Question:

Who Pays For What?

Financing a wedding can be a very expensive undertaking. With weddings these days costing large sums of money, the bride and groom must find a way to pay for all their expenses without incurring debt or asking too much from the parents. In the article below, you’ll find the traditional breakdown of the fees, with some more modern ideas further down.
The Bride typically pays for:


  • The wedding ring for the Groom
  • Gifts for the Attendants
  • Accommodation for out-of-town Attendants
  • The wedding gift for the Groom
    		•
    The Groom typically pays for:
     
  • The Bride's rings including the Engagement ring
  • The honeymoon
  • The wedding gift for the bride
  • The marriage license
  • The Groom's men gifts
  • Accommodation for out-of-town groom's men
  • Flowers for the Bride
  • The going-away corsage,
  • corsages for mothers, special ladies;
  • The boutonnieres for men in wedding party
  • The gloves, ties and accessories for the men in the wedding party
  • Fee for clergyperson or judge
    • The Groom's Family typically pays for:
     
  • Clothing for the Wedding
  • Travel and lodging expenses
  • Rehearsal dinner
  • The wedding gift for the newlyweds
    		•
    The Bride's Family typically pays for:
     
  • The costs of the reception.
  • The Bride's wedding attire/trousseau
  • Invitations, announcements, thank you notes
  • The seating assignment chart, napkins and mailing costs
  • Photographer
  • Videographer
  • Ceremony costs
  • Bridesmaids, flower girl, ring bearer flowers and accessories
  • Transportation for bridal party on Wedding day from ceremony to reception.
  • All gratuities for all services: parking, security
  • Bridesmaid luncheon
    		•
    The Attendants typically pay for:
     
  • Their Wedding clothes
  • Travel expenses
  • Wedding gift for newlyweds
    		•
    The traditional roles set out above are far from set in stone. So what’s a modern couple to do? Here are two ideas:
     
    When the bride and groom are older, or their parents don’t have resources, the bride and groom pay for all wedding costs themselves

    OR…

    Split the budget three ways.
    In this scenario, the bride’s family, the groom’s family, and the bride and groom themselves each pay for one third of the budget. Typically, this means they will also each invite one third of the guests.