Traditionally, what do the bride and groom's parents pay for?

There are many variations of who pays for what these days. Couples often pay for their weddings themselves, and there are many combinations of grooms’ and brides’ families sharing costs that were previously divided. Anything goes, but the traditional division of expenses:

Bride and her family:

• bridal consultant services, if any
• invitations, enclosures, announcements, postage
• bride's wedding gown and accessories
• floral decorations: ceremony, reception, bridesmaids, bride's bouquet
• photography and videography
• ceremony and reception music
• transportation of the bridal party to ceremony/reception locations
• bride's gifts to the groom and her attendants
• groom’s wedding ring
• ceremony expense, other than officiant's fee
• traffic officer
• valet parking
• bridesmaids' luncheon, if given
• attendants' accommodations

Groom and his family:

• bride's engagement and wedding rings
• rehearsal dinner costs
• groom's gift to the bride and his attendants
• attendants' ties and accessories, if not rented
• flowers: groom's attendants’ boutonnieres, bride’s bouquet (if it's local custom for him to pay), bride's going-away corsage, corsages for both families' immediate members (unless included in the bride’s order)
• marriage license
• officiant's fee/donation
• groom's attendant's accommodations
• transportation for the groom and best man to the ceremony
• attendants' accommodations
• bachelor dinner, if planned
• honeymoon expenses

World-renowned etiquette expert Peggy Post is a director of The Emily Post Institute and the author of more than twelve books. Post is the author of Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette.

-- Peggy Post

Read more about wedding budgets
Floral budgets: Who Pays?
Reception location budget: Who Pays?
Your Wedding Budget: It's all in the details