Who Should Pay for the Wedding?
Before, everything was clear cut about who paid for what when it came to weddings: everyone knew what they were paying for, and when, and even why. These days, those lines have blurred, with the couples themselves opting to shoulder the majority of the costs of their wedding.
Though these were not rules handed down to be followed by generations, dividing these costs made it easier to plan and hold a wedding with minimal cost. Even now, you can use these traditional wedding cost-splitting guidelines to inform you of what to make your parents contribute to your wedding.
Now, anyone can host the engagement party, but traditionally, it was the bride's family that handled this. The main reason why the bride's family paid for, and hosted, the engagement party was to welcome the husband-to-be into the family, introducing him to all relatives, and introducing the relatives to his relatives and friends.
Engagement parties are not exclusively required for weddings, but they do help to break the ice, bridge the gap, get people together before the wedding.
The engagement announcements were also paid for by the bride's family.
The groom's parents traditionally pay for the rehearsal dinner, and they also organize it. The rehearsal dinner can be a small affair with just the couple and their attendants, or a ball that the wedding guests will be invited to.
A rehearsal dinner should not outdo the main event (the wedding), and the groom's family can throw as big an event only as they are comfortable with.
The bride's family paid for:
*All the wedding planning expenses
*The bride's dress, or dresses, shoes and accessories
*The floral arrangements
*All transportation to the wedding
*Photo coverage and video coverage
*The lodging for the bridesmaids
The groom's family pays for:
*The corsages and boutonnieres for the immediate family members of both families
*The lodging for the groomsmen
*The marriage license, and the officiant's fees
*The bouquet for the bride
*The bride's engagement ring and wedding ring
*A gift for the bride
*The drinks, usually alcohol, for the reception
*Sometimes, they pay for all the floral arrangements
The bride traditionally pays for:
*The wedding flowers
*The gifts for her bridesmaids
*The groom's ring, and a gift for him.
The groom traditionally pays for:
*The boutonnieres for his groomsmen, as well as their gifts
*The honeymoon expenses
The reception is handled by the bride's family. The bride's parents are the hosts of the event, since they are paying for the majority of the wedding. They also make sure that everything at the reception runs without a hitch.
This is how the wedding costs are split in the traditional way of doing it. Using this, you and your bride-to-be can decide how to split the costs.
Your parents are always willing to contribute to the wedding, so you could tell them what you want them to help with, or, if they want to play a larger financial roles in your wedding, you can discuss the expenses with them
It would be wise to note that both families will want to contribute to the wedding, so try to accommodate both of them in a way that will not ruffle too many feathers (because planning a wedding does tend to ruffle feathers).