Wedding Party Attire

Hi All,

Thank you so much for the advice. I was pretty sure it was customary for their bridesmaids and groomsmen to pay for their own attire but I appreciate the help none the less.

Im planning on paying for the cost for my maid of honour to get her hair, makeup and nails done and I know my fiancé will get his best man a nice gift as well.

Once again thank you!

Absolutely not! They agreed to stand up with you and they can pay for their attire. We are providing their accessories as their gifts however they are paying for their dress/suits

Its not your expense - this is something they should be covering.

I don't think you're responsible for the cost of their outfits. Obviously if you could afford it, sure, pay for it, but I don't personally know of anyone who has done that.

Usually each bridesmaid/groomsman has to pay for their suit. They should be expecting this expense for your wedding

I dont know that it is customary. I believe when friends/family are asked to stand for you in your wedding and they agree, they do so knowing there are expenses attached. You and your future spouse may buy them a gift as a token to thank them, but paying for their outfits is not obligatory, especially if it's not in the budget. Since you only have honour attendants maybe they can wear something they already have that might be wedding appropriate or they can get something on sale because they don't have to match an entire bridal party. Good luck with your planning. I'm sure it will be very beautiful and you wont break the bank.

I’ve never known a a couple to cover the outfit costs for their wedding party. We paid for the guys ties but they paid for the suits. I offered to pay for my bridesmaids hair but they paid for the outfit and their makeup. None of them were surprised when they had to pay for these things so I think it’s assumed that they are supposed to pay for it

If you’re renting suits then that’s a cost the groom should cover. For bridesmaids dresses, if you want them to wear a particular dress that’s something you should cover. If you’re letting them choose the dress but with your colour scheme then that’s something the bridesmaid will cover.



Most guys already have a black suit and anyone who doesn’t honestly should go out and get one.

I have asked my bridal party to pay but I was flexible on what they were wearing because I wanted them to be okay with the price. Most people would know that there are costs involved when being part of a wedding party. It's normal in my opinion.

I've actually very rarely heard of the bride/groom covering wedding party attire! I've been in a couple weddings and it's always been a given that we would pay for ourselves. Everyone is paying for themselves in our party, though the groom is covering some of the accessory costs for the guys --- but that is part of their gift.

I find its more normal to have them pay for it. I know for us (we are the same with a Best man and Maid of honor only) they are responsible for buying their own. However you do need to make a reasonable budget for her and stick to it. If you go over then its only fair you pay the difference. Dont expect to get a whole lot for a whole little amount. I told my MOH to just find a black dress and after looking for a long time I ended up not liking what I had pictured. So we looked at other options and by the end of it she remembered she had a black dress in her closet so she put it on and sent me some pictures and it worked. I do wish it was floor length BUT on her it looked nice, it fit the very laid back theme, it was comfortable but warm enough for october in alberta, and best of all it didnt cost either of us a thing.

Its simple and leaves us with the option to jazz it up with accessories which are cheaper to buy and leaves more customisation options

Our bridal party will be covering the expenses associated with their individual apparels! My bridesmaids will also be covering the expenses associated with their hair and makeup. It wasn't an awkward thing to ask them to do as they had all actually expected to do that themselves. I was just recently a bridesmaid for the first time too and we all paid for our own stuff as well!

Our bridal party is paying for their own suits and dresses. They all assumed they were paying so that wasn't an issue for us.

My fiancé and I are having a smallish wedding and we just have a best-man and a brides maid and they are paying for there own attire.

When I was a bridesmaid for my two cousins who had big Indian weddings, and had all the clothes made in India, they paid for everything. One cousin wanted everything matching and professional so she paid for hair and make up. One didn't care and didn't even ask if we wanted it done and it was our responsibility. My best friends that were married in smaller weddings, I paid for it myself. One bride's mom paid for our shoes as she wanted us to all have one style and paid the tips for the Make up and hairstylists. The other bride had a super tight budget, as they were getting married quickly before she had surgery, so everything was on us, but she didn't care what we bought.

I would just say be mindful of the costs.

I have been a bridesmaid 3 times and I have always paid for my own dress. I also did not pay for my bridesmaids dresses. I have heard of this happening, however it is not expected by any means.

My finance and I are also planning our wedding on a budget and having a small wedding. Most of my friends already know that we can really afford lavish 150+ people style wedding. Most bridal party's when they agree to be in the wedding do so knowing there will be a cost. They typically pay for their own dress / suit, hair, makeup, etc. Even on my budget I have set aside some money to make sure that I am able to give my bridesmaids a gift to thank them for being part of my wedding. (same for my fiancé).

I just want to encourage you! Weddings can be expensive and there will be a cost, but you can do it on a budget.

Completely normal (at least in the current year 2019) for BM's and GM to pay for their own outfits. It's almost expected - which doesn't sound very good... but is true. Nowadays when you agree to be in a wedding party (no matter the size) you are agreeing to paying for the expenses that come with it.

Like all the others have said, it depends on your budget but it's pretty standard that the bridal party pays for their own attire. I'm paying for my girls' hairstyling as part of their gift and letting them decide whether they want their makeup done professionally or not and they'll pay for that if they decide they want it done. I'll also probably gift them PJ's or something for getting ready in and like a small home spa kit to unwind after the chaos is over

It really depends on the Bride and Grooms budget and what they can afford. Our bridal party is paying for their dresses and suit rentals. I am paying for my girls hair and makeup as part of their gift.

Many people in the bridal party know that when they agree to being a part of the wedding, there are expenses that come with it!

I always paid for my own outfit for weddings I've been in. Didn't even think about the bride and groom paying. As a bride just look at those price tags before you ask them to pay.

Hey! In the weddings I’ve been in here in Ontario it’s very custom for the party to pay for their own outfits. Around where I live anyway, the party knows this when accepting to be part of the wedding. I think for those who can afford it, it would be a nice gesture but I don’t think it’s expected. We are going to give them each a thank you gift on the big day. Perhaps this is a good option for you as you could start setting aside some money as you go for that purpose. I think it is polite to gift them something for all their help planning events and for being a part of your big day. Does have to be big, I’m sure they’d just appreciate the thought.

Hi Lindsay,

I know what you mean about a tight budget. Our bridal party all paid for their outfits and tux rentals themselves. Although as a nice gesture my fiance paid for the tux deposits for his guys and I paid the shipping insurance and import/duty fees for my bridemaid's dresses. The girls are also paying for their hair and makeup and none of them seemed to mind. Like Seleena said, most know what they are signing up for when they agree to be in a wedding party and know there will be come costs.

One of my bridesmaids couldn't come up with the bulk money right away so I may the payment and let her pay me back in installments which she was really grateful for.

Hi Lindsay,

It’s totally acceptable to make the wedding party pay for their outfits. They (should) know that what they are signing up for may not be cheap. Sometimes though, the bridal party will pay for their outfit and the B&G will pay for hair/makeup or nails or something. It’s not necessary, but paying for something just makes them feel like they aren’t stuck paying for everything. This depends on your budget though. Good luck!