What the groom pays for

How to budget for a great wedding bash

Although traditionally the bride’s parents pay for much of the wedding, more and more couples are now paying for their own big day.

Whatever your arrangements, as the groom you are traditionally responsible for some of the wedding day expenses. These include:

• the wedding ring/s
• the hire/cost of your own clothes
• all church/register office expenses (excluding the flowers) and in the case of the church including the music (organist, choir, soloists)
• transport, such as the wedding cars for the bride and bridesmaids
• the honeymoon
• the first night hotel
• the bride's bouquet
• the bridesmaids’ flowers
• buttonholes for yourself, the best man and ushers
• thank you presents for the best man, ushers and bridesmaids

However, if you and your bride are paying for the wedding, the main expense is likely to be the cost of the reception. Obviously this is scalable according to how many people you invite and where it’s held.

Keep costs under control

To stay in control of your budget, think about what you actually want at your wedding, and what you think you could do without (for instance, if you don’t like fruitcake, there’s probably little point in splashing out on an amazing cake!)

Here are some more hints:

• save on transport costs by borrowing from a friend with a flash car
• hire, rather than buy, outfits
• hold your wedding on a weekday and you’ll probably get discounts
• encourage the bride to choose flowers that are in season (they’re cheaper)
• have a buffet, rather than a sit-down meal
• have a pay bar in the evening

And finally, don’t forget to take out insurance. If the marquee blows away or you have to cancel through illness, it won’t take away the pain of disappointment but it will help with the pain in your wallet.

Find out more about wedding finances in our Budget section