Photo courtesy of Bruce Mars from Pexels
Want to be in-the-know on traditional wedding etiquette? Check out this cheat sheet for the low-down on who foots the bill.
One of the most common questions we hear is, “Who pays for the wedding?” As you’ve probably noticed, this is a tough question to answer these days, especially at a time when some weddings include two brides, two grooms, or lots of blended family members.
But, we wanted to find out whether standards of etiquette for “who pays” are still floating around out there. So we took a look at what some of the top wedding resources had to say. While things have come a long way since the days of dowries and bride price, lots of folks still adhere to some standard rules when it comes to who pays for which wedding costs.
We identified a set of traditional standards, as well as a set of rules taking a more modern-traditional approach, and we put them in this handy cheat sheet for your reference. However, keep in mind that our cheat sheet is more of an averaged compilation than a hard-and-fast reference. Even lists from the most traditional of sources can vary here and there when it comes to who should foot the bill.
The Who-Pays-for-What Cheat Sheet
| WEDDING ELEMENT | TRADITIONAL | MODERN |
| Engagement party | Bride’s family | Either family |
| Rehearsal dinner | Groom’s family | Groom or family |
| Ceremony venue, décor & music | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Catering | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Reception music | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Bride’s attire | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Wedding planner | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Flowers | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Stationery | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Favors | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Photography & Videography | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Transportation | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Cake | Bride’s family | Bride’s family |
| Day-after brunch | Bride’s family | Either family |
| Honeymoon | Groom’s family | Groom or family |
| Reception alcohol | Groom’s family | Either family |
| Marriage license | Groom | Groom or family |
| Officiant | Groom | Groom or family |
| Bride’s rings | Groom | Groom or family |
| Groomsmen’s gifts | Groom | Groom |
| Groom’s attire | Groom | Groom or family |
| Wedding day gift for the bride | Groom | Groom |
| Groom’s parents’ gift | Groom | Groom |
| Wedding night accommodations | Groom | Groom or family |
| Bridesmaid’s gifts | Bride | Bride |
| Groom’s wedding band | Bride | Bride |
| Bride’s hair & makeup | Bride | Bride |
| Bridesmaids’ hair & makeup | Bride | Bridesmaids |
| Wedding day gift for the groom | Bride | Bride |
| Bride’s parents’ gift | Bride | Bride |
| Flower girl & ring bearer attire | Children’s parents | Children’s parents |
| Bridesmaid’s attire | Bridesmaids | Bridesmaids or bride’s parents |
| Groomsmen’s attire | Groomsmen | Groomsmen |
| Bridesmaid’s travel & accommodations | Bridesmaids | Bride’s family |
| Groomsmen’s travel & accommodations | Groomsmen | Groomsmen |
| Bachelor party | Groomsmen | Groomsmen, groom’s family or friends |
| Bridal shower | Bridesmaids | Bridesmaids, bride’s family or friends |
Takeaway
Before you get busy budgeting, have some fun exploring what our incredible Lake Tahoe destination wedding venues have to offer. Visit our homepage or click on one of these venue names to start exploring:
