Tips for Moms:
Traditionally, Who Pays for What?
As a reference, below is a checklist of the traditional expense responsibilities of all the various aspects surrounding a wedding celebration. Keep in mind that these days, all of the following guidelines are variable—depending on the particular circumstances of the wedding.
Traditional Expenses of the Bride and Her Family
- Services of a traditional wedding consultant
- Invitations, enclosures, and announcements
- The bride’s wedding gown and accessories
- Floral decorations for ceremony and reception, bridesmaids’ flowers, bride’s bouquet
- Formal wedding photographs and candid pictures
- Video of wedding
- Music for church and reception
- Transportation of bridal party to and from ceremony
- All reception expenses
- Bride’s gifts to her attendants
- Bride’s gift to groom
- Groom’s wedding ring
- Rental of awning for ceremony entrance and carpet for aisle
- Fee for services performed by sexton
- Costs of soloists
- Services of a traffic officer
- Transportation of bridal party to the reception
- Transportation and lodging expenses for the officiant if from another town and if invited to officiate by the bride’s family
- Accommodations for bridal attendants
- Bridesmaids’ luncheon
Traditional Expenses of the Groom and His Family
- Bride’s engagement and wedding rings
- Groom’s gift to bride
- Gifts for groom’s attendants
- Ties and gloves for the groom’s attendants, if not part of their clothing rental package
- The bride’s bouquet (only where it is local custom for the groom to pay for it)
- The bride’s going away corsage
- Boutonnieres for groom’s attendants
- Corsages for immediate members of both families (unless the bride has included them in her florist’s order)
- The officiant’s fee or donation
- Transportation and lodging expenses for the officiant, if from another town and if invited to officiate by the groom’s family
- The marriage license
- Transportation for the groom and best man to the ceremony
- Honeymoon expenses
- All costs of the rehearsal dinner
- Accommodations for the groom’s attendants
- Bachelor dinner, if the groom wishes to give one
- Transportation and lodging expenses for the groom’s family
Bridesmaids’/Honor Attendants’ Expenses
- Purchase of apparel and all accessories
- Transportation to and from the city where the wedding takes place
- A contribution to a gift from all the bridesmaids to the bride
- An individual gift to the couple
- Optionally, a shower or luncheon for the bride
Best Man’s/Groomsmen’s/Ushers’ Expenses
- Rental or purchase of wedding attire
- Transportation to and from the city where the wedding takes place
- A contribution to a gift from all the groom’s attendants to the groom
- An individual gift to the couple
- A bachelor dinner, if given by the groom’s attendants
Out-of-Town Guests’ Expenses
- Transportation to and from the wedding
- Lodging expenses and meals
- Wedding gift
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