Planning the wedding is a great first task for a new family to build trust and cooperation skills. After all, the average wedding costs $33,931, which is a lot of money for most people. In fact, it is recorded that almost 25 percent of couples around the world go into debt to organize their perfect wedding. We do not recommend that, but you should definitely talk with your spouse and both sets of parents about who will pay for what. You wouldn't want to find out that no one ordered wooden wedding flowers, the cake, or the rings, would you?
Traditional Approach
Traditionally, the bride's parents used to cover the majority of the wedding expenses, such as the venue, photographers, and floral arrangements (buying wooden flower bridal bouquets, taking care of wedding centerpieces, etc.). This tradition is still existent in some parts of the US, but people are getting more and more open to various discussions, adjusting to everyone's income.
Getting back to traditions, the groom's parents would normally pay for the alcohol on a wedding day, rehearsal dinner, and the honeymoon. Of course, today, it is much more common to see the groom paying for the honeymoon.
Make Sure That Everyone Is on the Same Page
When starting a family, the last thing you want is to fight over the wedding costs. With the old traditions blurring, there are no certain rules on who should pay for what. That is why you have to start your wedding planning by discussing the budget with your spouse and both sets of parents. Naturally, one side might have a bigger income, meaning that they could afford a bigger celebration. In that case, the family with a higher income should also chip in more.
Also, when discussing your budget, don't forget to make it clear what is your priority. If you want to have fancy wooden roses bouquets, a posh limousine to bring you to the ceremony, or the best photographer in the area to take spectacular photos for your Instagram, just include these things on your budget from the start. It is your wedding, so spend the money on things you want, instead of trying to follow the trends!
Accept Help
Today's world is becoming much more liberal about how things should or shouldn't work, and that affects the wedding scene, as well. Today, 68% of couples report paying for the expanses of their wedding themselves. This takes a lot of financial pressure from parents, and we think that it makes sense to pay for your own big day. However, if your parents, extended family, or friends want to help to organize or fund the wedding, you should accept the help.
Of course, once you accept the money from, let's say, your parents, you might also have to adjust to their wishes. That means that your parents should be allowed to invite some of their friends even if you don't necessarily envision those friends on your perfect wedding guest list. Also, if your mother likes classical flowers, you might have to use them, even though you love that sola flower bouquet that you saw online much more.
So, even though we encourage you to accept financial help from your close family or friends, you should still make that decision on your own and discuss how would that affect your freedom of choice.
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