Who pays for the Wedding?
January 9th, 2009 by Karen WhiteWho pays for the wedding?
As time has passed, so have traditions and customs. In the good old days, the bride’s family would give the groom’s family a dowry for taking in a woman, and they would also pay for all the wedding arrangements. Nowadays, women stand on their own two feet and some traditions (in Western culture anyway!) no longer exists. So how do you decide who pays for what without burdening others or causing offence?
There are no strict rules as to who should pay for what as there once was. The bride and groom these days are often both working people and may be able to finance the whole event themselves.
Traditionally there are some roles for people to assume – the parents of the bride, who traditionally pay for everything generally will cover the costs of the venue, the music, the flowers, food, invitations, cake, wedding dress etc. as well as a cash gift to the couple. This varies greatly since many parents may not be together anymore and may not be in any financial place to provide all these things. Obviously be a considerate bride and don’t put someone in a spot where they feel forced to pay.
Parents of the groom pay for a dinner before the event. They may give a gift to the bride and groom.
The bride is supposed to pay for any party she has for the bridesmaids and a proportion of the dresses. She is supposed to pay for the grooms present and wedding ring.
The groom pays for the engagement ring and brides ring, and fees and legalities. He should pay for the honey moon and gift (although these days it’s not unusual for the bride and groom to finance the honeymoon themselves).
The Bridesmaids will pay for a joint gift for the bride and also for their own shoes and bags, and a portion of the dresses.
The best man will pay for his own suit and for a portion of the bachelor party.
None of these rules are set in stone of course; on one family is extremely rich then they may pay for everything and as mentioned before, the couple may be wealthy enough to afford to pay for the event without needing any support. This may depend on the age of the couple and background. Either way, do things the way you need to and don’t feel obliged or pressured.
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