Many brides will already have an idea of the kind of wedding they want and possibly some groom’s too! But do you know who is going to pay for your dream day? Traditionally it was the bride’s family who picked up the bill but as the average wedding budget is now way beyond the reach of most families and more couples marrying later in life, it has become more normal these days for the cost to be shared or for the couple to pay for it themselves. If you are not sure who to ask or are confused as to who might pay for what, here are some typical scenarios for you to consider.

Traditional Responsibilities

The bride’s family pays for:

• Reception costs, including food, music, decorations, rental fees & entertainment

• Ceremony Costs including rental fees, decorations

• Flowers for Ceremony and Reception

• The bride’s wedding dress and accessories

• All stationery and mailing costs

• Favors

• Photography

• Transportation

• Their own attire and travel expenses

The groom’s family pays for:

• The rehearsal dinner, including food, invitations, decorations and entertainment

• Their own attire and travel expenses

• A wedding present

The bride pays for:

• The groom’s wedding ring

• A wedding gift for the groom

• Her hair, makeup, beauty treatments

• Gifts for her attendants

• Sometimes accommodation for any out-of-town bridesmaids

The groom pays for:

• The marriage license

• The bride’s engagement ring and wedding ring

• The honeymoon

• A wedding gift for the bride

• The bride’s bouquet

• Gifts for his attendants

• Corsages for the mothers and grandmothers

• Boutonnières for men in the wedding party

• Sometimes accommodation for any out-of-town groomsmen

• Fee for the officiant

When the bride and groom are older, or whose parents don’t have resources

The bride and groom pay for all wedding costs themselves

A modern take on who pays for what at a wedding:

When the couple has announced their engagement, their next step is to sit down and work out their budget; they may have already found suitable venues and have decided on the general theme/style of the day. Once they have produced a final figure for the cost of the wedding, they will then approach their parents with a view to them sharing the cost.

Both sets of parents may then consider the budget and the elements contained within and make a decision to purchase the flowers or wedding cake (perhaps as a wedding present). If the parents simply cannot afford to contribute or their offer is too small to make any difference to the overall costs then it is polite to decline and revise the budget or be creative when it comes to saving money.

Split the budget three ways

To split the budget three ways means that the bride and groom and both sets of parents will each contribute a third of the cost of the wedding. In this scenario it is typical for each to invite a third of the guests to the wedding.