With our continually evolving gender and societal roles, it can become a bit confusing to know who is expected to pay for what items when it comes to planning a wedding. Yet, in order to properly plan the wedding budget, it is important for couples to have a clear understanding of who will be covering what expenses. After all, the average wedding costs more than $20,000, which means a significant amount of money needs to be collected within a relatively short period of time. While couples and there families can always work together and come up with their own plans for covering wedding costs, here is a look at who traditionally is expected to pay certain expenses.

The Bride’s Expenses

Traditionally, the bride is responsible for paying the following expenses:

•  Medical examination necessary to obtain the marriage license (if applicable)
•  Wedding gown and all accessories
•  Thank you gifts for the bridesmaids, hostess and maid of honor
•  Basket for the flower girl
•  Pillow for the ring bearer
•  Hotel accommodations for any out-of-town attendants
•  Ring for the groom

The Groom’s Expenses

There are also expenses that the groom is traditionally expected to pay.  These include:

•  Medical examination necessary to obtain the marriage license (if applicable)
•  Marriage license
•  Fee for the officiant
•  Tux and accessories
•  Thank you gifts for the groomsmen and best man
•  Flowers for the bride, corsages and boutonnieres 
•  Engagement ring and wedding ring for the bride
•  Transportation costs
•  Hotel accommodations for any out-of-town groomsmen

Expenses Shared by the Bride and Groom

Some wedding costs are also traditionally shared by the bride and the groom.  These include:

•  Unity candle and holder (if a unity ceremony is included in the wedding ceremony)
•  Wedding photography
•  Wedding accessories such has favors, napkins and goblets
•  Thank you cards
•  Thank you gifts or the ring bearer and flower girl
•  Honeymoon expenses

The Bride’s Parents

Many people mistakenly believe that the parents of the bride are expected to foot the bill for the entire wedding. While this isn’t exactly true, there are a number of expenses that traditionally fall on the shoulder of the bride’s parents. These include:

•  Wedding invitations
•  Payment for the use of the church or other ceremony venue
•  Pew bows and runner
•  Flowers for the wedding ceremony, the bridesmaids and the reception
•  Payment for the wedding music as well as for entertainment at the reception
•  Fee for the reception hall
•  Catering expenses
•  Table décor
•  Wedding Cake

The bride’s parents may also pay for the wedding photography rather than leaving this expense to the groom.

The Groom’s Parents

The groom’s parents traditionally pay only for the rehearsal dinner, which may be a simple, casual affair or may be an extravagant event. Either way, tradition does not lay much expense on the parents of the groom.  More and more frequently, however, the parents of the groom are choosing to pitch in and to help out with other expenses in order to help ease the burden on the bride’s family.