Who Pays For The Best Man's Air Fare?

[ladyalex]

The son-and-heir is getting married next year. (Hurrah! Lovely girl etc etc.)
As she is American, the ceremony will be in the US , Massachusetts to be precise.
The Best Man is based in Scotland so will have to travel and stay in the US for the wedding.
He earns a very good salary and has an American girlfriend who he visits at least twice a year. She's based in New York, a hop and a skip in American terms from Massachusetts.
So, who pays for the Best Man's air fare? (We have accommodation sorted out.)
What do folks think ? Him, the son-and-heir or do they share it in some way?
Thanks for your thoughts.

[ummmm]

The groom.

[pretty_snowdrop]

I think he should pay it himself if he can afford to.

[inksplotter]

Presumably, there's no difference between the Best Man flying to the wedding or driving to the wedding, it's up to the Best Man to pay.

However if they can't afford to, it must come out of the wedding costs. It depend what your description of not being able to afford is.

[anneasquith]

grooms mother ?

[ladyalex]

Thanks , folks.
He can well afford it.
He has to fly from Scotland to the US, inksplotter.

[ladyalex]

I suspect you may have come up with what the answer will eventually be, anneasquith.
:-))

[Buenchico]

Traditionally the groom should pay:
http://www.weddingguideuk.com/who-pays-for-what-at-weddings/

However if I was in a well-paid job, and invited to be Best Man at a wedding, it would probably never even occur to me to expect someone else to pay my transport costs.

[jomifl]

send him a list of cut price airline quotes with the invite..

[ladyalex]

I tend to agree with you, Buenchico.
If the wedding were just a few miles away, I doubt anyone would have ever thought about it, but transatlantic air fares are not cheap.

[anneasquith]

well, lady a ...........you have a huge castle,,,,you can afford it .

[ladyalex]

I have a picture of a castle.....

[pixie373]

Will he be visiting his girlfriend while there? Or is he purely going for the wedding? If it is an issue to him (I'm presuming he's mentioned it at some point), i would suggest he and the groom go halves. It isn't a time when you want any resentment or bad feeling.

[Tilly2]

As you say transatlantic air fares are not cheap. I think the groom should offer to pay half the cost.

[jomifl]

find an American best man.

[Brinjal]

My daughter lives and was married in Sydney. Both bridesmaids and best men lived in New Zealand. They all paid for their own airfares.

[ladyalex]

The girlfriend will be invited to the wedding, Pixie, so he will be visiting her and we have her accommodation organised.
He almost certaily would be visiting her anyway as the wedding is planned for the summer.
He hasn't mentioned anything about payment so far.

He has to be the choice for Best Man, jomifli. They held hands together as five year olds going into school and have been friends ever since.

[aelmpvw]

if i was the best man on a very good salary i would pay the air fair myself without a second thought, especially if i had a girlfriend in america

[ichkeria]

I'm really glad I got married in a marriage office. In my footie shirt. No flowers no fuss no expenses bills
:-)

[Mamyalynne]

Milady, you have some excellent replies already - but may I (although gutted and a little heart broken) wish him all the best.

Seems like only yesterday when he was my tiny charge.

[Peter Pedant]

IN my family if people wanted to go abroad for weddings,
they paid for themselves...

Mick Jagger I thnk flew a planeload to Timbuctu but a lot of us arent that rich