Nearly half in Sask., Man. would skip or scale back weddings to buy homes: survey

A new survey found half of respondents in the prairies would skip the wedding in order to buy their first home

Nearly half of people surveyed in Saskatchewan and Manitoba say they would skip having a wedding or scale back their plans in hopes of buying a home, according to a new survey by real estate company Royal LePage.

For those in Saskatoon currently planning their big day, it’s a decision they know all too well.

“We are thinking of a smaller wedding, like max a hundred people, or just eloping, just because we actually don’t own a house yet and things are expensive out there, especially in the wedding industry,” said bride-to-be Cassie Mireau.

Others told CTV News they understand why more couples are choosing to scale back their wedding plans.

“We already own a house. Luckily, we lived with our parents for a long time, but I definitely understand why people are choosing to do a smaller wedding because it’s crazy expensive,” explained bride-to-be Jenna Isley.

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Wedding planning platform Your Wedding Atlas estimates the average cost of a wedding in Canada is about $32,000.

Ari Avivi, a civil marriage commissioner, said he’s seeing more elopements, with couples focusing on everyday costs rather than large ceremonies.

“I have a lot more couples just come to my house and we sign on the kitchen table, and then they’re going off to a destination, or they’ll get around to doing a wedding, but right now they’re more focused on the day-to-day stuff,” he said.

Royal LePage said of the approximately 1,700 adults surveyed across the country, 48 per cent of respondents in Saskatchewan and Manitoba said they would skip having a wedding or scale back their plans in order to buy a home.

Leah Graham, a Regina real estate agent, said it’s a trend she’s noticing, as limited housing inventory leads to bidding wars and higher-than-expected costs for home buyers.

“They’re pushing the wedding date off to a further date, looking at purchasing the home first, and the down payment is the funds they had saved for their wedding,” Graham said.

She said it also has to do with buyers’ changing priorities.

“Traditionally you start off small and you get a condo or you would get a small home that needs repairs.”

Graham says with renovation and repair costs adding up, many buyers now see more value in a home they can stay in long-term. For some couples, that means putting homeownership ahead of a big wedding.