Weddingbee Blog

I have one bridesmaid. She lives in LA and has flown up once so far for the sole purpose of my wedding-related stuff (she helped me pick my dress!). We’re paying for her dress, MU, hair. She bought her own shoes from Nordstrom Rack, and probably will pay upfront for her own alterations too, since she’s getting it done in LA. I’m not expecting a bridal shower or bachelorette party from her, so I hope I have kept her expenses down!=)

My bridesmaids’ costs are as follows:

- Dress: approx. $200 (the dresses are $375, and i will subsidize them by paying between $175 and $200)
- Alterations: not more than $40
- Shoes: they can wear any shoes they want– old, new, borrowed…
- Hair: approx. $75 (or whatever a blowout costs where they go)
- Makeup: i’m paying for that
- Shower: is being thrown by a friend of my mom
- Bachelorette Party: will definitely be local likely a dinner and maybe karaoke… all told maybe $150/each (at most)
- Travel: my bridesmaids all live locally (a subway ride away or, in one case, an elevator ride) and although my sister (MOH) lives in SF, my parents are flying her out here.

Total: approx. $465

my bridesmaid are paying $180 for the dress (i’m keeping it under 200), shoes they can wear whatever they have since the dress is long…. hair and makeup, they’re already beautiful so i told them to do what they want. i did tell them i don’t want a party/shower but instead have a get to know the bridal party/rehearsal dinner type before the wedding. so that we can all have fun and not spend so much money. i know when i was a bridesmaid i spent so much i literally almost went broke and i don’t want to do that to my girls.

I have 3 bridesmaids.

Dress: I picked a dress that was about $180 but I found them online and they are ordering for just under $150 plus whatever alterations they need (but can take to anybody).
Shoes: They can pick whatever black silk/satin heel they want
Makeup & Hair: Up to them if they want to get it done, but not requiring.
Shower: I won a contest for the venue and my mother is paying the overage and doing favors/decorations herself, so no added cost for them other than the gift.
Bachelorette- 2 nights in montreal. Hotel comes to about $160pp for the weekend. We’re driving so just a few bucks for gas and then whatever dinner/going out costs.

So “required” cost is about $315, plus gifts and going out costs in Montreal.

Just was a bridesmaid and paid $165 for dress, $50 for shoes, $20 for shower chip-in (we just did favors/games), about $120 for bachelorette party. $355 for that one plus gifts.

Well, I’m an ultra-poor college student in the Midwest, so my costs were substantially lower than coast bridesmaids, but all in all (dress, alterations, shower + wedding gift) I paid $225. The bride told us to wear black open toe shoes (which I already owned) and a mutual friend did hair and makeup for 4 of us.

My bridesmaids expenses:
Dress- $105
Alterations- $50 (average)
Shoes- they can wear whatever, new or ones they already had
Hair- they can do it themselves if they wanted
Make-up- I’m paying for it
Shower- thrown by my Aunts
Bachelorette party- $50 in room costs then whatever they paid for food and going out
Traveling- all live within a few miles os myself and the wedding location

I was definitely conscious about what they had to pay for.