Wedding Expense Etiquette

Who pays for couples’ big days? A noted bridal consultant, aided by the women's feature staff of the New York Herald Tribune prepared a “complete book of engagement and wedding etiquette” back in 1959.

Expert Helps Decide Which Are ‘His’ - ‘Her’ Expenses

NEW YORK (UPI) An arbitrator has turned up to draw the lines of responsibility for a wedding. Barbara Wilson, noted bridal consultant, aided by the women's feature staff of the New York Herald Tribune has prepared a “complete book of engagement and wedding etiquette.” In it, the division of responsibilities is clearly outlined as follows: 

The Bride’s Side 

• Provide the bridegroom’s ring, if it is a double-ring ceremony. 
• Provide the bride’s linen, lingerie clothes and luggage. 
• Order, address, stamp and mail wedding invitations and announcements and provide a stationery trousseau. 
• Plan the entire wedding ceremony from the fee for the organist to pew ribbons. 
• Provide all transportation for the entire wedding party on the day of the ceremony. 
• Plan and finance the reception down to parking facilii ties and a canopy over the door. 
• Select and finance bridal ‘attendants’ outfits. 
• Arrange for photographs, newspaper publicity, wedding books and accommodations for out-of-town guests of the bride. 
• Register the bride's name and patterns with china, silver and crystal stores and buy gifts for bridegroom and attendants 
• Bride's parents also arrange for gift for the newlyweds. 

Bridegroom’s Suite 

• Provide the bride’s engagement and wedding rings. 
• Provide bridegroom’s clothes and luggage and clothes worn by his attendants at ceremony. 
• Buy bridal bouquet, going away corsage and corsages for the two mothers, which have been selected by the bride, and boutonnieres for the best man, ushers and both fathers. 
• Arrange for accessories, such as ties, gloves and spats, for best man, ushers and both fathers. 
• Provide gifts for bride, best man and ushers. 
• Pay for the marriage license, the minister and accommodations for bridegroom's out-of-town guests. 
• Give a bachelor dinner and a rehearsal dinner. 
• Make all honeymoon arrangements and foot the bill for the wedding trip. — Madera Tribune, 1959

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