After looking at the wedding pictures thread: so who pays for the wedding?

[bethbuchall]

My parents paid for just about everything for my wedding. But to be honest, the wedding itself was more for them than for me. I would have been just as happy to have had a family only ceremony and maybe dinner out. My husband and I did pay for the honeymoon.

My older son had a wedding a year and a half ago. We paid for the rehearsal dinner and gave them a check to be used however they wanted to use it. His wife's parents paid for quite a bit of the wedding, but I don't know exactly how much. It was a very simple wedding and there weren't a lot of guests, but I know that things still added up. She doesn't like cut flowers, so we made all the flowers from paper. She and her mother did most of that work, though I helped a couple of times. They made their own invitations and decorations, too.

My daughter has said that she's not planning a wedding and would be happiest to have just the family at a simple ceremony and go out for dinner. Then she'll spend her money on travel. But she and her boyfriend aren't in any hurry to make it happen any time soon. We'll figure out at the time what we can afford and what she wants.

My younger son is still in high school, so we have a little more time with him, too. Again, we'll see what is suitable at the time.

Fortunately, my kids don't feel that everything has to be exactly the same to be fair and don't seem to keep track of what we've spent on whom. (At least I hope that there isn't any hidden resentment...there is no indication of that.)

 

[bigbabyblues]

My (grand)parents paid for my dress, and that was all they could afford to do. MIL paid for the reception--catering, cake, and DJ for the reception, FIL paid for the flowers (they are married, separate accounts)--he asked me if he could out of the blue, I paid for my dress and maid of honor's dress, shoes, jewelry, DH paid for the tuxes and he or I got whatever else we needed (candles, etc). We paid for our own honeymoom.

 

[powellrj]

My parents paid for our wedding. It was back in 1978, so lots of things that are common now, we didn't have back then. No video, no limo, no professional make-up or mani/pedi. We also had a church basement wedding which was very common where we lived. Small town in the bible belt. We had a buffet dinner that we prepared ourselves and my grandfather did our cake. Since we were in our church basement, there was no alcohol or band which was a huge savings. I think our wedding was under $1000.

 

[mousefanmichelle]

My dh and I paid for most of everything. We came up a bit short on the hall so my parents covered that and my il's paid for the rehersal dinner. I also paid for some of the bridal parties attire (2 jr bridesmades and 2 tuxes). I may have even paid for my fil's tux but it has been 25 years ago now so I don't quite remember. I can say that the total for our wedding was under $9,000 back in 1992. That includes honeymoon cruise for 7 days, 2 limos, sit down dinner, booze, wedding cake, invitations, flowers and decorations as well as wedding attire. My dh and I were young and I remember working extra hours at my job so that we could pay for the event and we didn't have any bills so everything was wedding money lol!

 

[Nancyg56]

We paid for ours, but we were married when my DH was 39 and I was 35. We paid for all of our children's weddings.

We paid for all the costs for my daughter, there was no rehearsal dinner.

We paid for my youngest son's wedding, gave them an old fashioned Jack and Jill. No tickets, no praises, just a nice meal, wine fountain and a band, and I bought my DDIL wedding gown as my gift to her. And a small rehearsal meal at home.

We were nto sure when my oldest woudl marry so we gave him his wedding money when he bought his home. I think our check did nto cover all the expenses but we did pay for the rehearsal dinner at our local B&B, and invited my family and all of my DDIL out of town family as well. My gift to DDIL was the B&B offer her and the bridal party, her parents and grandmother. Otherwise they were all crashing with my DS and DDIL, I thought that was too much for them.

 

[design_mom]

My parents gave us some money. They said we could use it for our wedding or keep it for something else. It was a modest amount, but we planned well and I think we had a nice wedding without going into extreme debt. (Like someone else said, we didn't have a limo, videographer, or professional hair/makeup, etc. but I still think it was nice.) We supplemented a little bit, but we paid for most of it with their gift.

So, I usually say that my parents paid for the wedding. However, really, they gave me a gift of money and I used it to pay for most of the wedding.

 

[wishesuponastar]

We were only able to go away on a honeymoon for 2 days because DH had started a new job and no time off, so we went to a mountain resort.

 

[mamamary]

My parents pretty much paid for it all - the big items anyway - hall, limos, photographer etc.. There were a few small things I paid for but honestly I can't remember anymore.

 

[prprincess]

We paid for most of our wedding at WDW. My mom paid for the photographer as a gift, but we saved up for two years and paid for the rest.

 

[E&Cmom]

We paid for our wedding. We were in our 30s and both in our careers. My inlaws did give us a cheque on our wedding day. My dad didn't contribute. I know this would have been different if my mom had been alive as they had contributed some money to my siblings weddings.

 

[TCRAIG]

My daughter was married Jan. of 2016 in Charleston S.C. - We paid for her dress/veil/shoes/jewelry, the reception (cocktail hour, all food, open bar, DJ, Photo booth, all rentals, cake, etc). all the flowers, mani/pedis, hair and makeup for the entire wedding party (women), some hotel rooms, a couple of the bridesmaid's dresses for those on a tight budget, trolley transportation for the wedding party to/from hotel to church and then church to reception site, minister, music, rental of the Chapel, all parking, invitations and other printed material, photographer and videographer, lunch for the wedding party the day of, day after breakfast buffet for the wedding party and family and special guests, gift boxes for all guests, pashminas for all the female guests (you never know how the weather is going to be in Jan)...etc...etc...etc...
Her in-laws paid for the rehearsal dinner (it was really lovely). Her husband paid for the honeymoon. I would do it all over again - and more - it was all so wonderful - of course - she's an only child!...My own wedding - in 1980 - my parents paid for everything (my mother made my dress) except the Honeymoon - the Hubs paid for that...we had a church wedding with a reception at the country club. What they paid for our entire wedding was less than the cost of my daughter's veil..

 

[Vijoge]

Middle DS got married two years ago in Las Vegas and they paid for the whole thing themselves. They had been living together for a couple of years, had a child, etc. So they just took their income tax refund and headed west.

Oldest DS is engaged, living with his intended for nearly ten, and they have two daughters. He's almost 40 and fully expects to pay for his own wedding, should they ever have one. Problem is, she says she's not getting married unless she can have a wedding at Aulani and he says that's not happening! I doubt either will give in.

 

[North of Mouse]

Weddings today are out of sight ridiculous
Especially when so few seem totally committed.

Dh & I paid for our own - including reception. It was not huge, but the joy was there, and that's all that mattered. Was not about to burden our parents for what they could not afford. Will be 50 yrs. in July.

 

[RedAngie]

First wedding: Both sets of parents contributed, but exH and I paid for the bulk of it. Parents paid for the honeymoon airfare and hotels (London and Paris).

Second wedding: Very small, DH and I paid for everything.

My DDad paid for our reception (coctail hour, plated dinner and dance) and my wedding gown. My DSis paid for the cake as a wedding gift. DH and I paid for everything else (including attire for the entire bridal party).

Yep, I considered the bridesmaids dresses/groomsmen's tux rentals to be part of the cost borne by exH and me.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We paid for ours. We were both over 30-somethings and had full time jobs, and housing. No need for parents to pay anything.

 

[georgina]

My parents paid for my reception in 1987, DH and I paid for the rest (his parents did the rehearsal dinner). My DD got married last summer; we paid for the reception (I told her an amount we would pay, it covered the hall, meal, and alcohol) and they paid for the rest - dress, flowers, photography, organist, shuttle bus. DD and her DH are both working and making good money, as were DH and I when we got married. Cost of bridesmaid dresses and tuxes were borne by those in the wedding party.DD inherited my thrifty-ness in some areas at least, she bought her dress for $200 on eBay.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Everyone pitched in.

My parents paid for most of it. DH and I paid for a significant amount. DH's dad's family paid for the Rehersal. DH's mom's family paid for one shower and the cake.

 

[aristocatz]

We were planning to pay for ours, and planning a small wedding of around 20 guests. My parents wanted to invite extended family & their friends & the guest list hit 50 & then they offered to pay for it. DH & I paid for our honeymoon & rehearsal dinner.

 

[goofyernmost]

Mine was 45 years ago. My wife and I paid for everything to do with the wedding itself. Her Father and Mother paid for the reception but it was bare bones. One choice of entree (chicken), no music, no booze. I was glad because I couldn't wait to get out of there as soon as possible. As we were leaving the reception our landlady (had previously been my wife's landlady) asked if we could drive her home. We had to go there anyway to pick up our luggage and change clothes and head out for our honeymoon. I don't remember what we got for a wedding gift from my parents. We got a fancy set of China from her parents. That was only used on special occasions through the years, one of our daughters has it now in fact just used it on Christmas Day.

 

[goofyernmost]

With my two daughters, well, they got married when I was financially strapped so we had to be careful. I paid for both weddings, my wife made my first daughters gown, we paid for the church, and the reception, music. Gave her and her husband a trip to WDW for their honeymoon. (their request) Second daughter, pretty much the same except she wanted a store bought gown, but, was quite reasonable about it. Again we paid for the reception and music and for their honeymoon we gave them a Caribbean Cruise. Rehearsal dinners were paid for by the respective parents of the groom. In both cases concerning the honeymoons we paid for transportation and lodging, they had to pay for their own meals or extras in the case of the cruise. If I recall the cost, at the time, were really close to equal.