In today's wedding, it is common for the wedding couple to bear most, if not all, of the financial responsibility. Traditionally, however, the Bride's family is responsible for most of the wedding flowers, with a few items that are specifically the responsibility of the Groom's family.
Flowers. The groom's family pays for some of the floral expenses associated with the wedding party. That includes the bride's bouquet, the boutonnieres of the groom and groomsmen, and the corsages for honored guests.
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.
The bride's engagement ring and wedding ring(s), the groom's suit and accessories, the groomsmen's presents, the officiant's fee, the marriage licence, the rehearsal dinner, and the groom's family and groomsmen's travel and lodging are all customarily paid for by the groom's family.
The groom's family pays for the following flowers: bridal bouquet, groomsmen and ushers boutonnieres and mother's and grandmother's corsages/mini bouquets.
The bride's mother, groom's mother, all the grandmothers, and any female readers during your ceremony traditionally wear a corsage on their wrist, or a pinned corsage to their clothing. If you have a female officiant that you really connect with, you could even consider giving them a corsage as well.
Additional Costs
Carter reminds couples of the hidden costs of a wedding party they may not think of right away. The couple is usually responsible for all the flowers required for the bridal party including bouquets and boutonnieres. Also, there may be some extra travel the couples may pay for.
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.
Sometimes the groom's parents pay for the officiant fees, the marriage license, the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres, and corsages for immediate family members, the liquor, entertainment, and sometimes even the honeymoon!
Traditionally, the breakdown of expenses was very clear: The bride's family paid for the groom's ring, engagement party, the wedding and reception, a brunch the next day, and a belated reception (if there was one).
An easy rule of thumb is to stay within the average range of $75 to $200, but you can adjust the exact amount based on your personal finances, as well as your relationship with the couple.
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.
Traditionally, the groom's mother will take care of the rehearsal dinner arrangements and help prepare the guest list for the groom's side of the family. Both tasks should be done with both the bride and the groom's input. Any other responsibilities can be negotiated among the 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.
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.
The mother of the groom traditionally brings a small gift to the bridal shower. When it comes to the wedding itself, the mother of the groom can give the bride a more sentimental gift, like a family heirloom, to officially welcome her into the family.
Giving a memorable wedding gift to your son is a wonderful way to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in his life. As a bonus, it's a beautiful way to remind him of you while you're not in touch.
While there's no specific color that the groom's mother is supposed to wear, we do recommend coordinating your dress with the color scheme of the wedding. Some couples may even prefer if you match their wedding party — so it's always best to chat with your son and his fiancé before you start shopping!
On your actual wedding day, one of the major responsibilities the mother of the groom can take on is making sure that the people at the wedding they know (family and friends) are taking their seats at the ceremony on time, are all set with transportation to and from the venue, and don't get lost—especially if you're ...
Traditionally, the groom's parents are the ones to plan and host the rehearsal dinner. They are usually also responsible for hosting any other welcome parties for the rest of the guests. They may want to utilize the couple's wedding planner to help with the event, or they can choose to plan it all on their own.
If the mother of the bride is taking part in the wedding processional, she is traditionally escorted by a close male relative like a son or brother or may enter alone. If the parents are divorced, she may be escorted by her partner. In some cases, a groomsman or best man will escort her down the aisle.
Bridesmaid dresses
If you're on a tight budget and you can't afford to cover the cost of the dresses, it's reasonable to ask your bridesmaids to pay for them. These are some of your closest friends and family, so you'll probably find they are very understanding.
“If the bride requires her bridal party to get their hair and makeup done professionally, it should be on her to pay for it,” says Marisa Sanfilippo of Red Bank. “I gave my girls the option to use my team if they want to have it done—two of them opted to do so, and one is handling her own hair and makeup.”
The bridal party is responsible for covering their own hair and makeup costs (or doing it themselves) unless the bride requests that hair and makeup be done in a certain way or by the same artist. In that case, it's the bride's responsibility.