When planning a wedding, there are a couple of things to preplan and one of the biggest is who pays for what. While traditional guidelines have changed, knowing the norms can assist couples and their families so they all approach this important topic with sensitivity. In general, this article describes what you can expect to pay for and understand who is primarily responsible for what service regarding payroll.
Wedding Traditions
The Bride’s Family
Typically, a large amount of the expenses for the wedding are covered by the bride’s family. Although this can vary from one tradition to the other, there is a big list to be covered by the bride’s side in most cultures. The bride’s family is expected to pay for the wedding planner, the dress, the ceremony expenses, the reception, photography and even the music. This traditionally had to do with the ancient practice of the bride’s family compensating for the ‘’ burden’’ assumed by the groom’s family. Equally, the bride’s family was expected to host the engagement party. The costs for wedding invitation templates were also covered by the bride’s family. However, in this case some maids of honor were expected to cover some costs of the bride shower. Here’s a list of fees and expenses traditionally covered by the bride’s side.
- Wedding coordinator expenses
- Invitations
- Save the dates/wedding programs/stationary
- Transport and accommodation for the bridesmaids
- Ceremony funds
- Reception venue expenses
- Photography and Videography
- Wedding dress including the veil and accessories
- Engagement party expenses
- Flowers and décor
- Morning-after brunch
- Wedding cake.
The Groom’s Family
Although the wedding burden was traditionally released on the groom’s side, they were required to pay for the engagement ring. The rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon expenses were equally covered by the bride’s family. The transport and the officiant equally fell under this bracket. The wedding ring and the groomsmen gifts were also on the groom’s side. Depending on the religion, the groom’s family could pay for the alcohol at the reception. The Christian wedding invites which are mainly paid for by the bride’s family can be funded also by the groom’s family. The accommodation and the marriage license were also covered by the groom’s side. The decorations and entertainment for the rehearsal dinner could be covered by the groom and his team. Here’s a list of what the groom’s family is expected to cover during a traditional wedding.
- Band/DJ
- Rehearsal dinner
- Officiant fees and the Marriage License
- Honeymoon
- Alcohol for the wedding reception
- Corsages, boutonnieres and Bride’s Bouquet
Modern Society
Who pays for what during a wedding in the modern society
The question of who pays for what during a wedding in the modern society has completely been assimilated. Today, the process is more collaborative among the two families and can as well be crowd-funded. The both parties can include a ‘’honeymoon Fund’’ in their registry and the guests can contribute towards the honeymoon.
When it comes to deciding on wedding locations, the consideration of costs plays a crucial role, especially concerning who covers the expenses. Opting for a wedding venue in Solvang, California, is advantageous for local families as it reduces travel expenses and facilitates better budgeting. Conversely, for destination weddings in places like Italy, costs can escalate significantly if most families are not local, leading to increased expenses for travel and accommodation.
How Culture influences who pays for what in a wedding
Weddings are deeply rooted in culture, society, and traditional norms which means that these norms play a significant role in determining who pays for what during a wedding. This clearly means that the financial responsibilities during a wedding can widely vary across different cultures and evolving social norms. In Western cultures particularly the United States and some parts of Europe, the wedding financial responsibility was traditionally divided between the groom and the bride’s family. Contrary, Asian cultures are different. The wedding expenses are linked to traditional norms that emphasize family and community. A good example is in China where it is customary for the groom’s family to bear the bigger financial responsibility. In African cultures, the wedding expenses are hugely intertwined with the dowry where the groom’s family will provide goods, money and livestock to the bride’s family.
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