As summer drags to a close, there’s at least one thing that won’t be missed: the financial pinch of wedding season.

As someone planning to tie the knot, I’ve learned firsthand that wedding costs are crushing.

The average cost of a wedding in Canada hovers at around $30,000 – 40 per cent of the median after-tax income of a Canadian family.

So when friends suggested a simple savings hack they used for their small wedding, much like the one my partner and I envision, I was all ears.

The trick? Don’t tell vendors you’re throwing a wedding in the first place.

It wasn’t the craziest idea – there are apps now that let couples sell wedding tickets to strangers to save on costs.

Heated debates over the ethics of the ‘don’t tell them it’s a wedding’ method have swirled on social media for years, with some people claiming to save $6,000 or more with the strategy.

But wedding planner Alisha Chadee, owner of Events by Whim in Toronto, says the trend has resurfaced thanks to the current economic headwinds. Lately, it’s been gaining momentum on platforms such as Threads.

Couples believe that “we should be able to book a party package for our wedding if all we’re looking for is the party experience versus a wedding,” Ms. Chadee said.

Although she admits that some vendors might apply a wedding tax, it’s not without reason.

“There’s a lot more pressure with the wedding to deliver something that looks a certain way, versus a corporate event or a social event,” she said.

That pressure can raise catering costs by 20 per cent. A standard three-course plated dinner menu in Toronto costs about $80 on average, according to Event Source. For a wedding, the average is $100.

Bridal hair and makeup costs are listed at $525 on this Toronto company’s website; the same service for a bridesmaid costs $265. The price for hair and makeup for an engagement shoot falls by 43 per cent, to $300.

While Ms. Chadee sympathizes with concerns about inflated costs, she said wedding prep comes with different expectations. Misleading a vendor could unfairly hurt their business should a client choose to share photos of the event online, for example.

Brides booking “party makeup” instead of “bridal makeup” may find that it doesn’t last as long because the service wasn’t intended to meet the demands of a full wedding day. “I don’t want to be given a bad review after the fact because you booked me for party makeup,” she said.

Telling a photographer, “We’re just having a party and we’re looking for some pictures” is unethical too, Ms. Chadee said. “Part of the reason why those pictures for their wedding portfolio come out the way that they come out is because of the prep work that goes into it.”

It’s worth noting that the controversial technique in question is usually only feasible for smaller celebrations and with certain vendors. Let’s face it, a baker making a white, multi-tiered cake may have questions.

From my own experience, couples willing to forgo the rulebook and strip away the telltale signs of a wedding – intricate florals, fancy cakes and guest lists in the hundreds – are often well-versed in gauging their expectations.

What are your thoughts on the wedding tax? Have you been met with extra fees simply for adding the word “wedding” to a service? Drop me a line at mpostelnyak@globeandmail.com.