Wedding Etiquette Tip #2 - Who Pays for What?

It's 2011, and financial wedding trends have changed quite a bit from 20 years ago. It used to be that the Bride's family would pay for just about everything to do with the wedding, minus the rehearsal dinner that the Groom's parents would pick up. It is very common now to see the Bride and Groom paying for the majority of the wedding themselves, and both sides of the family may contribute an equal smaller amount. In fact, almost one-third of couples are paying for their own weddings now. What is the reason?

• Couples are marrying older (average age is between 27-29)
• Couples may already be established in their careers/jobs and are financially stable
• An increase in 2nd marriages, which encourages alternate wedding payment plans
• Multiple sets of parents, so couples want to make it easier and keep the wedding planning decision making mainly to themselves

So what's the financial breakdown for this day in age? I have put together a new traditional list below for an easy reference guide:

The Bride and her family

• Groom's wedding ring
• Groom's wedding gift
• Bridesmaids gifts
• Wedding dress & accessories
• Ceremony costs
• Reception costs (all food, drink, music, & decor)
• Flowers: Ceremony flowers, bridesmaid & flower girl bouquets/corsages
• Wedding invitations, announcements, programs
• Wedding favors
• Wedding photographer
• Wedding entertainment
• Bridal party transportation to & from ceremony & reception
• Bride's family hotel accommodations

The Groom and his family

• Bride's engagement & wedding ring
• Bride's wedding gift
• Groomsmen gifts
• Marriage license
• Officiant's fee
• Groom's attire
• Flowers: Bride's bouquet, corsages for mothers & grandmothers, boutonnieres for men
• Rehearsal dinner
• Groom's family hotel accommodations
• Honeymoon

This will help serve as a basic guideline to go by. However, it is best to sit down with both families and go over what is best for each unique situation.