Yes, I know that's not the tradition. But, the cost of weddings have escalated way out of control. That money is much better spent on more tangible items, like the down-payment on a house.
We are paying for our own wedding -- more accurately, I'm paying for it, but it's "our" money ever since we decided to get married. We've decided to keep it simple, limiting the guest list to family and close friends.
“Reality check: set a limit on what you will spend, and leave it to the bride and groom to pay for the rest, if they want it that badly.”
Amen to that! We had 3 sons get married this year! We gave each 3K ($3000)and told them to spend it as they would. One had no help on the bride’s side, so he did it all for 3K. Another had about that same amount of help on the bride’s side and had a huge wedding. The third had a small wedding and a great honeymoon. All three were very frugal wedding planners, I thought.