Tradition has it in Western cultures that the groom does not see what the bride is wearing until the wedding day. This makes it rather difficult for the groom to have any say at all! The groom will, however, have some idea of the sort of wedding that is being planned; he will know if it's traditional or modern. Time was that the groom didn't have a chance either to see or to say anything about the wedding dress and offer his view on what he wants his beautiful bride to look like on their wedding day.

Today's bride is definitely more concerned about the groom's opinion and tries to balance her decision by including his views in the process to make her wedding dream become a reality. Some brides even allow the groom to go with them when they choose a wedding gown, and listen to his opinion. The options for a wedding dress are endless; some grooms wants to see their bride more conservative, some simple, others sexy, elegant, or even like a Hollywood star. The wedding dress is a very important part of the overall picture where the bride has the main say, but there are other aspects of the wedding where the groom can participate and help out and offer his opinion.

Before going out there to find your perfect wedding gown the best idea is to have a little chat and come up with the decision on how much would you like to spend for your wedding dress as well the budget for the whole wedding. From this point on it will be easier for you and your groom to plan that unforgettable wedding. Just how much do men think that the bride should be paying for that dress? This only becomes an issue if the bride and groom are paying for it. If the brides parents are stumping up the cash, what the heck! The amount also depends on the budget, of course: some folks can just afford more than others, so it's not an easy one to answer. Prices range from a couple hundred US Dollars to a couple thousand and more. The important thing is that the groom has to be happy with how costs are portioned out and it's not unreasonable that more should be spent on the bride than on the groom even in these days of equality.

In these enlightened times, if the groom does, indeed, get a chance to choose the dress with the bride, or at least see some photos, catalogs or visit some websites, then we have to admit that times have changed; the groom will as often as not nowadays want to have some input; after all, the bride will surely want to have a say in what HE is wearing, won't she?

The key to this is to discuss and come to an agreement on style and price BEFORE the bride goes off looking. That way, the marriage will begin as it's meant to go on.