Here's the short answer. As of October 25, 2026, the middle starting price on OpenDates is $4,999 for a wedding venue, $2,400 for photography and video, $2,299 for a wedding planner, about $1,050 for music and entertainment, and $300 for an officiant.
These aren't guesses from a survey. They're the "from" prices wedding businesses typed onto their own OpenDates pages. My mom Debi and I pulled them straight from our directory so you two can see what real Canadian businesses are asking right now, before you send a single email.
Where these numbers come from
A few honest notes first, because a number is only useful when you know what's behind it.
- ✦Counted on October 25, 2026. Prices change, and we'll refresh this as the directory grows.
- ✦Claimed businesses only. We counted pages the business itself has claimed and looks after, and left out hidden pages. Of 573 claimed business pages, 253 show a starting price.
- ✦Set by the businesses themselves. Each number is the starting price the business chose to show. We didn't edit or estimate any of them. Their pages remind couples to always confirm with them, and so do we.
- ✦Medians, not averages. The median is the middle price: half the businesses start below it and half above. A few very high prices can't drag it up the way they drag up an average.
- ✦"Half start between" means the middle half of starting prices, leaving out the lowest quarter and the highest quarter. Where a figure isn't one business's exact price, we've rounded it to the nearest $10 and said "about."
- ✦At least five businesses. We only report a category or province when at least five claimed businesses show a starting price.
- ✦Prices are as each business typed them. We can't tell whether a price includes tax, so ask each business whether tax is included.
Some businesses also list full packages (34 do today). We used the single starting price so every business counts once.
Wedding venues: median $4,999
29 venues show a starting price. Half start between $1,750 and $7,900.
That's a wide spread, and it makes sense. A venue's starting price might cover the space for a few hours, or a full day with tables, chairs and a ceremony spot. Where there are enough venues to compare:
- ✦Ontario (11 venues): median $4,000, half between $1,200 and about $6,900
- ✦British Columbia (8 venues): median $6,725, half between about $2,440 and $15,500
- ✦Alberta (7 venues): median $3,475, half between $1,625 and $6,750
Before you compare two wedding venues, ask exactly what the starting price includes, how many hours you get, and whether food and drinks are separate.
Photography and video: median $2,400
This is our biggest group: 87 photographers and videographers show a starting price. Half start between $1,200 and about $3,450.
- ✦Ontario (35): median $2,500, half between about $1,070 and $3,300
- ✦British Columbia (20): median $2,850, half between about $1,990 and $4,425
- ✦Alberta (9): median $3,250, half between $1,800 and $4,000
- ✦Manitoba (8): median $1,700, half between about $1,070 and $2,675
- ✦Quebec (7): median $1,250, half between $1,200 and $2,400
A starting price is the first rung on a photographer's ladder. Ask how many hours it covers, whether a second shooter or video is included, and how long you'll wait for your gallery. You can browse photographers and videographers and see the starting price on each page that shows one.
Wedding planners: median $2,299
21 planners show a starting price. Half start between $1,000 and $2,750.
- ✦Ontario (11): median $2,300, half between about $1,620 and $2,625
- ✦British Columbia (6): median about $2,470, half between about $760 and $4,180
Planning prices swing a lot depending on what you hire. Day-of coordination and full planning from your very first venue tour are very different jobs, so ask which one a starting price is for.
Music and entertainment: median about $1,050
44 businesses show a starting price. Half start between about $590 and $1,960.
- ✦Ontario (24): median $1,145, half between about $600 and $1,810
- ✦British Columbia (12): median $1,045, half between about $410 and $2,400
DJs, bands, ceremony musicians and other entertainers share this category, so a solo musician for your ceremony and a full band for the reception sit in the same list. That's why the range is so wide. Ask how many hours are included and whether sound equipment and an MC are part of the price.
Officiants, flowers, hair and makeup and more
- ✦Officiants (17): median $300, half between $275 and $350. In Ontario (14), the median is also $300, with half between $280 and $325. It's the tightest range of any category.
- ✦Florals and décor (12): median about $300, half between about $200 and $525. Ontario (6) has a median of about $450, but its starting prices run from $100 to $5,000, so ask what each one covers, from a single bouquet to flowers for the whole day.
- ✦Hair and makeup (9): median $350, half between $225 and $750. Ask whether the price is for one person or a group, and whether a trial is included.
- ✦Dresses and attire (5): median $1,000, from $300 to $1,500.
- ✦Transportation (5): median $250, from $240 to $500.
- ✦Catering (9): starting prices run from $50 to $1,375. Some caterers price per guest and others per event or package, and a starting price on its own doesn't always say which, so we haven't given a median here. Ask each caterer how their price is worked out and what it includes.
Décor and rentals, and honeymoons and travel, have fewer than five businesses with a starting price so far, so we've left them out for now.
How to use these numbers
A starting price is where a conversation begins, not a quote. Your real number depends on your date, how many hours you need, your guest count, travel and what's included.
- ✦Ask about tax. Prices are as each business typed them, so ask whether tax is included.
- ✦Compare what's included, not just the number. Two photographers at the same price can offer very different days.
- ✦Ask about your date. Some businesses price Fridays, Sundays and quieter months differently, so it's always worth asking.
- ✦Build in a cushion. Pop these numbers into our free Ever After budget planner and leave room for surprises. For the bigger picture, our guide to what a wedding costs in Canada walks through the latest surveys.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a wedding photographer cost in Canada?
On OpenDates, the median starting price for photography and video is $2,400, across 87 claimed businesses counted on October 25, 2026. Half start between $1,200 and about $3,450.
How much does a wedding venue cost in Canada?
The median starting price across 29 claimed venues on OpenDates is $4,999, with half starting between $1,750 and $7,900. Always ask what the starting price includes.
How much does a wedding DJ cost in Canada?
DJs share our music and entertainment category with bands and musicians. Across 44 businesses, the median starting price is about $1,050.
How much does a wedding officiant cost in Canada?
The median starting price for officiants on OpenDates is $300, with half starting between $275 and $350.
Who sets these prices?
The businesses do. Each one is the starting price a claimed business chose to show on its own OpenDates page. Always confirm the final price with them, and ask whether tax is included.
See real prices on real dates
Prices are only half the question. The other half is whether a business is actually free on your day. On OpenDates, you enter your wedding date and see who still has it open, many with a starting price right on their page. It's free for couples, always.
Happy planning! Kristina
Sources
- ✦OpenDates directory data: the starting prices shown on 253 claimed, visible business pages, read from our database on October 25, 2026. No government or survey figures are used in this guide.
- ✦Checked October 2026
Photos from Pexels.