The very first canoe trip my wife went on with me was a trip organized through the Sierra Club.  The leader had written a decent book (which I actually read).  Participants were supposed to have some experience.  I thought it would be well-planned.  My mistake.

One poor gal ended up with an airplane carry-on wheelie.  Another participant brought blue jeans (I am no fan of cotton on a canoe trip).  But the biggest issue to me was the meal planning.  Nothing dehydrated.  Four and five pot prepare-from-scratch meals (often started in the dark), with subsequent clean-up.  Of course, all of that meant extra bulk and weight.  I often triple-portaged.

Fortunately, I was able to help my wife make good packing decisions, so she had what she needed and I gained a little credibility.  After that we planned our own trips.  We make water (don't carry it in food), and generally do one-pot meals.  We are not that fast, but almost always single-portage.