Time to Budget for your Wedding – Who Pays for What?

With the New Year quickly approaching it’s time to start thinking about goals for the year. If you are recently engaged, that could mean budgeting for your upcoming big day!

Traditional wedding customs tell us that the bride’s family is financially responsible for the majority of the wedding. Leaving the groom and his family with the rehearsal dinner, bride’s rings, honeymoon and a few other small odds & ends. However, in today’s society these etiquette traditions are seen more as guidelines than rules. Often with couples being more fanatical stable at the time of marriage they end up paying for a lot of the wedding themselves. Another popular option is to have the wedding cost to split into thirds between the bride’s family, groom’s family and the couple.  Whatever you decide, it’s good to remember that every wedding is unique and should reflect the best options for everyone involved.

Below is the Traditional Breakdown of Expenses for your reference:

Bride’s Family Pays For:

·      Engagement Party (optional)

·      Wedding Invitations & Other Stationary (announcements, thank you’s, programs)

·      Wedding Gown & Accessories

·      Wedding Coordinator

·      Décor Flower’s for Ceremony & Reception

·      Bridesmaids Bouquets

·      Music (Ceremony & Reception)

·      Photography

·      Videography

·      Venue Fee’s (Ceremony & Reception)

·      Catering

·      Additional Décor

·      Additional Specialty Vendors

·      Favors

·      Bridal Party Transportation to Ceremony & Reception

·      Bridesmaids Accommodations

·      Their Own Wedding Attire

Groom’s Family Pays for:

·      Engagement Party (optional)

·      Marriage License

·      Officiant’s Fee

·      Rehearsal Dinner

·      Personal Flowers: the bride’s bouquet, boutonnieres for wedding party & fathers, corsages for mother’s & grandmothers

·      Their Own Wedding Attire

·      Honeymoon - Including Travel (in conjunction with groom)

Bride Pays for:

·      Groom’s Ring

·      Bridesmaids Luncheon

·      Gifts for Bridesmaids

·      Wedding-Day gift for the Groom

·      Gift for her Parents

Groom Pays for:

·      The Bride’s Engagement Ring and Wedding Band

·      His Formalwear

·      Groomsmen Accommodations

·      Gifts for Groomsmen

·      Wedding-Day gift for the Bride

·      Gift for his Parents

·      Honeymoon - Including Travel (in conjunction with groom’s family)

Attendant’s Pay for:

·      Bachelor & Bachelorette parties

·      Bridal Shower (Bridesmaids pay for)

·      Gifts for Bride & Groom

·      Wedding Attire and Accessories

·      Transportation to and from Wedding Town

Buffet or Plated Service- My Only Catering Options?

Are you tired of the traditional buffet or plated service catering options for your wedding reception? To add little wow factor and entertainment for your guests, consider Food Stations. This can be a fun way to keep the mood of your wedding very social. Depending on space and price conditions, set up 5 to 10 Chef-attended stations around the room. Each station can feature a different type of cuisine or different variation of one type of cuisine. Every station should include guest interaction and a unique presentation to ensure that overall wow factor for your wedding reception! You want to encourage people to move around the room so they can taste each of the delicious cuisines, so make sure you make it easy for them to do so.

Do you like buffet and plated service, but know with your time and/or space constraints, you need to consider other catering options?  If this is the case, Family Style Service may be a better fit for you. Family Style catering serves your meal on platters to each table and guests are then encouraged to serve themselves. Much like the name implies, this style of catering allows your guests to become more intimate as they gather around their meal much like a Thanksgiving feast with family.

The Four C’s – Outside your Diamond Selection

We are not talking cut, color, clarity and carat, but rather another set of “C’s” that relate to your overall wedding experience; compromise, consideration, communication, and celebration!

Marriage is a momentous and joyous transformation in a couple’s life. Often times, how a couple works together on their wedding plans can forecast how they will approach other major decisions they will come across in their life together.  

Weddings are a beautiful and exciting event, but just like marriage, planning wedding can also be a lot of work. Just remember at the end of the day, your wedding is about you and the one you love coming together! The four “C’s” are a great guide to helping you master the wedding planning process.

1. Compromise: This is an important day for many people. It is always a nice gesture to make sure everyone feels included in some way.

2. Consideration:  Try to take into consideration the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others during this sometimes-stressful process.

3. Communication: Try to be very specific about your thoughts and expectations. As they say, communication is key to a great marriage…so get your practice in early!

4. Celebration: Sometimes you can be caught in all the little details of your wedding. Just remember, at the end of the day you are there to celebrate one of the most joyous milestones in your lives!

Wedding Planning Tips - How to Make The Most of Your Wedding Photography

Once you hire a professional photographer for your wedding, you already know you are in great hands, but here a a few things to think about to help learn about the process and make their job easier! 

First, make a list of who you want in your photo's and in what location. Make sure you include their full name and title. [ For example: Location -  At Golf Course 18th Hole People -  Brides family including Mary Jones (Mother of the Bride),  John Jones (Father of the Bide)...etc.] By having this list you will help streamline the photography process by knowing who you need when and where. 

Second, make sure you realize your photographer is not your time-keeper. They are there to capture every moment perfectly, and make sure that you wedding photo's are as beautiful as ever! In order to help your photography stay on track while still allowing him or her do what they do best, have a Wedding Planner or friend close by who is very familiar with your timeline and knows what your time limit is.  Also keeping your list handy can help prepare the next group being photographed and move along the process.

Finally, many brides and grooms enjoy taking photo's with all their guests at each table. If this is something you are also considering, try to allot at least an extra 30 minutes for this photo session. Often times, when visiting each table everyone wants to say hello and congratulate you, which usually takes more time than expected. 

We hope these tips help put you at ease and assist your wedding photographer to capture every moment of your special day beautifully!