Summer is here, and for many, that means it’s wedding season. But as Canada and the United States still have levies against each other, tariffs could act as a wedding crasher.
While neither country has placed tariffs on every good entering their respective countries, businesses have already seen items go up in price as the situation evolves.
It’s why Calgary wedding planner Julianne Young tells her clients to have a bit of wiggle room in their budget, especially for one-time use items and custom-made purchases.
“Right now, things like flowers, wedding gowns, things like that are not sourced locally; those are the things you would see more of an impact on pricing,” she told CityNews.
“It’s one of those things that will be slowly baked into the costs.”
Theresa Lewis, the owner of Blissful Bridal in Calgary, says only a small number of her gowns’ prices have been affected by tariffs, with some potentially going up by $200-$300.
But she says most have been immune as her suppliers adapt to the changing trade landscape.
“Some of our suppliers–right now–they have moved their warehouses to the Canadian side, so all dresses that come through on the Canadian side, we’re not paying the tariff,” she said.
And wedding gowns aren’t the only thing businesses in the wedding industry are trying to locally source.
Adam Asker, the owner of both a catering business and a banquet hall, says the three items that jumped in price are chicken, alcohol and cleaning supplies. But despite that, he’s trying to hold the line.
“We said, ‘OK, we are going to stay on this number for this year,’ because we know we are in a crisis, because we cannot add more prices to the client,” he said.
But if you are dead set on a style, those tying the knot are being encouraged that the earlier you say yes–whether to your partner or to that dress–the better.
“Shop at least five to six months ahead of when your wedding is,” Lewis said.
