Total budget → category allocations using the Canadian wedding-industry data: Wedding Wire 2024 Canadian Newlywed Report and Real Weddings Magazine 2024 survey.
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Recommended allocation
$30,000total budget
Venue + catering: $14,400 · 48 %
Photo + video: $3,600 · 12 %
Attire (both partners): $2,400 · 8 %
Flowers + decór: $2,400 · 8 %
Music / DJ / band: $2,400 · 8 %
Wedding rings: $1,200 · 4 %
Officiant + paperwork: $600 · 2 %
Stationery + printing: $600 · 2 %
Cake + dessert: $600 · 2 %
Hair + makeup: $600 · 2 %
Transport: $600 · 2 %
Buffer / unexpected: $600 · 2 %
Allocation percentages from Wedding Wire’s 2024 Canadian Newlywed Report and Real Weddings Magazine’s annual Cost of Weddings in Canada survey (2024). Average wedding spend in Canada in 2024 was about $30,000, varying widely by city — Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal trend higher; smaller centres and intimate weddings lower. These percentages are starting points; couples often shift dollars from flowers to photography or from venue to honeymoon based on priorities.
Why split a budget this way
Most couples don’t know what proportion of their budget should go where, and end up overspending in one category and feeling cheap in another. Starting from industry-average allocations gives you a baseline you can adjust. The biggest single leverage point is guest count — every 10 guests cut is roughly $1,500–$2,500 saved at typical Canadian per-head pricing.
Where surveys differ
Wedding Wire skews younger and slightly more urban; The Knot includes US data; Real Weddings Magazine is the most Canadian-focused. Numbers across surveys agree on broad shape: venue + catering dominates, followed by photo/video, attire, flowers, and music. The 4 % for rings, 2 % for officiant and 2 % for transportation are stable across all sources.
What this calculator doesn’t cover
Engagement ring (separate purchase, $4,000–$8,000 typical), honeymoon ($4,000–$10,000+), pre-wedding events (engagement party, bachelor/bachelorette, rehearsal dinner — often another $3,000–$5,000), and the “hidden” costs: dress alterations, hair and makeup trials, postage, taxes and tips. Add roughly 10–15 % to the headline number for a realistic all-in cost.
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