Traditionally, the bride’s parents would be in charge of paying for the wedding. This idea stemmed from the past when the father of the bride would pay the groom a dowry. But things have changed and it’s much less common for the parents to pay, and it’s for a number of reasons. From progression in equality to the change in the way we live our lives today, here are a few of the reasons the bride’s parents are no longer likely to pay for the wedding…
Wedding costs have increased
The cost of weddings has increased considerably over the years. This is mostly due to the types of wedding venues that are popular and the guest lists getting longer. Weddings have become a bigger celebration with more decadent menus and bigger parties. It wouldn’t really be fair to expect your parents to pay, especially if you’re planning a lavish event. That’s not to say you have to spend an arm and a leg on a wedding – there are affordable wedding venues out there. Nowadays, it’s more common for the parents of both parties to pay for an element of the wedding. One of the parents might pay for the entertainment, whilst the other might pay for the transport. And more often than not, this will be the couple’s wedding gift from the parents as it’s a big cost they are generously paying.
The average age to marry has gotten older
These days, people are marrying later in life. In the UK the average age of men getting married is 38 years old, and the average for women stands at 35. Getting married at a later age means not only do couples have more savings, but their parents are more likely to be retired or perhaps not even around anymore. It’s also worth remembering that older couples tend to have different priorities when it comes to getting married. Often they care less about the extravagant event and focus more on having the people they care about most around them and the practicalities of the wedding venue they choose.
It doesn’t work with same-sex marriages
We’ve come along way in the world in regards to equality, with same-sex marriages now legal in a number of countries. But in these cases, having the bride’s parents pay doesn’t really work. Either there are two brides, so either both sets of parents would have to pay or a debate over which parents should pay will ensue, or on the other hand, there will be no bride at all! It’s simply another case of the traditional ways not suiting the lives we live today.
It’s just old fashioned!
What it all comes down to is that the idea of the bride’s parents paying for the wedding is just old fashioned and out-dated. We have moved on from the times when brides went from being their fathers property to their husbands property, and women are far more capable of taking care of their own finances and paying for their own wedding. Of course, if the bride’s parents want to pay for the wedding and the couple are comfortable with it, there is nothing wrong with that. But having it as an expectation is a lot less common than days passed.