Invited to a wedding in Canada? Expect anything from a church service or a lakeside ceremony to a multi-day celebration rooted in the couple’s heritage, in English, French or both. Many couples now ask for cash or honeymoon contributions instead of registry gifts.
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Follow the dress code on the invitation; smart or cocktail attire if none is given. Avoid white.
A registry gift, or a card with cash or a contribution to a honeymoon or home fund if the couple ask for it.
Usually a ceremony and reception on one day; weddings rooted in some cultures include several events.
Congratulations!: or Félicitations! in French
Reply by the date on the invitation or wedding website. Bring a guest only if they are named.
Canadian weddings are as varied as the country. Some couples marry in a church, mosque, temple, synagogue or gurdwara, others in a civil ceremony at a city hall, a garden, a barn or by a lake. Ceremonies may be in English, French or both, and in Quebec many weddings take place in French. Most follow a familiar pattern: the couple exchange vows and often rings in front of an officiant and witnesses, then sign the register.
Canada is home to people from all over the world, and many couples bring their own family traditions into the day. Some weddings, particularly in large multicultural cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, are spread over several events, from religious ceremonies to tea ceremonies and big receptions. In some Asian Canadian families, for example, guests give money in red envelopes for good luck. Customs vary greatly between families and communities, so if you are unsure what to expect, ask the couple or another guest.
Receptions usually include dinner, speeches, the cutting of the cake and dancing. Couples traditionally set up a gift registry, but more and more ask for cash gifts or contributions to a honeymoon or home fund, usually explained on their wedding website rather than on the invitation. Gifts are always voluntary, and couples generally say that guests’ presence matters most. In parts of Ontario, friends of the couple sometimes host a “stag and doe” before the wedding: a ticketed party with games and raffles that raises money towards the wedding and is open to a wider circle of friends.
Some Canadian weddings welcome families with younger children and others are adults-only, so check how the invitation is addressed. For multi-day or cultural celebrations, ask which events are suitable for younger family members.
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If a colleague invites you, a registry gift or a card with cash is usual. If you are invited to several events, guests in some communities bring a card to each.
Yes. Many couples ask for cash or honeymoon contributions, and a card with cash is common, but gifts are always voluntary.
A pre-wedding fundraiser party, common in parts of Ontario, where guests buy tickets and play games to help the couple pay for the wedding.
It depends on the couple. Many weddings in Quebec are in French, and bilingual ceremonies are common.
