2. Consider Who Traditionally Pays for the Wedding. Traditionally, the bride's family assumed most of the financial costs associated with a wedding, including the wedding planner, invitations, dress, ceremony, reception, flowers, photography, and music.
The Bride. If you're still following tradition, then the bride is only responsible for paying for the groom's wedding band and wedding gifts for her bridesmaids. However, there are many wedding costs (everything from a coordinator to flowers and décor) that are often shared between the bride and her family.
Not only does the bride's family pay for the wedding day outfit and accessories (veil, shoes, jewelry and more), but they're also responsible for the bride's wardrobe for all of the pre-wedding events (the shower, bach party, rehearsal dinner and honeymoon).
Do I Have to Follow Tradition? Traditionally, it is the responsibility of the bride's family – specifically, her mother and father – to pay for most of the wedding. It's not clear exactly how this tradition started, but it's thought to have evolved from the practice of the bride's family paying a dowry to the husband.
While traditionally the bride's parents were responsible for hosting (and paying for) the entire celebration, today many couples join both sets of parents in contributing.
The groom's family traditionally paid for all costs associated with the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon, wedding day transportation, and the officiant. The groom paid for the bride's engagement ring, wedding ring, and groomsmen gifts. It is also common for the groom's family to pay for the alcohol at the reception.
Traditionally, the bride's family picks up the tab, covering major expenses like the reception, ceremony, bride's dress, photography, and transportation. In second weddings, however, most couples choose to split the cost. Don't expect family and relatives to chip in the way they contributed to your first wedding.
And this is no small feat or fee—it includes everything from the venues to the décor, transportation, attire, florals, music, food and beverage, and more. This is why the bride's parents typically receive that well-deserved place at the top of a classically composed wedding invitation.
Unlike the past days where the groom's parents' responsibilities were limited to hosting rehearsal dinner and walking the groom down the aisle, today, their contributions are significant. A recent survey by WeddingWire indicates that the groom's parents cover up to 24% of the wedding plans.
Parents of the bride and groom collectively contribute about $19,000 to the wedding, or about two-thirds of the total cost, according to WeddingWire. The bride's parents give an average $12,000, and the groom's, $7,000. Just 1 in 10 couples pays for the wedding entirely on their own, according to TheKnot.com.
The bride's side of the family traditionally pays for the bride's wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses. Increasingly, however, bridesmaids are paying for their own dresses.
It's tradition for the bride's family to pay for the ceremony venue, while the groom would pay for the celebrant and the marriage license.
Discuss the budget realistically and ask both mothers to be honest about what they are able to/would like to do. Traditionally speaking, though, the bride's family pays for the bulk of the wedding—venue, reception, photographer, flowers, etc.
As a guide, here's a list of the expenses traditionally covered by the parents of the groom: the wedding rings, officiant's fee, marriage license, the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages for the immediate family, music (band/DJ), liquor at the reception and the honeymoon.
It's standard for the bride to cover the cost of bouquets, transportation to and from the wedding venue, and a gift to her bridesmaids. Optional costs may include hair and makeup, hotel accommodations, bridesmaids' dresses, and a bridesmaids' luncheon (if hosted by the bride).
Depending on their relationship with the bride, wedding guests typically give between $50 – $150 when making a monetary gift. As parents of the bride, it's standard to give significantly more. However, you should first consider what is financially comfortable for your budget.
While in some families and cultures, the parents do give a tangible gift to the bridal couple, other families and cultures feel the wedding itself is enough. This means it is completely your choice.
On the day of the wedding, the mother of the bride should be prepared to help the bride with whatever she might need. This might include playing hostess, helping guide out-of-town guests, or being ready with a tissue box!
A ring dish or jewelry box is a great wedding day gift. Many ring dishes and jewelry boxes can also be personalized with the bride's new name and wedding date to make it a keepsake she will never forget. If you want to give a really generous gift, you could gift a piece of jewelry with the ring dish or jewelry box.
Traditionally, the groom's mother and his father (usually) host the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. Planning the rehearsal dinner is one of the most important tasks for the mother of the groom to take on.
Ultimately, the way you decide who pays for the wedding is up to you, your partner, and your families. You might be aware that the bride's family is expected to cover the majority of the wedding day costs, while the groom's family pays for a variety of extra activities, like the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon.
Bride price, bride-dowry (Mahr in Islam, Cai Li (彩礼) in chinese, kanya shulkam in ancient India), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry.
Wedding couples aren't paying for expenses entirely by themselves. Only 16.6 percent of couples are paying for their entire wedding themselves, while 33.6 percent are paying for at least part of it, according to online wedding resource Zola.