When you become engaged, the anticipation grows, and it’s time to start having fun with wedding preparations. Setting a budget is frequently the biggest challenge in wedding preparation, which can be stressful. Let’s face it; weddings may be costly. There are many things to consider, including the wedding dress, wedding cards, reception, music, food, and honeymoon.

While it is customary for the bride’s family to cover most of the wedding expenses, many couples choose to split the bill more fairly. Nowadays, both the bride and groom’s families, as well as the couple themselves, contribute. This is partly a result of the rising trend in wedding prices. According to The Knot’s 2021 Real Weddings Study, the average cost of a wedding in 2021 was $28,000 for the ceremony and reception ($34,000 if you include the engagement ring). Average expenses are predicted to rise in 2022. Of course, this does not obligate you to spend a fortune on elegant cake-and-butter boards fit for Instagram. However, even the smallest weddings may be expensive.

Who pays for what – a necessary conversation

The financial obligations associated with a wedding are not subject to any official regulations. When it comes to wedding money, you have two options: the traditional and the more contemporary approaches. But first, you need to understand what each of these approaches entails.

Traditional approach

Whether or not you adhere to formal protocol, it could be an excellent place to start. If your family is conservative, this can affect how much your family spends. Or you might use these suggestions as a starting point to start the dialogue. Industry-wide patterns for contributions to the overall cost of a wedding in recent years show:

• The family of the bride gives 40%–45%
• The family of the groom pays 12%–15%.
• The couple contributes between 40% and 45%.

The bride’s family also contributes to the reception, the ceremony, the dress for the wedding, the photography sessions, the pre-wedding festivities, and of course the wedding stationery. Save the Dates, invitations, thank you cards, and other related stationery are all included in the wedding stationery.

The contemporary approach

In the more contemporary method, you can be responsible for paying for your wedding entirely on your own. You will also be responsible for paying for the wedding stationary in such a situation. Ask a family member to pay for the wedding cards if their budget allows it and if they are prepared to contribute financially to the wedding. You can save money by acquiring your save the date cards online along with other wedding stationery online.

If both families have contributed, find out how much each family is willing to provide. Then make an appropriate budget. Some families pay the couple their total contribution amount and allow them to make additional payments if necessary.

Wording your wedding cards and save the date cards according to who pays

Invitation wording can become challenging when multiple parties contribute to the wedding’s costs. If the parents are divorced, this may be very difficult.

Traditionally, invites start by identifying the host (i.e., who will pay the bill?). Therefore, if the bride’s parents are hosting, it would be as follows: Mr. and Mrs. Smith respectfully request your presence at the wedding of Jane Smith and John Doe. If both parents are paying, both parents’ names should be listed.

Nowadays, a lot of couples prefer to speak more officially. This also reflects the change in how weddings are funded. If everyone is paying, one option is to say: “Jane Smith and John Doe gladly invite you to their wedding together with their parents.” It’s best to say: Your presence is requested at the marriage of Jane Smith and John Doe – if just the couple is paying.

Naturally, there are no actual rules. Regardless of who is paying, you should mention the names of both parents. Just start with the person who has contributed the most. You may also just remark, “You’re invited to the wedding of,” avoiding any political discussion altogether.

Make sure everyone contributing is on the same page, just as with the rest of your wedding decisions. Or card stock, in this instance.

To wrap it up …

Always remember that you are constructing a life with the love of your life that will go well beyond this one event in your journey. This life goes beyond the wedding cards, save the date cards, ceremony, reception, décor, food, drinks, and flowers. Even though talking about money might be difficult, it’s vital to keep lines of communication open with your spouse and your parents. 

You can always use the services at basic invite to order fantastic wedding cards and save the date cards online. 

Enjoy the planning process with your partner, and remember that the expense of the wedding is only a tiny portion of the overall fantastic trip.