The bulk of many wedding etiquette questions center around financial issues. In past generations, the brides family paid for the majority of the wedding expenses. The grooms lucky family got off with just the rehearsal dinner, and the groom himself paid for the honeymoon, the brides rings, and assorted other small expenses.
That was then. Nowadays, with the costs of weddings growing and many couples marrying later when they are more likely to have careers and incomes of their own, more brides and grooms are contributing to, or even picking up entirely, the cost of the wedding. And the parents of many grooms are also contributing more than in the past; a popular option is to have the brides family, the grooms family, and the couple each contribute one third.
For reference, the following is the traditional breakdown of expenses:
Bride's family paid for:
- All reception costs (site, food, liquor, cake, music, gratuities)
- The wedding invitations, postage and related stationery expenses
- The brides attire and trousseau
- Photography and videography
- Ceremony and reception flowers
- Rental fee for the ceremony site
- Fees for ceremony musicians
- Transportation of the bridal party on the wedding day
Groom's family paid for:
Groom paid for:
- The cost of the marriage license
- The brides engagement and wedding rings
- The brides bouquet, corsages for the mothers, and the boutonnieres
- The ceremony officiants fee
- Small
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