Weddings are as old as the existence of man and are surrounded by many traditions. These traditions are constantly changing so you should never feel boxed into thinking you have to follow old rules, typically in recent times whoever is more financially buoyant amongst both families foots the lion share of the bill. It’s also important to note that the way the wedding bill is split amongst families varies for different ethnic groups.
Officially the bride’s family should carry the bulk of the wedding expenses, while the groom’s family supports however they can. The groom takes care of everything the bride wears.
Another important consideration is which family has the majority of the guests; it's only fair that whoever has a significant portion of the guests foots a larger portion of the bill. So here's the official guideline below, remember this list is not cast in stone!
Groom
- Bride’s attire
- Engagement gift and dowry
- Groom’s attire
- Marriage License
- Wedding Ring
- Honeymoon
- Photography
- Wedding venue (Together with brides family)
Bride
- Gifts for Bridesmaids
- Accommodation for Bridesmaids
- Bride’s accessories (Earrings, Tiara..etc)
- Photography
Groom's Family
- Transportation for groomsmen
- Gifts for Engagement (Support the groom)
Bride's Family
- Engagement Ceremony
- Music at Reception
- Reception Costs (food, drinks, decoration, etc)
- Wedding Venue (Together with groom)
- Wedding Stationery (Invitations, Menus, Wedding Programmes, etc)
- Wedding Cake
Pic Source: weddingjournalonline.com