People in Ontario are ditching fancy weddings just to afford a home

For many adults in Ontario, there comes a fork in the road where they feel forced to choose between the wedding they want and the home they need. A new survey shows that a staggering number of Ontario couples would rather have the latter.

And it's not just folks in this province who are feeling the heat.

A new survey from Royal LePage suggests many couples across Canada are willing to skip an expensive wedding so they can afford to purchase a home. 

The Canadian real estate company surveyed people in various provinces, and, surprisingly, 46 per cent of people in Ontario admitted they would "definitely" ditch a fancy wedding and instead put that money toward a down payment on a home. Meanwhile, 40 percent answered "maybe."

Royal LePage 

The Ontario market has slowly cooled since its 2022 peak, and it's especially evident in Toronto, where prices have taken a nosedive in April 2026. The average home is down from $1,144,517 to now $1,091,761, but anyone with student loans or credit card debt, and without a membership to The Bank of Mom and Dad will tell you that that's still too damn high.

Ontario couples who are already married were also included in the survey. When asked if they should have scaled back on or ditched their big, expensive wedding altogether, a shocking 58 per cent admitted either "yes, definitely" or "yes, maybe." 

Royal LePage 

It looks like couples have regrets about their toasters and fancy China plates, too. Another 56 per cent of married Ontario couples said they wish they had just asked for money to put towards a home purchase instead of traditional wedding gifts. Only 13 per cent said they did, in fact, request money for a home at their wedding. 

According to a 2025 global report, the average Canadian wedding costs between $30,000 to $42,000, but can balloon up to around $75,000 in a city like Toronto, depending on the venue and guest count. 

Say you found your dream home somewhere in Ontario, priced at $800,000. You'd need $55,000 for the down payment, according to the government's calculations. I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend a big chunk of money on something that would appreciate over time versus dropping that much dough on a one-night-only party. 

But at the end of the day, there's no right or wrong answer here, and if this survey tells you anything, it's that you're not alone in the endless battle between rings and real estate.

You can view the full survey on Royal LePage's website.