Who pays for what traditionally?

Are you planning a wedding and asking yourself "who pays for what?!" Knowing how to divide wedding expenses can, at times, seem vague and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Today we're sharing our simple and easy-to-follow guide for the traditional division of wedding expenses according to Emily Post (the queen of etiquette herself).

Q: What do the parents of the bride pay for?

A: Traditionally, the parents of the bride take care of the bulk of the wedding expenses, including:

Wedding dress, jewelry, shoes, and veil
Invitations, announcements, thank you cards
Wedding and reception venue
Ceremony and reception décor
Floral for ceremony, reception, and bridesmaids bouquets
Wedding day food
Photographer, wedding photographs, and albums
Videography and finished DVD
Bridesmaid luncheon, if hosted by the bride or her family
Gifts for the bridesmaids
Bride’s gift to the groom
Groom’s wedding ring
Ceremony music
Transportation of the wedding party to the ceremony and reception
Wedding signage and paper goods
- Menus
- Place cards
- Table numbers

Q: What do the parents of the groom pay for?

A: Traditionally, the parents of the groom take care of a few of the expenses, including:

Marriage License and cost of officiant fees
Bride’s bouquet
Wedding party flowers
- Boutonnieres for men
- Corsages for mothers and grandmothers
DJ or Band
Liquor
Tux for groom and fathers (or suits and ties)
Bride’s ring
Groom’s gift to the bride
Gifts for the groomsmen
Rehearsal dinner
Bachelor dinner if groom wishes to have one
Honeymoon

Q: What are the Maid of Honor’s/Bridesmaid's Expenses?

Purchase of apparel and all accessories
A contribution to a gift from all the bridesmaids to the bride
An individual or group gift to the couple
Optional: a shower, luncheon or bachelorette party for the bride

Q: What are the Best Man’s/Groomsmen’s Expenses?

Rental or purchase of wedding attire
A bachelor dinner, if hosted by groomsmen
A contribution to a gift from all of the groomsmen to the groom
An individual or group gift to the couple

Q: What type of pre-wedding parties to have and who pays?

A: Engagement parties, the rehearsal dinner, bachelorette and bachelor parties are all different types of pre-wedding events that may take place prior to the wedding day.

The bride or groom’s family plans and hosts the engagement party; if there is more than one, the bride’s family hosts the first one
The maid of honor and bridesmaids host the bridal shower and bachelorette party
The best man and groomsmen host the bachelor party
Friends may throw additional engagement parties or showers
The groom’s family plans, hosts, and pays for the rehearsal dinner

Looking for more wedding education? From how to start planning and invitations to finding your perfect venue and tipping your vendors, we’ve got you covered! Find it all HERE.

Wedding Costs