In traditional families, the parents of the groom pay for the honeymoon but the bride's parents are responsible for the wedding. Such arrangements are often daunting for families to budget when the average
wedding cost has soared to more than $31,000, CNN noted.
Today, according to The Emily Post Institute, just about a quarter of brides’ parents take full responsibility for paying for wedding costs. Typically, a more modern approach would have each party share and contribute a fixed amount, the institute noted.
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Another formula sees both sets of parents splitting the costs with the bride and groom. In some circumstances, Post noted, the bride and groom themselves pay for the wedding. However the division, everyone involved in the immediate families should talk about wedding budgeting at the onset to avoid unrealistic or pressured expectations.
According to The Knot, some costs in a national survey are dropping, including paper invitations and wedding favors. And often budgeting tightly for extraneous items like bridal party gifts, food and alcohol can help take down the cost for a family looking at wedding economics.
Typically, the bride's family is responsible for a long list including church and reception site rental, cake, catering and beverages for the reception, invitations, announcements and stationary, services of a wedding consultant, the bridal attire and trousseau, photography, flowers, music, limousine and cars, lodging for bridesmaids, security, insurance, and wedding favors —
a long list, noted SouthernBrideandGroom.com.
If it's a second wedding for a couple, however, the bride's parents as well as the groom's are off the hook. A couple pays for that themselves, the website noted.
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