When it comes to paying for a wedding, there are different points of view. Formerly, the bride's parents were responsible for organizing and covering the entire celebration. Nowadays, most people believe that the couple should pay for their own wedding, especially if they have lived alone for some time. Of course, parents often want to contribute.
Contributions should be negotiated according to will and capacity, but the traditional divisions on the following slides will provide more guidance on who pays what at a wedding. Traditionally, the bride's parents pay the rental rates associated with the ceremony and reception locations. This includes the cost of a wedding planner, bachelorette party, and any other expenses related to the day. The groom's family is usually expected to cover the cost of the rehearsal dinner. The bride is typically responsible for paying for the groom's wedding ring and wedding gifts for her bridesmaids.
Long before the reception takes place or is planned, the bride's parents are responsible for sending (and paying for) engagement announcements to local newspapers. Any financial aid they receive from their parents is a gift, and the amount they receive depends on their parents' financial situation. Some parents can pay for the entire wedding, while others can only contribute a certain amount to cover the cost of flowers, catering, music, or photography. If the groom's parents are better off financially, they may even offer to pay more than the bride's.According to a new study by WeddingWire and Grow by Acorns + CNBC, 72% of all couples receive at least some form of financial support to pay for their wedding. LGBTQIA+ couples pay 61% of wedding expenses themselves, while their parents contribute 37%.
Instead of following tradition verbatim, a three-way divide between the couple and family members is another contemporary payment plan option to consider. It's best to find out early on whether parents can contribute to wedding expenses and, if so, how much they're comfortable spending. This way you'll have a better idea of what your budget is and you can plan accordingly. Whether or not a couple lived together before they were married has absolutely nothing to do with who pays for the wedding. To be fair, many couples try to pay for part of the wedding themselves. But it seems that both members of the family are still spending a significant percentage.
And there is no rule that states that parents are required to pay. Yes, the bride's parents were traditionally expected to foot most of the bill, while the groom's parents normally only covered the cost of the rehearsal dinner. At the end of the day, it's important to remember that any financial aid from family members is a gift. Couples should be respectful of their families' financial situations and negotiate contributions accordingly. Whether it's their second marriage or they want to become independent from their parents, many couples choose to take care of all the wedding expenses on their own.
