Who should Pay for the Honeymoon
A honeymoon can be such an incredible experience, as newlyweds take their first celebratory trip as a married couple. They often choose to go to all-inclusive resorts on beaches, so they can unwind after the tremendous stress of a wedding.
Traditionally, the bride's family pays for the wedding. The groom's family pays for the rehearsal dinner. But, who should pay for the honeymoon?
In most cases, the groom would foot the bill for the honeymoon. After all, he has a new bride, and it is their first big adventure as man and wife.
With the man treating his wife to this trip, then he is setting a generous tone early in the marriage. Of course, the rules of who-pays-for-what may already be somewhat established if the couple dated for any length of time.
In the old days, the man was often the sole breadwinner in a partnership, so it made sense that he would pay for the honeymoon. However, things have greatly changed, and so it is not crucial from an economic standpoint for the groom to foot the entire bill.
In some cases, couples choose to forgo a lavish wedding so they can have a great honeymoon. The parent on both sides may opt to make a financial contribution toward the wedding event.
The couple can then decide how to split up this sum of money. Oftentimes, that may mean a very simple ceremony and party, followed by a getaway.
In other cases, a couple may come up with a honeymoon budget many months prior to the timing of the trip. They may decide to both make contributions to save for the required budget, based on what they plan to do.
The main thing, though, when covering the financial arrangements for a honeymoon is for the couple to be in agreement about how it should be handled. A couple wants to start their marriage off on the right foot, no doubt.
Yet, if one person has a resentment about who is paying for the honeymoon, then that is not a good way for a marriage to start. Couples also need to come to agreement about their expectations for a honeymoon.
Otherwise, they may start bickering over finances far sooner than necessary. And, that can create stress in a marriage.
Both parties in the couple need to be realistic about what they can and cannot afford. Too often in this society, people seem entitled to far more than they really need. They also make foolish spending choices, such as financing trips on credit cards.
When deciding who should pay for the honeymoon and what the itinerary should be, a couple should remember first and foremost the meaning of this event. If the bride and groom are a good match, then they should see this trip as a chance to celebrate their blessing of finding one another.
The honeymoon does not have to be excessive. Nor does it have to cause them to go broke. It simply needs to be well planned and fun, and viewed as a chance for man and wife to relax and spend some quality time together.
