Dividing Expenses

My daughter will be getting married in May. Her father and I are divorced and we have no problems supporting our children emotionally. But, I as their Mother, do most of the expenses. My question is: Is there any way to share expenses and not have it be a difficult situation for all involved. When it comes to money and paying for a wedding what would be a reasonable way to deal with a sticky situation?

I would appreciate some feedback as soon as possible. My daughter does not live in the same state as either parent so she cannot just go to both parents to work out expenses.

Thank you. I want this to be fun for all of us.

Sincerely,

Patricia Jaqua

Hello Patricia and thank you for the question.

Here are a couple of suggestions for you. If they don't fit your
situation, feel free to pass along some further details and I will be glad to fine tune the answer.

Assuming that both you and your ex-husband are willing to supply the same amount of dollars toward the celebration, I suggest opening a new account. This can be in the form of a checking account or a credit card. Let's say you both have agreed to give $5,000.00. Whether you give that amount all up front or in monthly payments is up to you. Your daughter knows exactly what she has to work with and can keep track of the balance with ease in her "wedding account".

Another idea would be to assign the various parts of the celebration. Here is an example: Mom = florist, dress, and limousine. Dad = church, hall, and caterer. Daughter and groom = favors, attendant gifts, and disposable cameras. This option works wonderfully if you have one side contributing more than the other side.

Happiness always,
Wendy

Dividing Expenses