A: Traditionally, the bride's parents would have paid for the wedding ceremony and the reception, including any photography. This would also have extended to having photo albums made up, most likely for the couple and their parents. These days, the financing for weddings can be done so many ways that it's no longer set in stone who will be responsible for the photography budget. Because of this, there are two ways for deciding who will assume this part of the wedding costs. On the one hand, it could fall to whoever is paying for the reception, even if that is being paid for by a pool of resources from several people. In other words, it simply becomes part of the greater package. On the hand, I think it's a beautiful gesture (though not required), for the bride and groom to have the wedding albums made up and given to their parents as special keepsakes. This changes the wedding albums from a line on a budget into a special and sentimental gift.—Anna Post, The Emily Post Institute
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