2. Consider Who Traditionally Pays for the Wedding. Traditionally, the bride's family assumed most of the financial costs associated with a wedding, including the wedding planner, invitations, dress, ceremony, reception, flowers, photography, and music.
According to the WeddingWire Newlywed Report, parents pay for 52% of wedding expenses, while the couple pays for 47% (the remaining 1% is paid for by other loved ones)—so parents are still paying for a majority of the wedding, though couples are chipping in fairly significantly.
Discuss the budget realistically and ask both mothers to be honest about what they are able to/would like to do. Traditionally speaking, though, the bride's family pays for the bulk of the wedding—venue, reception, photographer, flowers, etc.
While traditionally the bride's parents were responsible for hosting (and paying for) the entire celebration, today many couples join both sets of parents in contributing.
Traditionally, the father of the bride is financially responsible for the wedding. Nowadays, that's not always the case, and that's okay. Sometimes the bride and groom will contribute, as well the parents of the groom. Even if you're not paying for the wedding, offer to help deliver payments to the vendors.
A ring dish or jewelry box is a great wedding day gift. Many ring dishes and jewelry boxes can also be personalized with the bride's new name and wedding date to make it a keepsake she will never forget. If you want to give a really generous gift, you could gift a piece of jewelry with the ring dish or jewelry box.
While in some families and cultures, the parents do give a tangible gift to the bridal couple, other families and cultures feel the wedding itself is enough. This means it is completely your choice.
Depending on their relationship with the bride, wedding guests typically give between $50 – $150 when making a monetary gift. As parents of the bride, it's standard to give significantly more. However, you should first consider what is financially comfortable for your budget.
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 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.
On the day of the wedding, the mother of the bride should be prepared to help the bride with whatever she might need. This might include playing hostess, helping guide out-of-town guests, or being ready with a tissue box!
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.
It's the mother of the bride's responsibility to greet all the guests she knows, and introduce herself to those she doesn't. The MOB should be part of the receiving line (if the couple is having one), and if not, she should go table to table to say hello to guests and thank them for attending.
With the evolution of the modern family, compounded by the liberation of both women and LBGTQIA+ communities, there has been anecdotally less responsibility put exclusively on the bride's family. Instead, both families and even the soon-to-be newlyweds step-up to help fund the wedding.
It's tradition for the bride's family to pay for the ceremony venue, while the groom would pay for the celebrant and the marriage license.
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.
What expenses should I expect to cover as a bridesmaid? Most often, bridesmaids cover the cost of their dress and undergarments, shoes, accessories, and hair and makeup for the wedding day. The bride may opt to cover any of the aforementioned costs if she deems it appropriate.
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.
"It's common to give anywhere from $100 to $1,000. I often see the card box on the gift table oozing with overstuffed envelopes," Burton says. "As a bride myself, I received one $1,000 check. However, this was from an uncle who is well off.
Consider something needed, like linens, cookware, or maybe pay for wedding dress alteration and don't have the money to splurge for the best option. The couple can also receive something as simple as a gesture that can help them relax and enjoy their wedding.
How much should a cash wedding gift from parents be? For some parents of brides and grooms, paying for the wedding is enough of a gift. Others want to give something extra. What to Get My reports that some parents give around $1,000 for the couple's honeymoon and some even give $20,000 for a downpayment on a new house.
Traditionally, it is customary to give the mother of bride a gift to thank her for being by your side every step of the way.
You certainly do not have to give your mother-in-law a gift, but it is definitely a welcome and thoughtful gesture.
During the reception it is customary for the father of the bride to make a short speech, thanking the guests and those that have helped with the wedding planning, and talking a little about his daughter and new son-in-law. At the end of the speech the father of the bride usually proposes a toast to the happy couple.