WEDDING EXPENSES

The expenses listed are divided according to tradition.
There may be variations due to local customs or special circumstances.

Bride (or her family)

• Wedding and personal stationery
• Wedding gown, accessories and trousseau
• Engagement and wedding photographs
• Ceremony expenses for flowers and music (organist, soloist or choir)
• Rental fees for bride’s carpet, marquee or any other equipment
• Transportation of wedding party to ceremony and reception sites
• All reception expenses
• Flowers for ceremony, reception and bride’s attendants
• Groom’s ring
• Gifts for bride’s attendants and groom
• Display of wedding gifts
• Lodging arrangements for out-of-town bridal attendants
• Medical examination
• Optional: Bridesmaids’ luncheon

Groom (or his family)

• Bride’s engagement and wedding rings
• Personal wedding attire and traveling expenses
• Marriage license
• Ceremony expenses for clergy or judge’s fee and sexton
• Rental of matching ties and optionally gloves and ascots for the groomsmen
• Transport of groomsmen and himself to ceremony; bride and himself to reception
• All rehearsal dinner expenses
• Bride’s bouquet and going away corsage; corsages for both mothers
• Boutonnieres for groomsmen
• Gifts for groomsmen and bride
• Shipment of wedding gifts to new home
• All honeymoon expenses
• Lodging arrangements for out-of-town groomsmen
• Medical examination
• Optional: Bachelor’s dinner

Attendants

• Wedding attire
• Traveling expenses
• Wedding gift

ETIQUETTE QUESTIONS

Other than friends, the groom’s family and my family, who should receive wedding invitations?
Send invitations to the members of the wedding party, their husbands, wives and parents. It is also appropriate to include your clergy member and his/her spouse. All children over the age of sixteen should receive their own invitations too.

As a final note, plan to order an additional twenty-five invitations to allow for the unexpected.

Should I have a return address printed on the back flap of the invitation’s outer envelope?
Yes! The U.S. Postal Service suggests that all first-class mail carry it. A return address also gives the wedding guest a definite address to which to send a reply or gift. Finally it insures that the bride will know if the invitation does not reach its destination.

The groom’s family will co-host our reception. What is the appropriate wording?

The invitation should read:
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lee Kent
and
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Perkins
request the pleasure of your company at the wedding reception of
Shelia Marie
and
Paul Frederick

A separate invitation to the ceremony should be sent in the name of the bride’s parents.

I would like to use our monogram on some personal stationery. How should it be printed?
First should be the initial of the bride’s first name. Usually larger, and in the center, is the initial of the groom’s last name. The third initial is that of the groom’s first name.

Wait, however, until after the ceremony to use this stationery.

Must a thank-you note be sent if I thank the gift giver verbally?
A thank-you note should always be sent as soon as possible after receiving a gift. You may, however, send pre-printed ”Formals” during the hectic days before your wedding. These notes should be followed by personally written ”Informals” as soon as time permits.