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Who Pays For What?
 In the nineties, most couples pay for their own weddings, and I am sure this will hold true through the new millennium. The reasons are numerous. Couples today marry later than life than ever before in our history. Most wait for marriage until their educations are completed and their careers established. And, most cohabit beforehand (making it a little difficult to ask dad to foot the bill).
Traditionally, the bride's father paid for the entire wedding celebration. This custom comes to us from the ancient world, at a time when a man had so many daughters that it behooved him to host the wedding celebrations--and to provide dowries to boot--in hopes of marrying them off! Today, however, it's just too expensive to saddle the bride's family with the entire expense (the average cost: about $20,000).
Today, people ask, "Who pays for what?" The answer is simple. If you have parents who are willing to contribute, then costs should be split proportionately between the two families. (And the couple should contribute also, if they're financially able.) Families of grooms, who are able to contribute but don't offer, risk causing hard feelings. And it's up to future grooms to approach their families about their contributions and their responsibilities. Weddings are two-way streets.
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