Paying for a Wedding: Post Wedding Bills Belong to the Bride and Groom, Not the Parents

The parents of a groom agree to help finance the wedding, but the after-ceremony bills are more than they bargained for

By Judy Lewis

Paying for a Wedding: Post Wedding Bills Belong to the Bride and Groom, Not the Parents

(page 1 of 2)

It bears repeating that neither the parents of the bride nor of the groom are under any obligation to pay any part of their child’s wedding. If they choose to do so, it is a gift, not a requirement. Unfortunately, this issue creates many ill feelings, as in the case of these parents. Read on...

Dear Wedding Guru: “Our son got married a few weeks ago. We have a lovely home, so we offered it to him and his fiancée to use as the wedding’s location, since they were on a budget. The wedding came off without a hitch — but now, several weeks later, we’re getting bills for things that we never agreed to pay for. Before his wedding, we made it clear that we’d offer our home and would cover several other fairly big ticket items. Our gift to the couple nearly matched what the bride’s family paid for. We’re in a very uncomfortable position — what should we do?”

(Our answer on next page)

» More on paying for a wedding
» More from The Wedding Guru
» Submit a question to the Wedding Guru
» Hudson Valley Weddings 2012