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Attendants and Guests

Bridesmaid Money Matters

The best way to keep your girls happy? By keeping their wallets intact.

Sure your girls are excited to be in the wedding, but they are probably also nervous about the expense of the day. They have to pay for their dress, their shoes and sometimes even a matching purse, hair and makeup—and that accounts only for their walk down the aisle. Factor in the shower and bachelorette party, the travel expenses for those coming from out of town, plus gifts for the engagement, shower and wedding, and you get a grand total of way more than you probably realized.

Dress for less

No one is assuming that you are going to pay those expenses yourself, but brides can relieve their pals of a bit of the burden with some careful planning. Choose gowns that are designer knock-offs or possibly can be worn after the wedding (for real). That means picking a style that’s current and not too fancy. You can also be flexible and give only basic gown guidelines, such as sleeveless, black and floor-length. Your friends can pick a gown in their own price range and still look a part of the party. If you must go designer, you could volunteer to pay a portion of the cost yourself—though this is by no means required.

We suggests being cost-sensitive not just with the dress but with everything else you are selecting too. Instead of requiring dyed-to-match shoes, suggest a neutral-color sandal that will look nice with the gown and get postwedding use. You can give your bridesmaids the choice of doing their ’dos themselves or coughing up the cash for a hairstylist. Arranging for car pools and couches helps out-of-town pals avoid transportation and hotel bills.

Also, be sure to settle the money issues before the planning goes into high gear, giving your pals ample opportunity to start saving or bow out. You may discover that your cousin doesn’t mind the extra expense if she can budget for it from the beginning.

Party all the time

For you, each wedding function is a day to shine; for your bridesmaids, showers and parties mean more expense. These days, brides frequently attend five or more showers!

Though usually it’s not up to you how many showers you get (some of them may even be surprises), you could suggest to friends that they combine their efforts for one large gathering. If this is not possible, make it clear to your ladies that you don’t expect them to attend more than one or two showers. Even if they turn out to be party animals, bridesmaids (or any other guest, for that matter) are not expected to bring more than one gift. A gift is never a requirement.


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