Who Pays for What?

Now that you’re engaged and have started planning your dream wedding…“who pays for what?”

Per Emily Post, here are the traditional expense responsibilities of all the various aspects surrounding a wedding celebration. I’ve added in some commentary in quotes, based on my experience with couple’s and their families.

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 “And any additional items needed for the ceremony: unity candle, ceremony programs, etc.”
• Fee for services performed by sexton
• Costs of soloists
• Services of a traffic officer “You don’t see this service widely used.”
• 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 “Many times the bride’s family pays for the entire florist order and does not separate out the boutonnieres for the 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