Why are you paying anyway? Traditionally it’s the bride’s family who pay with welcome assistance from the groom’s if offered. We paid the lion’s share for each of our daughters. One Mother-in-Law volunteered to make the bride’s dress and we had fun going to try them on to see what suited before she made, and paid, for it. Lists of guests were drawn up meticulously, allowing the same number of guests on each side. Both bridegrooms paid for the church, choirboys, bells, cars, buttonholes, bridesmaid’s presents and corsages for the mothers and we paid for bridesmaids dresses, the reception, flowers in the church, the bridal bouquets. The other bride bought her own dress. It all seemed to work!