A Guide To What Your Bridal Party Should And Shouldn’t Pay For When It Comes To Your Wedding
Expenses are always a big topic when it comes to planning a wedding, and specifically, who is going to pay for what.
While some parents offer to pay for the entire wedding for their children, some people decide to split up the costs more evenly. Bridal parties are traditionally expected to contribute some of their own personal time and money to your wedding, but which aspects should be covered by you instead?
One thing that is common for the bridal party to pay for is their own attire. The bridesmaid dresses, the groomsmen’s outfits, and any accessories involved with completing the look are typically covered by the individual.
So, it’s important to be mindful of this when choosing what outfits you would like them to wear. If you’ve had your eye on a line of designer dresses for your girls, think about if everyone would be able to afford such an expense.
Otherwise, you can have the bridal party select their own attire or offer to pay for the outfits that you want them to wear.
If you decide to hire a professional hair stylist and makeup artist to do your bridesmaids’ makeup, it is common and courteous that you will pay for this experience for your bridal party.
This is often a fun treat for the girls and would be a great gesture for you to give to them as a thank you for being a part of your special day. Or, if you’d prefer, you can always ask the bridesmaids to do their own hair and makeup to save on this expense.
When it comes to paying for things like travel and accommodation, it’s best to be thoughtful toward your bridal party’s schedules and their wallets.
Many brides these days love to throw large destination bachelorette parties, and while this is always fun, be courteous of others if you’re having a destination wedding in addition to this vacation. People in your bridal party may struggle to be able to afford two separate trips and hotel stays, and taking that much time off of work is often inconceivable.
Wedding photography – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
Or, if it’s only one or two of your guests that are struggling to afford the celebration that you want, you can quietly offer to pay for them so that they are still included in all the fun.
Something that the bride and groom are expected to pay for is the food for the entirety of their bridal party. This includes not only the reception dinner but also the rehearsal dinner, as well as any food for the party to snack on while they are getting ready for the big day. Fruit and charcuterie boards are popular to have in bridal suites for everyone to enjoy.
Lastly, don’t forget that the bride and groom should always buy a nice gift for each member of their bridal party. For bridesmaids, this could be a pair of earrings or a cute pajama set, while the groomsmen could receive cufflinks or mini bottles of their favorite alcohol.
There are tons of options out there, and it is just really important to celebrate the people who mean the most to you being by your side on such a big day!
It’s also important to give the bridal party the space to step back from being in the party and just be a guest if they wish to. Being a part of the group is often a big financial and time commitment that not everyone can always undertake.
Do not take it personally if they request to step down, and still let them know how important they are to you, regardless of if they are in the bridal party or not!
While conversations about money can sometimes be difficult or awkward, they are important conversations to have between yourself and your bridal party. They need to know how much you want them to contribute, and they need to let you know if they can or not.
As long as it’s reasonable, most close friends and family will be happy to contribute to your wedding day!
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