Who is Responsible for Paying for the Wedding?

Traditionally, the bride's family has been responsible for footing the bill for the wedding. This is due to the honor of hosting the reception and making guests feel welcome. However, modern couples are increasingly taking on the responsibility of paying for their own wedding. It is important to understand the traditional breakdown of wedding payments and how it has evolved in order to make an informed decision about who pays what in the wedding budget. In the past, it was expected that the father of the bride would pay for the wedding.

This was famously depicted in the movie Father of the Bride, where George Banks (played by Steve Martin) was stressed about financing his daughter's wedding. While this is still a common practice, it is not mandatory. The groom's family may also contribute to the engagement party and rehearsal dinner. The etiquette surrounding who pays for a wedding has changed over time. It is no longer expected that the bride's family will pay for everything, while the groom's family pays for additional activities such as the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon.

Instead, couples are encouraged to collaborate on paying for their wedding in order to make it more cost-effective and inclusive. According to WeddingWire's newlyweds report, parents typically pay 52% of wedding expenses. This includes all of the wedding planning expenses, bride's attire, flower arrangements, transportation on the wedding day, photography and video fees, travel and accommodation of officiant (if coming from out of town), lodging of bridesmaids (if offered by bride), and all reception expenses. The bride is also expected to pay for her own flowers and gifts for her attendants, groom's ring, and a gift for him. To help couples build their budget, there is a traditional breakdown of wedding payments that states who pays what at a wedding. Couples who take responsibility for paying for their own wedding is becoming increasingly popular.

This approach allows them to have more control over their budget and make decisions that are best suited to their needs.