Parents of the Groom Etiquette

How involved should the groom’s parents be in your wedding? Should they plan the rehearsal dinner? Should they help with wedding planning? Here’s everything you need to know about the parents of the groom etiquette.

Rehearsal dinner

Traditionally, parents of the groom should plan, pay and host the rehearsal dinner. They may hire the couple’s wedding planner or organize the event on their own. Rehearsal dinner can be casual or formal, but it should correlate with the wedding theme. Invitations should come from the groom’s parents, signifying that they are hosting the rehearsal dinner.

Guest list

As the guest list comes together, there are a lot of friends and family members to organize. Parents of the groom should help make the guest list, especially if they are paying for the wedding. They should also provide mailing addresses for friends and relatives and help with following the guests who haven’t RSVP’d on time.

Family pictures

On the wedding day, groom’s parents should make sure their family members know where to be for family photos. Bride may not know every person, so the parents of the groom should step in to keep track of who should stand where.

Walk down the aisle

If it’s a Christian ceremony, groom’s parents should walk down the aisle after grandparents seating. If it’s a Jewish ceremony, parents of the groom should accompany the groom to the chuppah.

Expenses

There are several expenses that parents of the groom traditionally should pay: officiant fees, marriage licence, corsages and boutonnieres for close members of the family, bride’s wedding bouquet, liquor and honeymoon. These days, budgets are handled in different ways, expenses can widely vary and bride and groom may pay for these things themselves.

What are your thoughts on the parents of the groom etiquette?

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