NorthPeak True Cost · Episode 3
The average Canadian wedding runs $30,000–$42,000 — and in Toronto, $65,800. Build your own itemized budget below: venue, catering per head, photography, video and every extra, low-to-high.
The video
This calculator is the companion to Episode 3 of the NorthPeak True Cost series — the one that takes the headline averages apart, line by line.
“The REAL cost of a wedding in Ontario? $30,000–$42,000 — and in Toronto, $65,800.” — Episode 3 hook, NorthPeak True Cost
Canadian budget guidance commonly places venue, food and drinks at roughly 40–50% of a typical wedding budget (Money.ca). Because most of it is charged per person, the guest list is the single most powerful lever — before you cut a single vendor.
Venue rates of $8,000–$15,000 skew highest for peak-season Saturdays. Comparing Friday, Sunday or winter dates with your preferred Saturday is one of the fastest ways to move the venue line down without changing the venue.
At $3,500–$6,000 for photography plus $3,000–$5,000 for video, the two together can rival the attire and décor budgets combined. Decide whether you want a highlight film, full-day coverage, or neither — and compare deliverables (hours, edited photos, raw footage) line by line.
Ask every venue and vendor for a fully loaded per-person or flat total: rentals, service charges, HST, delivery, setup, teardown, overtime, corkage and vendor meals. Quotes routinely exclude several of these — the included 5–10% contingency exists for exactly that reason.
Free checklist
A one-page printable checklist: every budget line from the video, the three hidden costs, and the quote-comparison questions that catch missing charges — free.
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A commonly cited planning range is about C$30,000–C$42,000, but location, guest count and style can move the total far outside it. Whether rings and the honeymoon are counted also changes the comparison.
Toronto averages about $65,800, per WeddingWire data reported by Insurance Business — well above the national planning range, driven by venue and catering prices.
Venue, food and drinks are usually the largest combined line, commonly about 40–50% of a typical budget. Because most of it is charged per person, guest count is the most powerful budget lever.
Our 2026 planning model uses $100–$250+ per head depending on package level, from a lean per-person package to an elevated banquet service.
Photography runs about $3,500–$6,000 for standard coverage, and videography adds roughly $3,000–$5,000 more, in our 2026 Ontario planning ranges.
Trim the guest list first — every head is $100–$250+ of catering — then compare off-peak dates, and protect the two or three categories you value most instead of cutting every line equally.
Pricing checked October 2026. Ranges are rounded planning estimates, not quotes.