The bride's family often pays for the majority of the wedding, including the ceremony, reception, and any other associated costs. In contrast, the groom's side of the family is expected to pay for the wedding's rehearsal dinner and honeymoon.
According to tradition, the bride and her family should cover the majority of expenses including the bride's dress, venue hire, cake, decorations and other services, while the groom's main responsibilities are to pay for the engagement ring, honeymoon and the flowers for the bride.
Ultimately, the way you decide who pays for the wedding is up to you, your partner, and your families. You might be aware that the bride's family is expected to cover the majority of the wedding day costs, while the groom's family pays for a variety of extra activities, like the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon.
Bride's Parents and/or Family Members
If you're going the very traditional route, the answer to the question “who pays for the wedding?” is “the bride's family.” But you'll see that even in traditional roles, the bride's family doesn't actually pay for everything—but they're definitely a big part of the equation.
Traditionally, the bride's family pays for the wedding, but that custom is rapidly changing. Couples are increasingly choosing to handle at least half of the wedding expenses on their own. Early planning and a written budget can help avoid miscommunication when deciding who pays for what.
As a guide, here's a list of the expenses traditionally covered by the parents of the groom: the wedding rings, officiant's fee, marriage license, the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages for the immediate family, music (band/DJ), liquor at the reception and the honeymoon.
Unlike the past days where the groom's parents' responsibilities were limited to hosting rehearsal dinner and walking the groom down the aisle, today, their contributions are significant. A recent survey by WeddingWire indicates that the groom's parents cover up to 24% of the wedding plans.
Traditionally, the bride's family pays for the majority of the wedding expenses, including the ceremony and reception. This is because, historically, the bride's family was responsible for providing a dowry or a portion of their wealth to the groom's family.
Who Traditionally Pays for the Honeymoon. "'Traditional' older etiquette states that the groom and his parents are supposed to fund the honeymoon because the bride and her family are paying for the wedding," explains Forrest Skurnik while noting that these rules no longer apply.
What does the Maid of Honor Pay for? As the main event planner and bride's right-hand gal or guy, the MOH is often the one who covers some of the bachelorette party expenses — extra fun additions like decorations, a stocked fridge, or first-class upgrade for the bride's flight (if you're feeling extra generous).
The verdict is in: it's no longer customary for a bride's parents to foot the wedding bill. But that doesn't mean there aren't significant budgeting conversations to be had.
An easy rule of thumb is to stay within the average range of $75 to $200, but you can adjust the exact amount based on your personal finances, as well as your relationship with the couple.
The average wedding held in 2022, including both the ceremony and reception, cost $30,000, according to The Knot. That's the most couples have spent since 2018 ($33,931), before COVID-19. It's also $2,000 more than the 2021 average, which totaled $28,000 for the ceremony and reception.
Manage the wedding whirlwind
The average Australian wedding costs $36,000. According to a Moneysmart survey, 82% of couples dipped into their savings to pay for their wedding. 60% of surveyed couples got a loan and 18% used their credit card.
In Easy Weddings' recent survey of 3,500+ engaged and recently married (2020-22) couples, the average spend for an Australian wedding was $34,715.
Lodge a notice of intended marriage with supporting evidence at least one month before the wedding. The notice remains valid for up to 18 months. Pay the total fee for getting married in the registry office - $362.00 (includes notice of intended marriage and ceremony fees).
These days, many couples pay for both their own wedding and honeymoon. They may have help from their families, or they may fund it completely by themselves. Either way, they are usually in control of most if not all the decisions.
Today many modern couples save up for their honeymoon together or ask wedding guests to pay for certain parts as a gift. But traditionally it is the groom or his family's job to pay the full cost of the honeymoon from flights to hotels to excursions.
Though it's a relatively modern take on the traditional wedding registry, asking your guests to help fund your honeymoon is becoming a more common occurrence. "In my opinion, honeymoon funds are absolutely acceptable," says etiquette expert Elaine Swann.
Do I Have to Follow Tradition? Traditionally, it is the responsibility of the bride's family – specifically, her mother and father – to pay for most of the wedding. It's not clear exactly how this tradition started, but it's thought to have evolved from the practice of the bride's family paying a dowry to the husband.
The bride's side of the family traditionally pays for the bride's wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses. Increasingly, however, bridesmaids are paying for their own dresses.
During the ceremony, the father of the bride sits to the left of the aisle with the mother of the bride. After the ceremony and before the reception, the father of the bride stands in the receiving line next to the mother of the bride to greet guests. During the reception, the father of the bride acts as the host.
Parents of the bride and groom collectively contribute about $19,000 to the wedding, or about two-thirds of the total cost, according to WeddingWire. The bride's parents give an average $12,000, and the groom's, $7,000. Just 1 in 10 couples pays for the wedding entirely on their own, according to TheKnot.com.
Traditionally, it's been the bride's family who pays for the bulk of the wedding costs.
In today's wedding, it is common for the wedding couple to bear most, if not all, of the financial responsibility. Traditionally, however, the Bride's family is responsible for most of the wedding flowers, with a few items that are specifically the responsibility of the Groom's family.