Modern Math

I was at the Plaza Hotel for my job the other day and saw a group scoping out the ballroom with a wedding planner. The manager in charge told me that wedding decisions are now rarely made simply between the bride and groom or the bride and her mother. These days, ten people weigh in: there’s the bride, her mother and stepfather, her father and stepmother, the groom, his mother and stepfather, and his father and stepmother. It’s always been a strain for event professionals dealing with brides and their mothers and all the emotionally charged decisions, but this sort of entourage must be a huge headache.

I learned that some things haven’t changed. The groom’s parents still pay for the rehearsal dinner and split that cost if they are divorced. The wedding bills still go to the bride’s parents. If her parents are divorced, wedding planners suggest they meet jointly with the bride and groom to clarify—in writing—who agrees to pay for what.