Bridesmaid expenses

I think it really depends. I've been to weddings where the bridesmaid paid for everything, and i've been to weddings where it's 50/50 and a number of weddings where the bride provided everything. It's dependent on what you're comfortable with.

I paid for all of my bridal parties expenses (dress, hair, makeup, thank you gift) in recognition that they chose to take the time to stand up to be there with me and support me all day. Plus, the girls were in return hosting my bridal/bachelorette parties so it all evened out in terms of spending for both parties. I think that's the best situation where no one is taking advantage of each other because i've seen other friends lose friends when someone feels they are being asked to spend too much.

Our MOHs and BM (Best Men) paid for their suits/shirts/ties as the saris/accessories for the ladies. We got them as a Thank you gift a cologne set for the men and sampler box for the ladies. Hair and beauty was their thing since they were hair stylists. The wedding party was also responsible for the rooms as all the guests did for themselves.

Small things less than $10 paid for them ourselves and that was it.

These little things do add up and leave nothing for payments towards vendors.

We are paying for all the day of expenses for our bridal party and groomsmen. Attire, shoes, make up, hair. Jewelry will be up to them, and transportation should be free and we are spending the night before at FH Nanna's and FH + his men will be at our place. This was something I've always built into my wedding budget, and its just a recognition that I am at a different income level then my bridesmaids so I am able to take care of all that for them! I will not be getting them a gift, other then maybe something fun for the slumber party. In return I expect they will take care of all the bachelorette bridal shower costs and a wedding gift. I think the standard is what everyone below has said, and most bridal party members should be expected to do that. I've only been in one wedding (MoH) for my best friend (and she is mine) and she covered all the same costs as well as that was also important to her. So I think it just depends!

We paid for all our wedding party’s attire- dresses for the ladies and shirt/pants/tie for the guys. Hair and makeup was optional for my bridesmaids so they were expected to pay for it if they wanted it. Shoes I told my bridesmaids to wear whatever they wanted so most picked something they already owned instead of buying a new pair.
We also did small gifts for the wedding party- we gave everyone beer steins/ wine glasses with their name and our wedding hashtag engraved on it.

Like many of the other ladies have said, when people agree to being your bridesmaid, they are understanding there may be some costs that come along with that.

If hair and makeup is in your budget, I think that is a great expense to cover, especially if you want everyone to have the same look. I will be paying for my girls hair and makeup, but am getting them to pay for their dresses.

For our wedding party they are all paying for their outfits and their hotel rooms.

I offered to pay for my bridal party's hair to be done and then if they wanted make up they would pay for that themselves ($30). For the guy's we are paying for their ties.

View quoted message

I agree! Both times I was part of a wedding I had to pay for hair and makeup. But I didn't mind because at the time I thought that was expected of the bridesmaid. I think most people should know that being a bridesmaid means it comes with a cost. I also don't expect them to spend a ridiculous amount! I want it to be a fun experience for them, not a burden

All things attire, bridal party members are expected to pay for (dress/suit/shoes/accessories). I know there's kind of a "rule" that if the bride expects the girls to get their hair and makeup done, then she should pay for it. I personally don't agree. I think if you're asked to be a bridesmaid, you should expect to have your hair and makeup done. I dunno...part of me feels like its part of the fun of getting ready together on the day, so why wouldn't you want to be part of that? Its nice when a bride offers to pay for this, but definitely not expected.

Thing to remember is that when you ask your friends to be in your wedding party, them agreeing is them understanding that there will be costs for them along the way. Its important for you to keep their budgets in mind, but its also important for them to understand that they have agreed to help you.

Typically the bride and groom buy everybody a gift as a thank you for helping, and supporting along the way. Sometimes this gift includes accessories, like ties, or jewelry for them to wear on the day, which is probably what we'll be doing.

View quoted message

For me, I will be opting out of Hair & MU all together - most likely be doing my own as well in fact!

As for thank-you gifts, I actually reached out to my girls and asked them what they would like seeing as how I wouldn't be able to get them earrings (at least one of them doesn't have her ears pierced), and I didn't want to get them a manicure/pedicure or H&MU as it would feel selfish with it being for MY big day. Most of the girls liked the idea of either a spa day leading up to the wedding though, or for their eyebrows to get micro-bladed! Some girls that didn't want that though were into the idea of getting waxed

I would for sure ask the girls what they would prefer. They way I look at it, if brides & grooms are going out of their way now-a-days to ask/note that they would prefer a monetary gift for their wedding, maybe the wedding party would like that as well! Heck, if one of my girls would rather not have anything I will be giving her the cash value of whatever the others are getting!

Thanks everyone for your input!

Really helpful

View quoted message

Thanks for your input! I was wondering more about H&MU because I've heard brides pay for it or bridesmaids, so I wanted to see which was more common.

Also wondering about thank you gifts? Any cool ideas?Ive been in two weeding and both times they had gifted me with jewelry for the wedding. However, after the wedding I never once used it. So I want to think of another one

Wedding Party: dress/suit, shoes, wedding shower (although the Mom's should be the leads), wedding social

Bride and Groom: Hair & Makeup if mandatory, jewellery if all to wear the same, Thank-you gift

Both: if H&MU aren't mandatory then it would be up to you whether you wanted to foot the bill, I've seen brides pay for H&MU as the gift but I don't like the idea of giving a gift towards your own wedding seeing as it's going to straight benefit you and your pictures.

Were there any expenses that you were wondering in specific?

I asked my girls to pay for their dresses (about $200.00), shoes (their choice), jewellery (their choice), and staying at the hotel for Bachelorette (2 nights for $150.00)

Either than that I'm not sure what was spent for the Bridal Shower or any other extras for the bachelorette yet! I am paying for their Hair and Makeup for the wedding day!

I would say the hair, makeup, dress, shoes, bridal shower, bachorlette/bacholor, these types of things. However, I did consider peoples financial situations when picking out dresses and if we had couples we took that into consideration too.

I did proposal gifts- which I wish would have did something small as I should have did those gifts as thank you's lol now I dont know what to give

Usually bridesmaids are required to pay for their dresses, shoes (if you're asking for something specific), accommodations if they are coming from out of town, bridal shower gift and wedding gift. As others said, if you're not making it mandatory for your girls to get professional hair and makeup, they would absorb those costs as well but if it is mandatory, it's a good idea for the bride to cover part, if not all, of the costs.

The bride also covers the gifts for bridesmaids, which can include any accessories you want them to wear the day of. Also if you want them to wear matching getting ready robes/pjs, the bride would cover that too.

Anytime I've been in a wedding party i paid for my dress, shoes, hair and nails and in one instance accommodations. I did my own makeup. The brides gifted me with jewellery and bouquet for the day. I gave a shower gift, and wedding gift. The wedding party might help prepare food, donate prize for a stag and doe. The bride is not really responsible for any cost associated with the wedding party unless she so chooses to do so.

Part of agreeing to be in a wedding party is accepting the expense. I say wherever you can help them it’s a nice gesture. If you specify certain things are mandatory like nails or hair or makeup o do think it goes over better if you offer to cover atleast part of that cost. Outside of attire and bachelorette / stag.

My girls bought their own dresses and shoes. I am paying for their makeup because I wanted it professionally done. Hair I left up to them, but found a professional to come to the hotel. Two are doing their own. And three are paying the lady I hired themselves. I got them thank you gifts. Some of which includes things to wear the day of. (Like Earrings and a bracelet. And pjs to get ready in.)

groomsmen rented their own suits. And bought shoes. We got them some nice thank you gifts as well. And fun socks to wear the day of. But nothing else we got them is for the wedding.

Our bridal party is very small, just my sister and future brother in law.

We’re paying for their attire and alterations. For My sister I’m paying for hair and make up as well, in addition to her bouquet.

If I do a thank you gift, I’ll get my sister one. My future brother in laws suit is expensive so that’ll be “his gift” from us because he can wear it again.

I forgot to add the groomsmen. They paid for their rentals. And split the cost of the bachelor party.

I have been a bridesmaid 4 times. I paid for the dress for each. Shoes three times (the other wedding I could wear a pair I had.) Makeup and hair for each ( bride covered some of the deposit for one wedding). I was given the necklace to wear for two (the other two no necklaces). I also pitched in for the shower and bachelorette. And the stag and does. For each.

For my wedding, the bridesmaids paid for their dresses, hair and makeup were optional but I paid the deposit for those that got it done. I said black shoes so one had to buy a pair. And jewelry was up to them. They also put together the shower and bachelorette and split the cost.

It’s customary to get them a thank you gift, usually given the day of the wedding. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. Sometimes brides will cover hair or makeup, sometimes both, as the thank you gift. You don’t have to pay for their hair and makeup, Unless you’re making it mandatory. If you’re ok with them doing their own, then it’s their choice if they want to pay to have it professionally done. I personally always think it’s a nice gesture, because being in a wedding party is expensive! The wedding party pays for their own attire, accommodations if they choose, the bachelorette/ bachelor party, bridal shower contribution, bridal shower gift, wedding gift.
On top of a thank you gift, you would pay for their bouquets (obviously) wedding day transportation, and if you decide to stay at a hotel together the night before the wedding, you should cover that cost too