When planning a wedding, one soon realises that no matter how you look at it, it could cost you a tidy sum. We have been collecting data from our brides over the past ten years and it never ceases to amaze us how much can be spent on a wedding. Some couples choose to have casual intimate affairs and have spent as little as $1,000, whilst others opt for something a little more grand and opulent and have spent as much as $100,000. However, no matter what your budget, we all would like to know who pays for what.

Most women today have jobs (as opposed to the long-ago days where many stayed home), which means both the bride and groom should have an income and may choose to pay for much of their wedding themselves, with a little help from their families. Traditionally, there are guidelines as to who pays for what, typically split between the bride and her family (who usually get the larger portion of the pie) and the groom and his family, (who generally manage to get away with less than half of the bill).

Following we have put together a list, by category, of the key items involved in organising a wedding. Alongside we indicate 'traditionally' who has been responsible for these items, bearing in mind that not everyone sticks to tradition.