with or proud of what they spent. Nationally, regret sits at 14%, with comfort or pride at 74%.
Part of that comes down to how couples pay for things in the first place. Quebec couples lean less on debt overall: 19% used a credit card and just 3% used a line of credit, compared to 28% and 10% nationally. A third of Quebec couples, 34%, also opted for a micro-wedding of fewer than 25 guests, well above the national rate of 20%.
What it costs to be a guest in Quebec
Weddings aren't just expensive for the couple. Guests and wedding-party members feel it too, though Quebec guests seem to feel it less. About 32% of Quebec guests have turned down a wedding or related event because of the cost, compared to 37% nationally, and only 7% have gone into debt to attend, versus 16% elsewhere.
Cost still adds up fast, though. Nationally, 22% of guests spent more than $1,000 attending a single wedding, and for wedding-party members, that climbs even further: 39% spent at least $2,000. Quebec's numbers run a bit lower on both counts, with 19% of guests topping $1,000 and 37% of wedding-party members hitting the $2,000 mark.
Quebec's cheap-wedding streak might not last
While 72% of recently married Quebec couples kept their wedding under $20,000, only 56% of newly engaged Quebecers expect to pull that off. The share of Quebecers bracing to spend $20,000 or more has nearly doubled, from 25% among recent newlyweds to 40% among the newly engaged.
It's still a better outlook than the rest of Canada, where the newly engaged typical couple expects to spend around $25,000.
The survey also captured people who've delayed or skipped marriage altogether, and cost is a major factor. Among Quebecers who've put off or decided against marrying, 96% say cost played a significant role, and for 54%, it's the main reason, notably higher than the national rate of 36%. Still, the desire to get married hasn't disappeared: nationally, 68% said they'd tie the knot if money weren't an issue.
For now, at least, Quebec remains the province where couples spend less, stick closer to their budgets, and walk away happier with the bill.
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