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

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!