"Who Pays for the Wedding?" – A Cost Guide

It used to be a given: the groom’s father would toss fifties around the club or wedding venue. But wedding traditions change, and these days, you’re usually left to cover the costs of your wedding on your own. Still, there are certain aspects where you can hope for some help or find clever ways to offset the costs. If the question “How are we even going to afford this?” is still nagging at you, we might be able to help with the following articles:

Planning a Realistic Wedding Budget
Wedding Loan: The Solution for Your Wedding Costs?
The 9 Biggest Budget Items for Your Wedding
How to Save Money on Your Wedding

Who pays for the bachelor party?

Whether it’s a bachelor party or a bachelorette party, you can sit back and relax. Your best man and maid of honor will take care of everything. And don’t worry—you won’t be driving them into financial ruin. Usually, all participants pay their share of the costs, and the bride or groom’s share is divided equally among everyone.

Who pays for the wedding rings?

In the past, it was customary for the groom to pay for the wedding rings. Today, it’s common for each person to pay for the other’s ring. The important thing is that you don’t go overboard with the expenses. It’s not the price of the wedding ring that matters, but the bond it symbolizes.

Who pays for the wedding dress and the groom's suit?

In the past, it was customary for the bride’s parents to cover the cost of the wedding dress in particular, but the groom’s parents would often give him his suit as a gift as well. Today, there are no longer any specific rules regarding this, but it’s still possible that your parents may want to help you financially. If that’s the case for you, having them pay for the dress and suit is a good idea.

Who pays for the bridal shoes?

These days, bridal shoes are often purchased along with the wedding dress, bridal jewelry, and all other bridal accessories. But in the past, they were the only item of clothing that the bride paid for herself out of her own savings. The idea behind this was that she could thus demonstrate her thriftiness to her future husband. This tradition has since all but died out, but a new one has sometimes taken its place: the groom gives the bride her wedding shoes as a gift to symbolically ask her once again to accompany him on his life’s journey. Depending on whether you find the idea romantic or if it gives you “sugar daddy” vibes, you can decide for yourselves whether you want to embrace this modern wedding tradition or not.

Who pays for the bridesmaids' dresses?

Bridesmaids usually pay for their own dresses. A common exception is when the bridesmaids do not yet have their own income. In that case, either their parents or the bride and groom cover the cost. However, the bride and groom always pay for the bouquets and floral arrangements.

Who pays for the guests' travel expenses?

If guests have to travel a distance specifically for a wedding, they usually cover the costs themselves. However, if the distance from the ceremony site to the reception venue is relatively long, it’s worth organizing a shuttle service for your guests.

Who pays for the guests' lodging?

As with travel arrangements, the same applies to lodging: Guests are responsible for their own expenses. However, you can help them with the arrangements by providing hotel recommendations, perhaps reserving a few rooms in advance at the hotels they’ve chosen, or arranging other lodging options with friends and relatives.

More on this topic: How to Be Great Wedding Hosts

Who pays for the honeymoon?

The honeymoon is one of the main reasons why many newlyweds ask for only monetary gifts for their wedding. The money received is usually used to cover wedding expenses and to supplement the budget for the honeymoon.

If you're still not sure where to go, check out this post: Where to Go on Your Honeymoon? Inspiration for Your Honeymoon.