A bouquet in hand, a photographer clicking away and glasses raised in celebration: for some Canadian couples, these wedding day hallmarks may come with rising costs.
And with wedding season in full swing, couples tying the knot this summer might need to brace for a steeper bill, thanks to tariffs.
But of course, it depends on where you’re buying your wedding essentials.
While the United States has slapped tariffs on Canada, the ones most likely to affect Canadian couples are those targeting goods from U.S. manufacturers, whether it’s your dress, photography, flowers or decor, explained Shir Buslovich, owner and lead planner for WGM Weddings Co., a Toronto-based wedding and events company.
The threat of tariffs has loomed since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, and while it can be hard to keep track of who’s taxing whom, one thing wedding experts like Buslovich agree on is this: their clients are worried.
Whether they’re getting married this summer or two years from now, there’s growing concern that wedding costs could skyrocket.
Many goods imported by U.S. companies from Canada and Mexico are now subject to a 25 per cent tariff, unless they meet specific rules under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade (CUSMA).
Most imports to the U.S. from China face a 30 per cent tariff as of May 12, a significant drop from a previous high of 145 per cent. Meanwhile, a universal 10 per cent tariff — at least — applies to most goods coming into the U.S. from other global trade partners.
These tariffs mean U.S. companies are now paying more for products made in China and many places around the world, and those added costs are starting to trickle down to Canadian consumers.
“We all thought that this was going to be just a U.S. problem, but really, it does affect us here in Canada,” Buslovich said. “It’s with the items coming from the U.S. (that vendors use).”
From petals to plates
Since the tariffs took effect in April, Buslovich said she’s seen prices for some wedding products — especially décor and flowers — spike by nearly 50 per cent.
Get weekly money news
Get expert insights, Q&A on markets, housing, inflation, and personal finance information delivered to you every Saturday.
“The price of goods is definitely increasing, especially because the supply chain in the wedding industry here, a lot of our stuff comes from the U.S. and Colombia and Ecuador … like florals, for example. And so florals, décor, things like that, it’s just getting a lot pricier,” she said.
“From my perspective as a planner, it means that things we usually take for granted, like centrepieces or floral varieties of some sort, are pretty expensive and they’re really hard to get now.”
Florals are one of the major wedding expenses she sees impacted by tariffs, since many kinds, like roses, carnations and tropical blooms, aren’t grown year-round in Canada.
Some come from the U.S., while others are shipped internationally, often arriving in Miami before being distributed as refrigerated goods to wholesalers and retailers.
However, Valary Chrisman, principal planner, co-ordinator and designer at the Toronto-based wedding company Vivid and Vogue, said she hasn’t seen a major impact from tariffs on florals just yet.
“In Ontario, we’re lucky to have a lot of local flower farms, along with a year-round greenhouse system,” she explained.
“Those sources aren’t directly or indirectly affected by tariffs. Plus, many wholesalers in the Toronto area use a mix of flowers from Europe, which aren’t subject to tariffs and are flown directly into Canada.”
That said, she noted that some flowers, like eucalyptus, do come from the U.S. and could be affected by price increases. If that’s a concern, she recommends talking to your florist about removing them or finding a suitable substitute.
And it’s not just flowers feeling the pinch.
Décor items like linens, plates and cutlery are also getting hit, Buslovich said.
“Anything that’s not locally sourced is pretty expensive right now,” she added.
One of the biggest items that may be indirectly affected by the trade war, Chrisman said, is American alcohol.
“Bourbon is a popular item that is exclusively produced in Kentucky and therefore not available. But I have seen some Canadian clients responding in some really fun ways where they’ve had Manhattans made with Canadian Club and it’s an old-fashioned, the Canadian old-fashioned,” she said.
Wedding dress
The wedding dress is often one of the biggest statement pieces of the entire day (that also comes with one of the biggest price tags). For Canadian brides, it might come with an extra cost thanks to tariffs.
While local designers aren’t affected, those eyeing a gown from a U.S. label might want to take a second look, Chrisman said.
Many of those dresses are made with materials sourced from overseas — places like China, which are currently subject to tariffs from the U.S., spurring many across-the-board price increases from companies.
“For people who are planning for the next couple of years, I think it’s a good idea to budget additionally in case,” she said.
“If these trade war conversations continue and if tariffs do become more impactful than they already are, that’s where I think dresses kind of fall into more of a future planning situation as opposed to an immediacy one.”
Photography costs could rise
For couples opting for film photography or vintage-style videography, tariffs could quietly drive up prices, though the impact isn’t immediate.
“The cost of film photography and film videography, like Super 8 as a medium, is going up in cost in general,” Chrisman said. “There used to be a really large number of facilities producing the medium of film that has shrunk as digital cameras became more prevalent.”
While some Super 8 film is purchased from the U.S. and could be affected by tariffs, Chrisman said most photographers aren’t raising prices just yet: “It may be something where if tariffs continue to impact those specific instances, costs could go up in the future — but not necessarily photography as a whole.”
Her advice? “Ask your vendors as you’re booking them if tariffs could affect film costs, and see if there’s anything in the contract about how that would be handled.”
What to do
Because of the rising costs, Buslovich noticed many of her clients starting to simplify their weddings, opting for less “va va voom” and more minimalist celebrations.
Still, she emphasized that weddings can be beautiful no matter the budget.
While tariffs are impacting venues, photographers and florists, she said there’s a silver lining: more couples are now turning to local businesses for their big day.
“So if we support local and we continue to focus on our local talent and local products, showing their own creativity. That is the best way that we can continue feeling personal and authentic with local vendors and local décor, flowers, things like that,” she said.
