Wedding Expenses: Etiquette of Dividing the Bills

Wedding Etiquette – Who Pays for What

Wedding bills etiquette is an important part of wedding etiquette. Following the right etiquette at a wedding can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to money. You don’t want to offend anyone, yet you want to be perfectly appropriate with everybody. Here are some guidelines to follow:

Bride pays for:

1. Wedding ring for the groom
2. Wedding gift for the groom
3. Bridesmaids gifts
4. Medical visit for the bride
5. Bridesmaids luncheon
6. Accommodations for out-of-town guests (groom can join the bride on this one)

Groom pays for:

1. Wedding ring for the bride
2. Wedding gift for the bride
3. Groomsmen/Usher gifts
4. Bride’s bouquet
5. Mothers’ corsages
6. Groom’s boutonnière
7. Groomsmen boutonnières
8. Usher’s boutonnière
9. Marriage license
10. Medical visit for the groom
11. Clergyman/Officiant’s fee
12. Gloves/Ties/Ascots for attendants
13. Limousine service
14. Honeymoon arrangements

Bride’s family pays for:

1. Wedding gown, headpiece, and accessories
2. Bridesmaids’ bouquets
3. Grandmothers’ corsages
4. Ceremony/Reception flowers
5. Altar baskets/Arches
6. Canopy/Carpet
7. Kneeling bench/Candelabrums
8.  Rented items for wedding
9. Rented items for the reception
10. Invitations/Announcements
11. Wedding programs
12. Napkins/Matches/Printed items
13. Church’s Fee
14. Musician/Soloist
15. Church’s Janitor
16. Reception Hall fee
17. Catered Reception/Professional Services
18. Wedding photography
19. Wedding video
20. Orchestra/Band/DJ
21. Wedding cake
22. Wedding favors
23. Rice bags
24. Wedding breakfast
25. Bridal brunch
26. Father of the bride formal wear

Groom’s family pays for:

1. Groom’s cake
2. Rehearsal dinner
3. Father of the groom formal wear

Matron of Honor pays for:

• Matron of Honor’s gown

Maid of Honor pays for:

• Maid of Honor’s gown

Bridesmaids pay for:

• Bridesmaids’ gowns

Best Man pays for:

1. Bachelor party (other groom’s attendants can join the Best Man to pay the bill)
2. Best Man’s formal wear

Groomsmen pay for:

• Groomsmen’s formal wear

Ushers pay for:

• Ushers’ formal wear

Children’s Parents pay for:

• Children’s formal wear

Out-of-town attendants or family members pay for:

• Travel expenses to the wedding

Guests, Attendants, and Family Members pay for:

• Gifts for the couple

Of course, this is only a wedding bill etiquette guide for traditional weddings. You can arrange expenses differently by having an open conversation with all the parties involved.

However, if you and your future spouse design your own wedding and decide to pay for it so everything goes according to your plans and desires, by all means! More and more couples are doing it that way, avoiding their families and friends a financial burden they might not have had contemplated in their budgets.