And this is no small feat or fee—it includes everything from the venues to the décor, transportation, attire, florals, music, food and beverage, and more. This is why the bride's parents typically receive that well-deserved place at the top of a classically composed wedding invitation.
Pay For The Wedding
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.
Traditionally, the bride's parents pay for the wedding ceremony and reception which is why they take on the role of host/hostess. This responsibility includes determining the final guest count, making guests feel welcomed and seeing that everything goes smoothly. Oversee the closing of the reception.
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage.
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.
Of course, it would be amazing to give your daughter thousands and thousands of dollars as a wedding gift, but not at the risk of making your own financial situation dire. Depending on their relationship with the bride, wedding guests typically give between $50 – $150 when making a monetary gift.
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.
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.
It's linked to the dowry. Traditionally a husband's family would take responsibility for a woman after they were married, assuming responsibility for costs such as food, clothing and housing. Payment for the wedding would be covered by the bride's family as part of the dowry to cover these costs.
Originally, dowries were paid to the bride or the bride's family, not the other way around! The original purpose of a dowry was to compensate the bride's family for the loss of her labour and her reproductive potential.
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.
The mother of the bride is traditionally escorted by her son if she has one. Otherwise, any close male relative, the best man, or a groomsman walks with the mother of the bride during the procession.
In traditional weddings, the father of the bride walks her down the aisle and hands her off to the groom. If this seems old-fashioned, that is because it is. The practice dates back to the days when women were the property of their father, and he gave her away in exchange for a dowry.
In modern society it is becoming more common for the couple to foot the bill for the wedding themselves or for both sets of parents and the couple to divide the cost between them. However, traditionally it is still the father of the bride that pays for the wedding so you will probably need to make some contribution.
Even though many modern couples are breaking wedding traditions left and right, one tradition is definitely sticking: parents paying for the wedding. To be fair, many couples do try to pay for some of the wedding, but it seems a hefty percentage is still being shelled out by both sides of the family.
The bride paid for everything, including the ceremony flowers, the gifts for the bridesmaids, the groom's ring, and the groom's gift. Traditionally, the groom's family has footed the bill for the wedding ceremony and reception, including the rehearsal dinner, honeymoon, and transportation.
Some common resolutions today are for the couple to pay for everything; for the bride's family to pay for half and the groom's family for half; or, for the couple to pay one third and each side of the family fund another third. If another combination works best for you, then it's the right one.
A memory box including photos, favorite items, toys, awards, artwork, certificates, and memorabilia of the groom from his baby days to date is a gift that the bride will cherish. Not to mention it's a treasure box for future grandchildren to get to know dad when he was a kid too.
The father of the bride should traditionally thank guests for coming and participating in the wedding, thank anyone who has contributed to the cost of the wedding, compliments and praises the bride and welcomes the groom into the family and ends with a toast to the newlyweds.
Should you give the mother of the bride a gift? Yes, it's customary for the couple to give gifts to the wedding party, including the MOB. Many brides give their mom a personal, sentimental gift before or after the ceremony as a token of their appreciation.
"We're seeing people marry at an older age, during a phase of life where they have the means to pay for their wedding and don't want to put that strain on their parents." The verdict is in: it's no longer customary for a bride's parents to foot the wedding bill.
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.
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