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20th November 2007

In a traditional wedding, the bride's family would pay for the majority of expenses such as the dress, ceremony, reception and photography. The groom's family would only be expected to pay for the rehearsal dinner. These roles have gradually changed over time to see couples taking care of their own expenses such as the honeymoon, wedding rings and marriage fee. Bear in mind there are no concrete rules and families are often comfortable about negotiating costs.

Melbourne Function Planning director Nicole says trends vary depending on the age and income of the bride and groom. With younger couples it is common for the bride and groom's parents to each pay for their side of the wedding and share the cost of the ceremony and reception. I find older couples are more financially independent and are happy to pay for their own weddings, especially if it is a second wedding or a renewing of vows, Nicole says.

Rules of engagement:

One of the biggest difficulties involved in wedding planning is organising who pays for what. But what do you do if they don't or won't? There is no easy answer for this. Some people are truly forgetful and will need to be prompted in as diplomatic a way as possible. Use this quick guide to help you address your payment issues:

1. Discuss costs regularly with those paying for your wedding whether they're family or friends.
2. If you feel under pressure for certain payments let people know. They will either help you themselves or let other people know the money is needed.
3. As soon as you know approximate costs it is a good idea to give people a list so they have time to get the money together and save if they need to.
4. Always overestimate the cost so you are not caught out by hidden expenses the money you save can be a pleasant surprise.
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Visit Bride Magazine for more wedding planning information. Useful information about wedding dresses (such as Alex Perry), wedding cakes and much more.