Who Pays For What in a Wedding? - UKbride Blog

Who Pays For What in a Wedding?

 

 

This is a question that we get asked a lot on UKbride. Who traditionally pays for what when planning a wedding? Is it the bride’s parents, groom’s parents, grandparents or is it up to the couple themselves to fund their wedding?

Traditionally, it’s the bride or her family who paid for the wedding and the reception and the groom and his family would cover the rehearsal dinner. Today, it’s a little different.

If you want to be a modern bride – because who would want to fund their entire wedding on their own! – then it’s more likely you’ll sit down with your groom, his family and your family and plan a budget that everyone can afford. This means there’s no financial stress or strain for anyone, and it means you and your partner can have a day to remember without starting the rest of your life together in debt.

However, if you would prefer to be more traditional, it doesn’t mean you have to bear the entire burden of cost. There are expenses that the groom’s family typically pays for and what the bride’s family typically pays for.

The bride and the bride’s family’s expenses:

• Church
• Wedding gown and accessories
• Groom’s ring
• Gifts for the bridesmaids
• Announcements and invitations
• Flowers
• Catering
• Photography
• Transportation
• Venue Decoration

The groom and the groom’s family’s expenses:

• Rehearsal dinner
• Marriage license and officiant’s fee
• Bride’s ring
• Gifts for the groomsmen
• Bridal bouquet and buttonholes
• Honeymoon

Wedding party expenses:

• Bridesmaid outfits
• Groomsmen outfits
• Hen do
• Stag do

More and more modern couples are choosing to marry later in life so tend to foot the bill themselves rather than asking their parents. Because of this, weddings have become a lot more relaxed and informal, a fun celebration of what the couple themselves want rather than what their parents would want. There are more creative ways of getting hitched nowadays that save a few extra pennies.

However you feel about the situation of money, and whatever your financial situation is, it’s always worth just politely suggesting if your parents would be able to help you out, if they haven’t already offered. Weddings are expensive so it’s ok to accept money from relatives and family. Often, instead of a gift list, couples will ask guests for cash to spend on the honeymoon.