NEW YORK CITY –
Attire, travel, food, liquor, flowers: There’s no end to expenses when it comes to traditional weddings.
Through time, though certainly not always, it was the bride’s parents who were expected to pay the bulk of expenses, but like so many aspects of weddings, the etiquette has gotten more fluid. The ages of first-time bridal couples is going up. Parents might be older too, and thinking about saving for retirement or already on fixed incomes.
So who pays and how much?
Now, “it’s really a candid conversation” between the couple and those who might want to contribute, said Lizzie Post, co-president of the Emily Post Institute and co-host of the “Awesome Etiquette” podcast.
“Often it’s parents, but that’s not the case for everybody,” she said. “Never assume that anyone else is going to contribute to your wedding.”
Jove Meyer, a wedding planner and designer in New York, agreed.