Simply traditional.

Tips for Mom: 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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