Wedding Cost In Winnipeg

 

Wedding Budget

The average wedding cost in Winnipeg is $35,000 and nearly 50% of that will go towards your venue, catering, and liquor tab. Furthermore, according to Statista, the average wedding in Canada cost $42,400 in 2017.

With that said the average multi-day Indian wedding that I photograph is around $70,000. However, I have photographed weddings near $200,000 in Winnipeg as well.

In comparison to the United States, the national average was $33,391 according to a 2017 survey done by The Knot. An average wedding in a large metropolitan city like Los Angles is $44,142. Furthermore, The USA is also the leading country that spends the most on weddings as a 2019 statistic states.

 

Winnipeg Wedding Budget And Costs

 

First off you need to know how much you’ll have to spend. Your savings and any help from relatives should be written down first.

Wedding Social

Now after that you’ll want to know if you can raise any cash through a “social”. This is an event that’s only unique to Winnipegers. A social is a party thrown by the newly engaged where guests can drink, party, and win prizes through raffle tickets.

The money raised with a Social Party can be quite significant and can contribute to your wedding budget. An average guest count of 140 people can raise approximately $10,000. That’s an average of $71 spent per person on raffle tickets, entry, and alcohol.

Here are some comments from people who’ve had a social just recently. You can tap the slideshow to pause it for easier reading.

Expenses

Next, we’ll have to deduct the expenses of running a social which is usually around $3500.

Write down the total amount of money you have to start with.

Presentation Funds

After that, you’ll have to see how many guests you’ll have at your wedding. Each guest should give you a conservative amount of $150 in presentation funds.

Pre-Wedding Funds

You should get a rough idea of all the cash you’ll have available to spend towards your wedding.

For example an average wedding with a guest list of 140 people.

Savings                          $15,000
Social                             $10,000 – ( expenses ) $3500 = $6500

Total pre-wedding + $21,000

Post-Wedding Funds

Presentation Funds    $21,000 ( 140 x $150 )

*Be careful with this number as it depends on your network because I’ve seen this number lower too. It’s only available after the wedding and most vendors need to be paid off before the wedding. So in most cases, it could be used to pay off wedding debt.

Your total Winnipeg wedding budget for this scenario would be $46,000.

I have some great tips on saving costs for weddings to make your wedding budget go a long way.

To have an open bar or not to have an open bar? That is the question.

If you think you’ll raise some more cash by having a cash bar think again. Yes, some people will buy drinks but it will kind of kill the buzz at your wedding, literally. The counter effect of having a cash bar is that people will give you less presentation money. Which results in a smaller wedding budget for you and ends up backfiring.

So keep the bar open and have people worry less about going to the atm at your venue.

Average Wedding Cost In Winnipeg

To figure out what an average wedding cost is in Winnipeg we’ll look at individual vendors. All weddings are different and with the number of guests this will vary.

 

The Venue

Average Cost:

Just for the open space, you’re looking at roughly $2000-$5000. Moreover, if you’re looking at the venue handling all catering and drinks it’s between $20,000-$30,000.

When To Book:

12-24 months in advance.

You can see more venues that we’ve shot over the years here.

 

Photographers

Average Cost:

$3,000-$4500 (1-day weddings in Winnipeg )

A professional photographer for a 1 day wedding can range from $3,000 to $10,000 depending on the wedding type. For example, Indian weddings can be week-long and have sometimes up to 800 guests. This results in more hours of coverage and larger wedding albums. The amount of hours, service, prints, albums and wall art will reflect what you’re going to pay.

The occasional client who wants a lot of products and full service spend around $5,500-$12,000. Premium Wall Art and Albums are an investment for your future grandchildren to see. A lot of consumer store-bought products won’t last longer than your lifetime and often a lot less.

When To Book:

12-24 Months

If you have a favorite photographer don’t hesitate to inquire at least 1 to 2 years. For instance here at Singh photography we can be and are booked sometimes two years in advance.

Photographers are artists and they can’t duplicate themselves, so that’s why it’s important to get them fast.

How Much Do Weddings Cost

 

Wedding Planners

Average Cost:

An average cost for your wedding planner can be around $2,200 according to Wedding Wire’s 2021 report. The cost can range from $1,200-$4,000+ depending on the amount of service you require.

For big Indian weddings I’ve seen costs around $10,000 so please do your own research as prices really do vary depending one experience and what you require.

Most planners also have an hourly consultation rate as well.

When To Book:

Wedding planners usually have a large team and can do multiple weddings on the weekend. Therefore I put them third on the list and should be booked 12-18 months in advance.

 

Average Wedding Cost In Winnipeg

 

Videographers

Average Cost:

A good videographer will run you between $3000-$6000, just as much as a photographer, and is very valuable. For instance, the photographs can be seen every day on your walls and in albums. However, the video can replay the sounds and emotions giving you a different experience of your day. My couples love watching their wedding highlights once a year, and I recommend getting one.

Videographers for Indian weddings can cost between $6,000-$15,000, just as much as a photographer.

When To Book:

A good videographer should be booked just as early as a photographer. Because they are artists as well, I recommend booking them 12-24 months in advance.

My Wedding Budget

 

Florists

Average Cost:

The average cost of wedding flowers all depends on how extravagant your wedding is. Because with every tabletop piece or bridesmaid the costs go up. I had one bride who spent $9,000 with her florists. That was a luxury wedding at the Human Rights Museum.

With that said, florists cost on average $2,000+

When To Book:

Florists need a heads up and you should book them 12-18 months in advance.

 

Linen Companies

There aren’t a ton of options in Winnipeg so book your linen company in advance.

Average Cost:

$15-$25 per linen, depending on fabric and size.

When To Book:

6-12 months in advance

Winnipeg Wedding budget

 

Furniture Rentals

If you’re having a tent wedding you’ll need a lot of furniture and with the high demand for certain items, I would get in touch as soon as I booked the tent/location. Therefore, furniture would be booked very early on your booking list.

Average Cost:

The average wedding cost in Winnipeg for your chairs range from $2-$15 and $50-$150 for lounge furniture. Also, the delivery fees can be $50-$150 depending on how far your venue is. On top of that, there is a late-night tear down fee if you need everything out of the venue right after the wedding.

When To Book:

6-12 months before your wedding is ideal.

Average Wedding Cost In Winnipeg

 

Caterers

Catering is one of the most important parts of a wedding as we all know. If the food and service are terrible then your wedding isn’t the greatest experience. With that said, please make sure your dinnerware and servers are included with your package. And if not get on it immediately because you want to get the best service teams available.

Average Cost:

You should have a wedding budget of around $50-$120 per guest for this item. This price will depend on the venue and the menu options, service, bar details you choose.

When To Book:

I would book this as soon as you’ve booked the venue or close to it. With that said it should be at least 12 months.

Cost For An Average Wedding

 

Cake Designers

When you know your wedding colors and details you can definitely get creative with a magical looking cake. With so many options you can really get creative.

Average Cost: 

An average cost of a wedding cake in Winnipeg is  $200-$1,200. With that said I’ve seen some cakes well over $2,500 that look like art pieces.

When to Book:

6-12 months

Average Wedding Cost In Winnipeg

 

Dress Shops

The average cost of a wedding dress in Winnipeg is around $1,500 but you can spend so much more to find “the one”. From my experience, a lot of my brides spend at least $2,500+ on their wedding attire. If you’re willing to spend the time you can sometimes find dresses on sale for $500 or even used ones if you’re really trying to cut costs.

Average Cost:

$1500

When to Order:

I would say from 10-12 months. It’s better to be safe than sorry and from my experience. For instance, I remember a bride who ordered her dress from India and it didn’t arrive on schedule but a month later.

Entertainment/DJ

Winnipeg is a hub for tons of bands and musicians. However, if you want to book your favorite one for your weekend, I would book them early. Also, make sure you have a backup plan as well with them, just in case they are sick or unable to perform.

Average Costs:

Dj’s – $800-$1,300 + Travel

Bands – $2,000-$3,000+

Musicians $800+

When To Book:

8-12 months

Wedding Budget

 

Lighting And Sounds

A lot of Indian weddings sometimes get a full package of lighting, sound, and a DJ for their reception. There isn’t a lot of options in Winnipeg, especially if your wedding is on a popular weekend.

Average Cost:

$7,500+ in most cases for Indian weddings $10,000

When to Book:

12-18 months in advance

Marriage Commissionaires

I’ve worked with a variety of marriage commissionaires and some have been doing this for decades. Here’s a list of commissionaires on vitalstats 

Average Costs:

$300-$400

When To Book:

6-12 months before a wedding but ideally, 12 months if there’s a good one you prefer. I’ve photographed many weddings with marriage commissionaire Collen Olafson, so she must be popular.

Average Cost Of A Wedding In Winnipeg

 

Photo Shoot Locations

There isn’t a lot of options for indoor shooting locations in Winnipeg but with a little creativity and by booking far in advance, I’ll help you find the right one. There are some outdoor locations that also have to be booked in advance. There aren’t many so getting them booked is really important.

Average Cost:

Free-$150/Hr

When To Book:

I always recommend booking the 12 months in advance especially on busy weekends. With that said, I will provide you a list of locations with contact numbers to get you started when you book Singh Photography. I always recommend booking at least one location in case of bad weather.

Wedding Planning Guide!

So I just recently decided to share all my lists and guides to anyone who needs help planning. After 10 years in the business I’ve gained tons of useful knowledge that can really make wedding planning a lot easier and less stressful.

This includes:

An indoor photo locations for wedding shoots, my 20 page planning guide that I give all my clients when they book me and so much more.

All of this information really sets up our clients to have the best wedding they possibly can and get the best photographs.

If you’re interested it’s available for free and I promise you’ll only get useful wedding related info. Not junk.

 

Well, I hope that gave you some insight into what an average wedding in Winnipeg costs. If you need any more help or advice please feel free to connect with me here.

Head over to the blog to see more weddings or get some answers about my services here FAQ’s.