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Here, you'll find the traditional breakdown of who foots various bills. This guide specifies the financial responsibility of everyone involved in the wedding.

The bulk of many wedding etiquette questions center around financial issues. In past generations, the brides family paid for the majority of the wedding expenses. The grooms lucky family got off with just the rehearsal dinner, and the groom himself paid for the honeymoon, the brides rings, and assorted other small expenses.

That was then. Nowadays, with the costs of weddings growing and many couples marrying later when they are more likely to have careers and incomes of their own, more brides and grooms are contributing to, or even picking up entirely, the cost of the wedding. And the parents of many grooms are also contributing more than in the past; a popular option is to have the brides family, the grooms family, and the couple each contribute one third.

For reference, the following is the traditional breakdown of expenses:

Bride's family paid for:

• Engagement party (optional)
• Wedding invitations and other stationery (announcements, thank-you notes, etc.)
• Services of bridal consultant
• Wedding gown and accessories
• Flowers for ceremony and reception sites
• Bouquets for bridesmaids
• Music
• Photography
• Videography
• Ceremony
• Reception
• Bridal party transportation to ceremony and reception
• Family's wedding attire

Groom's family paid for:

• Engagement party (optional)
• Rehearsal dinner
• Their own wedding attire

Groom paid for:

• The bride's rings
• The marriage license
• Officiant's fee
• His formalwear
• Personal flowers: the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres for wedding party, corsages for mothers and grandmothers
• Gifts for the groomsmen
• Wedding gift for the bride
• Gifts for parents
• Honeymoon
• Transportation to the honeymoon

Bride paid for:

• The groom's ring
• The bridesmaids' luncheon
• Gifts for the bridesmaids
• Gifts for parents
• Wedding gift for the groom

Attendants paid for:

• Bridal shower (bridesmaids only)
• Bachelor and bachelorette parties
• Gifts for the couple (can purchase individual gifts or chip in on a group gift)
• Wedding attire and accessories
• Transportation to and from wedding town or city

Plan the wedding of your dreams on any budget. Read more in Budget Basics.