I inherited $100K. My fiancée says I’m “stingy” for refusing to spend it on our wedding — but I want to put it toward a house and kids. Am I wrong for saying no?

But since Jim received news of his inheritance, his fiancée has seemingly switched gears. Now she wants a glitzy destination wedding, a designer dress and a much longer guest list. Jim wants to stick to their original plan, but now she’s calling him “stingy” for refusing to spend “our inheritance” on her “dream” wedding.

While Jim and his fiance are fictional, their hypothetical scenario is inspired by real events. Each partner has a different attitude and perspective on what is important and what to invest in — and each one needs to consider how the other's perspective will impact the relationship. In this case, the Jim persona would probably start to question his fiancée's values and whether they share the same life goals — and he'll probably need to consider if he really is stingy for saying no.

Understanding the cost of big weddings

Maybe you can’t put a price on love, but you can definitely put a price on a wedding — and that price is getting even more expensive. According to the 2025 wedding budget report from Simply Elegant Corporation, the average cost for a wedding is between $30,000 and $32,000, depending on several factors (1).

First, there’s location. Toronto is one of the more expensive cities in Canada to get married, with the average wedding costing anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 for approximately 135 guests (2). For our hypothetical couple this means a large portion of Jim's inheritence would be spent on a one-day event. What's worse is that most reports suggest that most couples go over their initial wedding budget. According to The Knot, roughly 31% to 57% of couples went over budget on their wedding in Canada in 2024 (3).

What if Jim stuck to his non-wedding plan for the inheritance

If Jim and his fiancée stuck with their original plan, they could use that $100,000 to get on solid financial footing as they start their life together. That could mean an emergency fund, paying off high-interest debt or boosting retirement contributions. It could also mean buying a home. If they were to use the entire inheritance as a 20% down payment on a $500,000 property, they'd be much further ahead — with most couples saving up a down payment over many years before purchasing their first home.

If their plan was to have children, buying a home with the inheritance would help turn that plan into a reality, by giving them a stable home and lower mortgage payments that would help them through the tougher financial years when one or both parents are on parental leave. Or, if Jim invested the money he could turn that $100K inheritance into a $300,000 nest egg, assuming a 6% annualized return over 20 years.

Financial planning needs joint communication

The bigger concern here is that Jim and his fiancée may not be on the same page about their financial goals.

While she could just be having a "bridezilla" moment, this shift might also reflect deeper differences in financial values — ones that could cause bigger problems if not addressed.

Financial transparency means talking openly about shared goals — short-term (a wedding), mid-term (buying a home) and long-term (saving for kids’ education or retirement).

Once they’re married, their tax and legal status will change. They’ll be sharing a household budget and likely filing taxes together, so it’s important to discuss what their financial future looks like before walking down the aisle.