More young Calgarians are prioritizing real estate over getting hitched amid rising prices for both major life milestones. A new survey from Royal LePage indicates that more couples are focusing their financial resources on a down payment for a home while wedding expenses take a back seat.
Survey Highlights
The Royal LePage 2026 Survey: Rings versus Real Estate found that 42 per cent of Alberta respondents would definitely forgo or scale back a wedding to put money toward a down payment. This figure is slightly below the national average of 46 per cent. Notably, British Columbia and Ontario had the highest percentages, at 54 and 46 per cent respectively, reflecting Canada's most expensive housing markets in Vancouver and Toronto, where average prices hover around $1 million.
Additionally, 38 per cent of Alberta respondents (and 36 per cent nationally) would at least consider cutting wedding costs or forgoing a ceremony entirely.
Shifting Social Norms
Natosha Wareham-Bakker, an associate realtor with Royal LePage Benchmark in Calgary, notes a significant shift in priorities. “It’s one of those things where we have shifted in the last 50 years from it having to be ‘a ring before a doorbell,’ ” she says. Couples today “are not necessarily waiting until they get married.”
She observes that this trend has been growing long before Canada’s resale real estate market saw rapid price inflation over the last decade. Many younger clients are choosing to delay weddings to save for a down payment, and many more opt not to marry at all. Those who do marry often have “very small, intimate” and low-cost celebrations, Wareham-Bakker adds.
Financial Trade-Offs
Justin Warthe, a realtor with Top Calgary Real Estate, explains the rationale: “Many younger buyers realize that spending $50,000 to $100,000 on a wedding could instead become a meaningful down payment.” The survey also found that some couples marry first but increasingly ask guests for cash gifts toward a down payment. Among Alberta respondents, 36 per cent indicated a willingness to request financial assistance over a wedding gift, compared to about 37 per cent nationally.
Warthe notes the findings are understandable given the high cost of living, particularly for housing. “Rising rents and home prices are creating urgency for many buyers who feel they need to get into the market sooner rather than later.”
Local Market Context
Calgary Real Estate Board statistics from the end of May show the average home price was nearly $666,000, up more than two per cent from last year and 36 per cent higher than in May 2019. This price growth underscores the challenge for young buyers trying to balance wedding costs with homeownership goals.
