Wedding Expenses: Another Look
Listed below are the usual expenses of a wedding and the parties traditionally responsible for them. Depending on where you live and your family traditions, there will be variations. This will give you a starting point to work with.
Bride & Her Family’s Expenses
- Bridal consultant or secretarial services
- Invitations, announcements, postage
- Wedding dress and accessories
- Floral or other decorations for ceremony and reception
- Bridal bouquet, bridesmaids flowers, corsages, etc.
- Photography – formal and candid
- Videotape
- Music for ceremony and reception
- Transportation of bridal part to ceremony and to reception
- All reception expenses
- Bride’s gifts to her attendants
- Bride’s gift to groom
- Groom’s wedding ring
- Fee for services performed by sexton
- A traffic officer, if necessary
- Accommodations for bride’s attendants, if required
- Bridesmaids’ luncheon, if one is given by the bride.
- If needed, rental of awning for ceremony entrance and carpet for aisle
- Transportation and lodging expenses for pastor or rabbi if from another area and if invited to officiate by the bride’s family
Groom & His Family’s Expenses
- Bride’s engagement and wedding rings
- Groom’s gift to his bride
- Groom’s gifts to his attendants
- Boutonnieres for the groom’s attendants
- Ties and gloves for the groom’s attendants, if not part of their clothing rental package
- The bride’s bouquet in areas where local custom requires it
- The bride’s going-away corsage
- The minister’s or rabbi’s fee or donation
- Expenses of the honeymoon
- All expenses of the rehearsal dinner, if one is held
- Bachelor dinner, if he wishes to give one
- Accommodations for the groom’s attendants, if required
- Corsages for immediate members of both families unless the bride has included them in her florist’s order
- Transportation and lodging expenses for groom’s parents
- Transportation and lodging expenses for pastor or rabbi if from another area and if invited to officiate by the groom’s family
Bridesmaids & Honor Attendants’ Expenses
- Apparel and all accessories
- Transportation to and from the location of the wedding
- A contribution to a gift from all the bridesmaids to the bride
- An individual gift to the couple
- A shower and/or luncheon for the bride, if given
Best Men & Ushers’ Expenses
- Rental of wedding attire
- Transportation to and from the location of the wedding
- A contribution to a gift from all the groom’s attendants to the groom
- An individual gift to the couple
- A bachelor dinner, if given by the groom’s attendants
Out-of-Town Guests’ Expenses
- Responsible for their own transportation and lodging.