What bridesmaid expenses do I need to pay for?
If you are on a tight budget, make professional hair and makeup optional and give your bridesmaids a say in their dress selection. Bridesmaids often resent paying for mandated dresses they will never wear again, along with expensive bachelorette parties and rehearsal dinners. If you cannot cover everything, offer cash directly to friends who are traveling or strapped for cash.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
What bridesmaid expenses do I need to pay for?
- 1Making hair, makeup, and specific dresses entirely optional so the bride doesn't have to foot the bill.Did this help you?
- 2Paying for just one service, like hair or makeup, while the bridesmaids cover the rest.Did this help you?
- 3Renting a large shared Airbnb instead of individual hotel rooms to drastically lower accommodation costs per person.Did this help you?
- 4Giving cash directly to a bridesmaid who is struggling to afford the dress.Did this help you?
- 5Providing a required color, length, and fabric, but letting the bridesmaids choose a dress style they are comfortable in.Did this help you?
- 6Paying for the bridesmaids' professional hair and makeup to offset the financial burden of the dress.Did this help you?
- 7Allowing bridesmaids to purchase cheaper, used dresses off resale sites like Poshmark as long as they match the parameters.Did this help you?
- 8Keeping other wedding events like the bachelorette party local so bridesmaids don't have to spend on flights and expensive Airbnbs.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I got tore apart on another group for weddings on Reddit for asking this exact question, lol.”source ↗
“I am just feeling bad about having them spend money on a dress they might not like or wear again.”source ↗
“I had one who had a bougie ass wedding and she didnt cover nothing lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣 hair 100 and make up another 100 plus, dress 200 bacherlotte another 100 and rehearsal dinner we paid lol 🤣🤣🤣.”source ↗
“I was a low budget bride and my bridesmaids paid for most of their stuff themselves. I didn't require specific dresses and hair and makeup was optional. I did get them some matching jewelry to wear and a thank you gift. For one of my bridesmaids, I gave some cash towards the dress as she was strapped for cash.”source ↗
“Of those two times, the only one I resented was the one I had no say in selection. And regardless of dress or who paid, I have never ever reworn any of them.”source ↗
“My bridesmaids are from texas/hawaii. I’m broke af lol but should I offer to cover some of their expenses? Would you and which one?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Should the bride pay for bachelorette party activities?
- 3How much wedding gift to give as a bridesmaid after spending thousands?
- 10Affordable bridesmaid gifts they will actually use
- 13How is anyone actually affording a large wedding?
- 19Why are weddings so ridiculously expensive?
- 3Why are there hidden fees and surprise charges on wedding services?