“If I get married, I want to be very married.”
– Audrey Hepburn
Aren’t marriages simply awesome? Maybe one of those few days that will remain in a person’s memory for as long as he or she lives. It’s no surprise then; marriages tend to be over the top, extravagant, picture perfect and elaborate.
If you are one of those whose marriage might end up being any of the above you are also prepared to bare the expenses that come along with it.
An extravagant marriage is not only financially dear to the bride and groom but also to the people associated with them. The guests, need to dress up in expensive outfits to arrive at the posh location. One has to arrive in style, so public transport won’t do. It has to be a private vehicle. Then there is the gift, the token of love/gratitude it can’t just be a tiny matchbox size gift; it has to be very visible and prominent so that the people present there know you ain’t here just for the free food.
The guests are just one such example, the ones who are affected even more and have to invest a great deal both physically and emotionally are the ones associated with the bride and the groom such as the parents, brothers, sisters.
But mostly importantly it is the bridesmaids and the best men at the wedding that are the ones who are at the receiving end of all the tantrums, demands, abuses, running helter-skelter to fulfill all their needs most importantly dealing with the expenses associated with being the bridesmaid.
Let’s discuss the cost of being a bridesmaid and what to do about it. Coming to the expenses involved in being the selected few people, wearing matching outfits at a wedding and smiling along with the main people in the event in front of a crowd of hundreds of people. Let’s consider the average cost of being a maid of honor, we’ll discuss the average cost of being a groomsman in another article.
The costs can be mainly segregated into three different categories namely, Clothing, Events and Wedding Expenses
Let’s start with,
- Clothing
The bridesmaid’s dress is one of the most important aspects of a wedding. If you have watched the movie 27 dresses you would have a better idea of how much should a bridesmaid expect to spend, the dress while not being very expensive is still a quite an investment, as it’s not just the cost of the dress but the entire package that comes along with it. To give you an approximate figure
| Item | Cost |
| The Bridesmaids dress | approx $500 |
| Hair and makeup | approx $180 |
| Shoes | approx $150 |
| Make up | approx $140 |
| Total | $970 |
How to avoid it – Do consider a cheaper alternative, such as cheap bridesmaid dresses. Take into consideration whether you are really close to the person or not. Did the bride attend your wedding or has been to any of your ceremonies. In some cultures, the bride offers to pay for the outfits, get your makeup done at home and borrow the shoes from a friend or hire it for the day.
- Events
In case you are selected for the coveted position of the maid of honor, well your game has to be in a whole new league. Besides being tip top at the wedding your responsibilities now extend to planning the bachelorette, bridal shower and a few other responsibilities related to the wedding, wine flowers, the band, etc. which in itself is quite something, listed are the possible expenses
| Item | Cost |
| Bachelorette Party | approx $450 |
| Bridal Shower | approx $350 |
| Total | $800 |
How to avoid it – In the event that bridesmaid can’t afford bachelorette party, there is still no way you can skip it completely. In that case, one has to reach out to the other friends of the bride and make it clear that they will have to pitch in for the party as well. Try to keep the party as simple as possible, preferably at someone’s house and splurge most of the money on the alcohol, food and pleasantries.
- Wedding Expenses
When you are through with everything the last one to tackle are the wedding expenses, it does not matter how great the bachelorette was if at a wedding you do not get a gift anybody will and up feeling dejected and disappointed.
| Item | Cost |
| Wedding Gift | Approx. $200 |
| Travel and other miscellaneous expenses | Approx. $300 |
| Total | $500 |
How to avoid it – You can’t really avoid the wedding gift. You may end up giving a gift that is expensive if you don’t plan on it beforehand and save up accordingly. Or else, settle for a gift that has more sentimental value as opposed to it being flashy and expensive, but that will completely depend on your closeness and knowledge about her likes and dislikes.
How to avoid all of it – If you genuinely can’t afford to be a bridesmaid, there is a way you can avoid all of it by simply declining the opportunity of being a bridesmaid and you will find many articles talking about how to get out of being a bridesmaid gracefully. You need to look up the cost of being a bridesmaid, so as to get the right figure.
Whatever you decide, make sure you deal with this situation in a sensitive and delicate manner, these are the days that make or break relationships, hence excel at the same if you are on to being a bridesmaid or avoid it altogether.
