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.
Traditionally, the bride and her family are responsible for paying for all wedding planning expenses, the bride's attire, all floral arrangements, transportation on the wedding day, photo and video fees, travel and lodgings for the officiant if he comes from out of town, lodging for the bridesmaids (if you have offered ...
The groom's family traditionally paid for all costs associated with the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon, wedding day transportation, and the officiant. The groom paid for the bride's engagement ring, wedding ring, and groomsmen gifts. It is also common for the groom's family to pay for the alcohol at the reception.
Not only does the bride's family pay for the wedding day outfit and accessories (veil, shoes, jewelry and more), but they're also responsible for the bride's wardrobe for all of the pre-wedding events (the shower, bach party, rehearsal dinner and honeymoon).
Traditionally, the groom's parents are the ones to plan and host the rehearsal dinner. They are usually also responsible for hosting any other welcome parties for the rest of the guests. They may want to utilize the couple's wedding planner to help with the event, or they can choose to plan it all on their own.
Splitting wedding costs equally between the couple and their families is becoming more common across the board: The Knot 2021 Real Weddings Study found that couples pay approximately 49% of their wedding costs, with their families covering the rest at 51%.
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.
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.
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.
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.
From walking down the aisle first to last, the traditional order is: Mother of Bride, Mother of Groom, Grandparents of Bride, Grandparents of Groom, Groom, Officiant, the Wedding Party, Maid of Honor and Best Man, Ring Bearer, Flower Girl and lastly the Bride and her Father.
Sometimes the groom's parents pay for the officiant fees, the marriage license, the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages for immediate family members, the liquor, entertainment, and sometimes even the honeymoon!
The mother of the bride traditionally buys her own dress before the mother of the groom, and then contacts the mother of the groom to describe her dress.
Wedding costs in 2022
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.
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.
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.
Traditionally, the parents might give a more sentimental gift on the day of the wedding, such as a family heirloom, to formally welcome the spouse-to-be into the family. But again, this doesn't have to be a large or expensive gift.
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.
That all depends on whether the gift is off the registry, an experience, or cash. Upon consulting the experts, a wedding gift should range from $75 to $750—but most agree that $300+ is the sweet spot.
A typical cash wedding gift could range from $50 to $500, depending on the same factors listed above. Even then, aiming for the $100 mark is generally sufficient and will be comparable to the average cost of a physical wedding gift.
The bride and groom will dance first. This is the usual format. Then the parent dances with the couple - the father with the bride and the mother with the groom. The groom's father will then dance with the bride and the groom with the mother-in-law.
Colors a Mother of the Groom Should NOT Wear
It's best to avoid wearing white or any color that resembles the bride's wedding outfit. You may also want to steer clear of blush, beige, or other light neutral tones that may appear lighter on camera. "Skip black or white, unless the bride and groom have requested it.
Who Pays for the Mother-of-the-Bride and Groom's Beauty Team? As with most beauty questions, there is no hard-and-fast rule. Some brides may offer to cover hair and makeup services in order to thank the wedding party for being a part of their special day.
It's customary for the couple to give gifts to all the members of the wedding party—including their parents—on or around the wedding day (the rehearsal dinner is a good time to do this). It's common for the groom to buy a gift for his mother that's sentimental and special to their unique relationship.