Who should pay for what?

These days, it is very acceptable for non-traditional arrangements to be made for handling the payments related to a wedding. We see lots of brides and grooms taking financial responsibility on themselves. More and more often we are now seeing practicality taking the place of tradition.

However ... for a guide ... tradition dictates the following rules of finance:

• The BRIDE is responsible for paying for the groom's wedding ring, her personal lingerie, gifts for the bridesmaids, personal stationery, accommodation for her out of town bridesmaids, a bridesmaids luncheon - this can be a lovely thank you for all the help the bridesmaids have been during the preparation time for the wedding, and the gift for the groom.
• The GROOM is responsible for paying for the Bride's engagement and wedding rings, the marriage license and any other legal documents required by your state. The Bride's bouquet, the bride's going away corsage, corsages for the mothers and grandmothers on both sides, all of the boutonnieres, accommodation for his out of town groomsmen, the fee for the clergy, the honeymoon and transportation, gifts for the groom's attendants and (let's not forget) the gift for the bride!
• The BRIDESMAIDS pay for their attire including dress, suits and accessories, but not flowers.
• The BRIDESMAIDS are usually responsible for giving the bride a shower. Perhaps a good idea is to have a couples shower - it's a lot of fun and the groom gets to be involved.
• The GROOMSMEN usually give the groom a party while the USHERS are responsible for their attire.
• The flower-girls' and ring-bearers' PARENTS are to pay for this related attire, though today, the parents of the bride often purchases these items for the little ones. You will probably need to closely evaluate the closeness of the families and parents before deciding on how you want to handle this.
• The groom's PARENTS are responsible for their own attire, their travel and hotel expenses, getting the gifts to the newlyweds new home, and a gift for the couple.
• The bride's PARENTS are responsible for the majority of the affairs at hand. They need to handle the cost of their own attire, all the decorating costs, facility rental, invitations, wedding photography, (although these days it is quite normal for the couple to select and pay for the photographer and videographer) the bride's gown, attire and accessories, musicians, bridesmaids and flower-girl bouquets, the entire reception, gratuities, and a wedding gift for the couple.

You may now be able to see why "TRADITIONALLY" many fathers of the bride offer to pay for an elopement!

Was this article useful? Improvements or suggestions? Please let us know

Click here to to back to the Checklists & Tips page