Should the bride pay for bachelorette party activities?
Bridal party planners often struggle to figure out whether the bride should cover her own expenses or if costs like housing, wine tastings, and yoga classes should be split among the bridesmaids. When the bride is unsure of what she is expected to pay for, planners are left guessing how to divide per-person costs without clear etiquette.
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.
- 1Having a conversation with the bride to see her vision and checking the budget of all guestsDid this help you?
- 2Splitting the bride's share of accommodations and activities among the bridal party while the bride pays her own wayDid this help you?
- 3Having the bride pay for major travel expenses while the group covers specific meals or activitiesDid this help you?
- 4Making professional hair and makeup optional so bridesmaids can choose to do their own or pay their own way.Did this help you?
- 5Covering specific services like makeup as a gift while having the bridal party pay for their own hair.Did this help you?
- 6Asking attendees to pay for themselves or checking restaurant formality optionsDid 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 wanted to give my 6 bridesmaids a colour palette and let them choose their dress on their own.”source ↗
“Do I pay for them? What’s the budget? If yes, do I tell them how much I will pay? Isn’t that weird? How much is the norm? Help”source ↗
“Starting to plan my BFFs bachelorette and I’m stuck on what the bride should and shouldn’t pay for.”source ↗
“I did ask the Bride what her thoughts were and she was a bit unsure/quiet. It read almost as if she wasn’t expecting to pay for much… or maybe she was just unsure.”source ↗
“I’m researching based on her not paying for the house, but now looking at activities, like wine tasting, yoga classes… should I include her in the pp cost or not?”source ↗
“I never really intended for my wedding to be super traditional. Im doing an all inclusive wedding so most of my bridesmaids / maid of honor wont have any major tasks. My MOH informed me that its traidtional for a bride to pay for their hair/makeup…”source ↗
“Is it the norm that I’m supposed to pay for everyone’s brunch? It’ll be 8 of us 😅”source ↗
“Would we be expected to pay, or would everyone expect to pay for themselves?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 13How is anyone actually affording a large wedding?
- 9How to split wedding costs when one partner makes more
- 2Is it okay to ask wedding guests to pay for their lodging?
- 2What is a fair way to split household bills?
- 11How to plan a cheap bachelorette party when nobody else helps
- 16Why are weddings so ridiculously expensive?