Wedding Budget

The Wedding Budget - Who Pays?

When it comes to a wedding budget - who pays for what? Here is information on the traditional and the current reality of paying for a wedding.

No matter how elaborate or how conservative your wedding is planned to be, there will be wedding expenses and it is so important to find out at the beginning of this journey what the wedding budget is and who is going to pay for what.

It is dangerous to assume that tradition applies to your wedding as far as paying for wedding expenses goes.

Do yourselves a huge favour, avoid arguments and hurt feelings, and make a written budget - how much money in total there is to pay for this event - and a written expense plan - who is responsible for paying for each item on the budget.

I'll save you some money right off the bat. There are wedding planner books out there that you can purchase. They usually have a budget page. Instead of spending the money on a planner, you have this website, (click here to download a ready-to-print budget plan), as well lots of information about almost everything else you need to know about planning a wonderful, meaningful wedding!

Keep reading and you'll find lots more on this topic after we talk about what used to be traditional method of paying for weddings.

In the not-so-distant past, there were very definite rules as to who footed the bill for what and these rules were pretty much written in stone. That's not the way things are anymore - and we'll get into that in a minute - but reviewing traditional ways might spark an idea or two, so, here's the way it used to be

Wedding Expenses - Traditionally - Who Pays for What?

Traditional Financial Responsibilities of the Bride and Her Family:
  1. fee for any bridal consultants
  2. bride's gift to the groom (Sometimes, this was the groom's wedding ring)
  3. wedding stationery (invitations, announcements, enclosures...)
  4. wedding gown, veil and all accessories
  5. flowers for the ceremony, reception, bride's attendants, bride (sometimes, the groom bought this item)
  6. formal and candid photographs
  7. video recording
  8. music for the church and reception
  9. hired cars for the bridal party to the ceremony and reception venues
  10. all reception expenses
  11. bride's gifts to her bridesmaids
  12. groom's ring
  13. any rental equipment associated with the ceremony and reception (white carpet in the church...)
  14. officiant's fee and hotel and travel expenses, if any, if officiant was invited by the bride's family
  15. traffic control
  16. bride's attendants' accommodations if coming from out of town
  17. bridesmaids' luncheon
Traditional Financial Responsibilities of the Groom and His Family:
  1. bride's engagement and wedding rings
  2. gift to the bride (Sometimes, this is the wedding ring)
  3. accommodations for the groom's attendants
  4. boutonnieres for the groom's attendants
  5. ties and gloves for groom's attendants (if being used and are not part of rental package)
  6. bride's bouquet (Sometimes, this is the custom instead of the bride's family providing the bouquet)
  7. corsages/boutonnieres for immediate family members on both sides
  8. officiant's fee and hotel and travel expenses, if any, if officiant was invited by the groom's family
  9. marriage license
  10. transportation for groom and best man to ceremony
  11. all expenses of the honeymoon
  12. all rehearsal dinner costs
  13. all bachelor dinner costs (if given by parents)
  14. transportation and hotel expenses of groom's parents

Click here to download a blank ready-to-print budget plan!

Tradtitionally, who pays for the wedding? More information here.




Wedding Cake