>> This is a
 marketplace showdown...
>> We're going head-to-head.
Taking on the big business
of weddings.
>> The minute you say wedding,
the money bells go off.
Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling.
>> It's a $5 billion industry
in Canada alone.
>> Everything is marketed to
brides as like, "You need this
or your wedding will suck."
>> Are you paying extra just
because of one word?
>> [from phone] You'd be looking
 at $452.
>> You're looking at $800.
>> Wow.
>> Asha: For our season
finale, it's a wedding war
you can't afford to miss.
>> We've been together for
seven-and-a-half years and we've
been married for six months.
>> Did we even have a budget?
>> No, we didn't.
>> We didn't set...
>> Our target was to be as
low as possible.
>> We definitely went over
budget because there were a
lot of things we didn't
anticipate.
>> Originally our budget was
$8,000 and the final tally...
>> More like $15,000.
♪ [groovy]
>> Asha: So, are couples
getting gouged with a secret
wedding tax?
>> Charlsie: For the answer,
Asha and I getting wired up
with hidden cameras.
I 'm about to go live.
And going undercover
to see who will
get the better deal.
>> We're gonna to see if this
wedding tax is for real.
Our back story?
>> I 'm planning an anniversary
party, and so we're looking for
a nice Saturday in September.
>> My story is: I 'm
getting married and we're
looking for the same day,
same month.
>> So we're looking at venues,
we're looking at limos,
and then we're also gonna look
at florists.
>> What do you think
is gonna happen?
>> Time to find out.
>> Team Asha versus...
>> Team Charlsie.
>> Let's do this.
♪ [upbeat]
>> Asha: For the inside scoop,
we catch up with an
industry insider.
>> Up-selling in the industry
is absolute.
It happens everywhere.
Every vendor does it at some
point because that's the bread
and butter of our business.
>> Asha: A former wedding
planner with over 17 years
of experience,
meet Angelique Sobschak.
How have things changed from
when you got
into the business to now?
>> In the beginning,
weddings were about a
celebration of family,
bringing people together,
having food, having dance.
Now it's about who has the
bigger budget.
>> What is it about
the word "wedding" that
hikes prices?
>> It means dollar signs
because you are going to pay.
You're going to pay for that
one special day.
>> Charlsie: Glasses cam,
recording.
>> Asha: Is this game already
rigged against Team Wedding?
Time time to find out.
>> Charlsie: First we're
hitting up some banquet
halls and high-end venues,
chosen at random.
Both teams are asking for
the same date, 200 guests,
a three-course meal,
plus an open bar.
♪ ♪
Team Anniversary goes in
first to a popular banquet
hall north of Toronto.
>> Charlsie: The manager
makes a few notes and comes
back with a quote.
>> Asha: Now it's time for
Team Wedding to go in.
And remember, we're asking
for the exact same menu.
>> Asha: Our quote...
>> That's $7 more per person.
For 200 people?
An extra $1,400 just because
it's a wedding?
>> Charlsie: Yup, first stop
and we've already seen that
so-called wedding tax.
At banquet hall number two...
>> The total for
Team Anniversary?
$70 per person.
>> Asha: Will our team get hit
with that wedding tax again?
>> An extra $6 per person.
For Team Wedding,
a $1,200 price hike.
♪ ♪
Our insider says it's all
because of that magic word.
>> You have to remember the
minute you say "wedding" the
money bells go off.
Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling.
>> Asha: That's the nature
of the industry.
You start to see things
that are beautiful, then picture
your wedding like that.
It's all about the vision,
the dream.
>> Charlsie: So far,
Team Wedding's paying more
at all the banquet halls.
So this time we're testing the
wedding tax at a high-end
venue in downtown Toronto.
But we're sticking
to our script.
A simple three-course
meal here too.
>> Asha: But when
Team Wedding hits up
the same spot,
a bit of a twist.
>> Asha: She asks about
our budget.
Clearly wanting the wedding
business and all that comes
along with it.
She drops the price.
♪ [fanfare]
And we get a better deal.
The final score for venues?
Three out of the four places
charge Team Wedding
a higher price.
♪ ♪
>> Charlsie: Next, it's time
for us to smell the roses.
>> Something that I didn't
really expect to be as
expensive as it was flowers.
>> I think when I went in
for a floral consultation I
was kind of surprised at how
expensive it was.
>> Charlsie: So it's time for
us to have a few floral
consultations of our own.
Both teams are asking for 20
centrepieces with a dozen
red roses each.
Team Anniversary goes in first.
>> Charlsie: Our final quote?
$80 per centrepiece.
>> Asha: Time for Team Wedding
to go in.
>> At about $100 bucks?
An extra $400 for Team Wedding.
And she insists on a
sit-down consultation.
>> Charlsie: Not all florists
feel the need to charge
that wedding tax.
♪ ♪
>> But check out what happens
at our last florist.
>> And today's our lucky day,
she offers us a discount.
>> Asha: And Team Wedding?
>> Asha: No discount here.
$15 more per centrepiece.
Adding up to $300 extra for
the same flowers.
♪ ♪
The final score for florists?
Two out of the four
companies we visit,
Charge Team Wedding
a higher price.
[wedding bells]
Our wedding insider says
there's a reason brides get
drawn in, despite the big
dollar signs.
>> You hear certain
catch phrases such as,
"Once in a lifetime,"
"Dream,"
"Missed opportunities,"
"You don't want to regret
not having this."
When you hear those things
it starts to create fear;
fear of losing out,
fear of not being the best,
and fear of disappointing
others is the growing reason
why we can up-sell.
♪ ♪
>> Asha: Will we feel that
pressure when we call up
some limo companies?
>> Charlsie: We're both
asking for a one-way ride
from the same hotel in
downtown Toronto to a
banquet hall north of the city.
[phone rings]
>> Hi, there.
I'm planning an anniversary
party and I was looking to
order a limousine.
>> So it's me and the groom
and then our bridal party.
>> The hidden wedding
tax pops up.
$100 more for
the exact same trip!
And we also get a special
wedding sales pitch.
>> Time to call another limo
company and show
Angelique our results.
Wanna take a look?
>> Absolutely.
I'm very interested.
>> So I'm looking for something
that will seat ten people.
>> Wow, that's steep.
>> Hmm.
I wonder what I'll be told.
Hi, there.
I wanted to get a quote.
I'm getting
married in the fall.
>> Asha: [laughs] Thanks
for the pressure!
>> I know. I know.
>> And get this.
Team Wedding gets stuck with
a five-hour minimum.
>> Wow!
$800?
♪ ♪
>> Oh, god! that's--
>> Twice as much.
>> Absolutely.
>> Asha: Yep. A $348 price hike
for Team Wedding.
The final score for limos?
All four companies up-sell
to Team Wedding.
>> They're playing again
into your emotions.
They're saying, one,
if you want this limo,
you're going
to pay for the price.
And they're going to start
scaring you about time.
Well, these things book fast,
so book now or you're gonna
to lose it.
So again, it's all
fear mongering.
>> Asha: But when we
challenge the companies who
charge Team Wedding more,
they argue,
weddings are more work.
>> Asha: How do you sum up
our hidden investigation?
>> I 'm really happy that
you're showcasing to the brides
out there,
actually what is happening.
This is truly the way it is.
>> This showdown is
not over yet.
>> The next day after the
wedding you're gonna wake up,
you're gonna be married and
now you're gonna have to pay
for that expensive wedding.
>> A wedding budget reality
check is coming right at you.
This is your marketplace.
♪ [upbeat]
>> We've exposed the secret
wedding tax,
a hidden charge some
companies tack on you as
soon as you say that magic word.
>> And those extra
charges can sure add up.
Especially now that the average
wedding costs more than $32,000.
>> Our overall budget was...
Do you want to say?
>> Sure, it was 60 to $70,000.
>> The original budget that
we had was $10,000, although
I secretly always knew
it would be at least $20,000.
Well, we're up to $25,000 now.
>> I wanted to stay under
$7,000 but it actually cost
us around $13,000.
♪ ♪
>> I do have this theory
that a bridezilla isn't born,
she's created.
>> Asha: Everybody has a
wedding story, but L.A.
comedian and actress Laura
Wilcox was so scarred by
her experience, she wrote a
book about it!
>> I wanted to write a book
that sort of poked fun at
this insane wedding industry
that I had suddenly found
myself in this world of,
like, the wedding world, and
it was so over the top.
>> What was the craziest thing
you heard shopping around?
>> Definitely the wedding
flowers. I found this one
florist and she just had
like the most beautiful
designs and so I contacted
them and I got an email
back from her that was, like,
well, our minimum budget is
$15,000 so if -- anything
below that we find really
just isn't worth our time.
>> What do you get for $15,000?
Did they say?
>> They must be amazing flowers.
Just like the best flowers.
Great dirt, great worms.
>> Tell me, how does
this industry marketing play
into the big day?
>> I think that everything
is marketed to brides as
like, you need this.
you need this golden table
runner that matches the sash
on your dress or your
wedding will suck.
[car tires screech]
>> Wait a second.
Has it always been this way?
From the ring to the dress...
How traditional are these
these wedding traditions.
Are they really worth it?
Here's what you need to know.
Take your engagement ring,
for example.
Before the 1940s it wasn't
really a "thing" to propose
with a diamond engagement ring.
But in 1938 the De Beers
diamond corporation came out
with a marketing campaign.
Telling us the only way a
real man could prove his
love was to put a diamond
ring on his bride-to-be.
And, we all fell for it.
In fact, back in 1940, only
10% of north American brides
received diamond rings. And now?
Over 80% of brides are
"rockin' the rock."
And many of us follow that
two-month rule, right?
You know the one,
believing we have
to spend two months salary
on a shiny diamond?
Sorry, folks.
That was just more clever
marketing from De Beers that
made you believe that.
And for you brides-to-be?
Ever wonder where the
tradition of wearing a white
wedding dress came from?
Surely there's a reason you
spend hundreds, often
thousands of dollars on that
long, pearl white, strapless,
lace-trimmed dress
that you're only
going to wear once.
Well, you can all thank
Queen Victoria for that.
Before the 1800s, women
did not wear white dresses to
their weddings.
But when Queen Victoria
wore a white satin dress in
1840, wealthy brides started
doing the same.
And everyone else soon followed.
So now when you think about
spending all that money,
consider this: is it a wedding
tradition or a wedding trap?
♪ ♪
>> Charlsie: So how can you
avoid falling into those traps?
Ryan, hey.
Financial planner Ryan
Lewenza is about to give us
a wedding budget reality check.
>> So Ryan, you
crunched some numbers.
Let's go through what you found.
>> I looked at that
average cost of $32,500 for
a wedding and I looked at
two scenarios.
And so the first scenario
was the unconventional couple.
That's the couple that goes
down to the city hall, and
basically saves the entire
$32,500.
They put it into a TFSA,
Do you know what
that grows to?
>> I can't even do
that kind of math.
>> Okay, well it's $250,000.
A quarter of a million
dollars by retirement.
>> Wow. I think people
are gonna hear that
and be gobsmacked.
But not all
couples want to invest
their entire budget.
>> So I took another scenario.
And the other scenario was
What I called a
thrifty couple.
Instead of spending the
entire $32,500, they spent half.
That grew to $125,000 by
retirement.
>> Charlsie: $125,000?
That's a sweet chunk of change.
Ryan, if there's one piece of
financial advice you could
leave people with who are
planning their wedding, what
would it be?
>> Well, it's an important day,
but it's one day.
And the next day after
the wedding you're
gonna wake up,
you're gonna be married and
now you're gonna have to pay for
that expensive wedding.
>> One of these
dresses is $8,000.
>> Can you spot which one?
This is your marketplace.
>> Asha: Get marketplace in your
inbox once a week.
Sign up for our news letter
at CBC.ca/marketplace.
>> The wedding showdown
continues on your marketplace.
>> Falling in love
doesn't have to mean falling
into serious debt.
>> As a same-sex couple,
planning a wedding on
$1,000!
>> In terms of your dress?
Well, I bought two.
>> The dress came in way too
small for me and I ended up
spending another $1,000 in
alterations.
♪ [dance music]
>> How often do you see
a bride go over their budget?
>> Brides go over their
budget all the time.
It's an unfortunate situation,
because you would try to
limit them
from trying to break the bank.
And gain, it's bringing
them back to reality.
I see more brides spend more
money on their wedding dress.
They go over 90 per cent
of the time on their
wedding dress budget.
♪ ♪
>> Charlsie: We want to know,
does the price of your dress
really make a difference on
your big day?
>> So what we wanna do is
actually test your
knowledge of wedding dresses.
To find out we've set up
five gently used wedding dresses
with an estimated retail
values between about
$1,000 and $8,000.
Who's ready to
spot the $8,000 dress?
(cheering)
♪ ♪
>> Now, we're testing you
to see if you
can tell the difference.
♪ ♪
One of these dresses has a
price tag...
>> $8,000?!
>> That is pretty pricey.
>> All right.
Show me what you think.
>> Speaking of huge,
probably this one.
>> Right away!
You went straight there!
What was it about this one
that really said 8,000 bucks?
>> I don't know. It just looked
a little more elegant.
There was a little
bit more details.
>> Charlsie: The results?
This is not an $8,000 dress.
>> Is it that one?
The middle one?
That one?
>> Charlsie: Yep.
This is the $8,000 dress.
[groans]
>> One person was right
and you were all wrong.
Looks are deceiving basically.
>> Charlsie: Now, there's
also a dress out here that
is only about $1,000.
>> That's impossible to believe.
>> You don't believe it?
>> No, I don't.
>> They're all so nice.
>> Are we right?
[groans]
>> Charlsie: This is the
$1,000 dress.
>> Never judge a book
by its cover.
>> It can look gorgeous on the
outside and it's cheaper.
>> Now that you've
seen the $8,000 dress,
does it mean you're going to
return yours?
>> Hell no!
>> Definitely an eye-opener.
>> I'm sure that any dress
that she's wearing,
she's gonna look beautiful in.
>> Yeah, exactly.
>> Awww, what a sweet...
>> Brownie points.
[all laugh]
>> All in all, we did it.
Jamalex wedding was still
the talk of the town
and no regrets. Nothing.
We made everything.
We made everything.
>> Drop mic.
>> I think it'll be
perfect for us.
>> I get to marry you,
it's gonna be perfect.
>> Do you still love me?
>> No.
>> You won't look at me?
>> Okay, I love you.
♪ ♪
>> Ever wonder what happens
when your emails lands in
our inbox?
>> Oh, hi. I 'm calling from
 marketplace about...
>> Yeah, she thinks it's
accident waiting to happen.
>> When you hit "send," it
sends us into action.
You're going to be forced
to cancel the expiry policy.
>> You're telling me that
I'm ripping off people?
>> The complaint system
doesn't work.
Why not just get rid of it?
>> 30? 30. 40? 40.
>> The price just keeps
going up and up.
>> Your marketplace means
your tips become our stories.
>> Is it better to lease
or finance your car?
>> David: From your home
to your health.
>> Never would have imagined
that I would be smoking
marijuana on national TV.
>> Charlsie: Your food...
>> I can't believe you did that.
>> Charlsie: To your fun.
>> Asha: What you're sold
and what you're told.
What about the people
believe your reviews and
trust you?
>> You can count on us and we
count on you, and together,
create change.
>> So help us decide
what to investigate next.
>> Asha: Because this... is
your marketplace.
♪ [theme]
