Historically, the bride’s family was responsible for paying for the wedding (a convention originally connected to the outdated custom of a dowry). But now, since that custom is basically irrelevant, there’s really no rule that states the bride’s family should be in charge of the cost. Of course, in many cases, the tradition lives on (you know, for tradition’s sake), but couples and their families now split costs in a variety of different ways, according to our 2015 Real Wedding Study. Here’s a peek at who contributed what to the wedding budget, on average, this past year.
- The bride’s parents contribute 44 percent of the overall wedding budget; the bride and groom contribute 43 percent; and the groom’s parents contribute 12 percent.
- Twelve percent of couples pay for the wedding entirely themselves, and 9 percent don’t contribute any finances to the wedding budget.
If you’re planning on dividing and conquering wedding costs, we can help you. Start creating your personalized wedding budget right here.
