Every little girl’s dream is often defined by a picture of her own dream wedding. As we grow older and witness the weddings of older relatives such as cousins, uncles, or family friends, we start to see weddings in a different light – the exciting prospect of being a bridesmaid.
This was how my perspective evolved. However, with further growth, I realized that weddings are heavy pocket-drilling affairs, not just for those tying the knot, but also for those participating as part of the wedding party. Most women fail to consider this fact when they are invited to be bridesmaids.
Undeniably, it’s an honor to be a bridesmaid at the wedding of a friend or relative, yet, without proper budget management it can end up straining your finances. Wondering how much it costs to be a bridesmaid? Here’s a breakdown of the potential expenses.
DRESS AND ACCESSORIES
Various expenditures related to your appearance at the wedding are expected as a bridesmaid. Usually, bridesmaids pay for their own dress, shoes, accessories, hair, and makeup. Despite paying for these items, bridesmaids often have limited control over the associated costs.
The final choices for dress, shoes, accessories, and hairstyle — and hence the cost — are usually made by the bride. However, brides sometimes cover the cost of professional makeup and hair styling for their bridesmaids, which can alleviate some financial pressure. Additionally, recent trends of allowing bridesmaids to select their own dress style (provided the color is consistent) also allow them to demonstrate personal flair, dress according to body type, and stay within their budget.
TRAVEL
Travel represents a significant component of a bridesmaid’s expenditure. For local or nearby weddings, this might not be a big deal, but for bridesmaids living further away, it means a significant investment of time and money. Attending events like bridal showers and bachelorette parties will also demand travel, possibly overnight stays for those not living locally. The good news is, in cases of destination weddings, the bride or her parents often cover at least a portion of travel costs for the wedding party. However, travels for a destination bachelorette party might be solely the responsibility of the bridesmaids.
GIFTS AND EVENT COSTS
You might think with all these expenses, you’d be exempted from bearing the burden of gifts. However, arriving at the bridal shower, bachelorette party, or wedding without a gift might be considered uncouth. One way to manage this is by getting the other bridesmaids together to buy a group gift.
Bridesmaids are typically responsible for planning the bridal shower, which includes the expenses for invites, venue, decorations, and food. Fortunately, there are techniques to budget a bridal shower effectively, which can help keep costs low. Bachelorette parties are also a big-ticket event that demands payment for travel, lodging, and food. Bridesmaids typically share the cost of the bride’s expenses at this event as well.
Another overlooked expenditure is the cost of new outfits for the bridal shower and bachelorette party. Even though a new outfit isn’t mandatory, many bridesmaids prefer them to feel special.
TIME
An often-neglected cost of being a bridesmaid is the time commitment involved. This extends to attending the bridal shower, bachelorette party, wedding dress shopping expeditions, shopping for bridesmaids’ dresses, buying gifts for various events, or helping out with various wedding-related tasks. Depending on your circumstances, this may require taking time off work or utilizing vacation days for attending events that are far off.
While being a bridesmaid for the wedding of a close friend or family member is indeed an honor and a memorable experience, spending forever paying off the associated costs should be avoided, especially to avoid a potential bridezilla situation!
Before you rush to accept the role of a bridesmaid, take a moment to reflect on the potentially significant time and monetary commitments you’re about to make.
Have you ever been a bridesmaid? How much did you end up investing? Did you find ways to cut down on expenses, or did you set aside a dedicated budget for this purpose? Share your experiences!
