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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