What do the parents of the bride and groom usually pay for?

If the payment plan of your wedding is following age-old protocol, the following lists of traditional expense breakdowns will help:

Traditional expenses of the bride and her family

• Services of a wedding planner
• Invitations, save-the-dates, and announcements
• Bride’s wedding gown and accessories
• All wedding flowers for the ceremony and reception: bride and bridesmaid bouquets, centerpieces, etc.
• The wedding photographer
• Videographer
• Booking a live band or DJ for ceremony and reception music
• Wedding transportation for bridal party to and from the ceremony
• All wedding reception expenses (catering, equipment rentals, etc.)
• Bride’s gifts to her attendants
• Groom’s wedding ring
• A traffic officer, if necessary, to direct guest to parking and keep area in front of ceremony venue clear
• Transportation and lodging expenses for wedding officiant, if invited by the bride's family
• Accommodations for bride’s attendants
• Bridesmaids’ luncheon

Traditional expenses of the groom and his family

• Corsages for immediate members of both families (unless bride has included them in her florist’s order)
• Officiant’s fee or donation
• Transportation and lodging expenses for officiant, if invited to officiate by the groom’s family
• Marriage license
• Transportation for groom and best man to ceremony
• Expenses of honeymoon
• All costs of rehearsal dinner
• Accommodations for groom’s attendants
• Bachelor dinner if groom wishes to give one
• Transportation and lodging expenses for groom’s immediate family
• Bride’s engagement and wedding rings
• Groom’s gift to his bride
• Gifts for groom’s attendants
• Ties and gloves for groom’s attendants if not part of their clothing rental package
• Bride’s going-away corsage
• Boutonnieres for groom’s attendants

Aug 09, 2009