Dress: 250.00 Alterations - 75.00 Shower - 150.00 Shower Gift 60.00 Bachelorette - 200.00 Hair and Makeup -65.00 ( friend who is a HD did hair and I did my own makeup) Night in Hotel - 200.00
My friends have always been much more considerate than what I hear about on here. I budget $200 for dress and shoes, $50 for shower, $100 for bachelorette, $100 for wedding gift, if not local also $200 for hotel (2 nights) and plane tickets or gas. If it would be much more than this I would decline.
So far I am in it for about $400 (dress and gifts)and the wedding is in March. I figure I will spend at least another $400-500 (alterations, hair, nails, bachelorette party, etc.) By the time it is all over, I will probably spend around $1000.
ETA; The wedding is local to me so no travel expenses.
Weekend away bachelorette parties have become the norm in my circle. That tends to run at least $600 for my share of everything, and can be much more. Then maybe $300 for wedding day attire, $100 for wedding day hair, $200 for gift, $200 for bridal shower... So $1400 for a local wedding, and more for an out of town wedding.
Post by pantsparty on Jan 23, 2015 11:43:05 GMT -5
I seriously can't believe the expectations of some brides. My mom (which I know is against the etiquette rules, but whatevs) paid for my shower. My bridesmaids' dresses were $50 (well, they were more, but I paid the balance in lieu of a pashmina or jewelry or insert other gift to never be used again). I didn't want a bachelorette party since they were spread all over the country, and I was in California myself, so it seemed like it was going to be hugely expensive to get together.
It's just weird to me that brides think all their bridesmaids have $1,000 to burn?
It all depends. If the bride is requiring certain shoes, certain jewelry, and professional hair and makeup, that needs to come out of her pocket. So whatever the dress costs, and any pre-wedding parties you can attend (shower, bachelorette) or that you agree to help host, a gift for those and the wedding, and any travel arrangements. Not all weddings are the same so it's hard to give a hard number.
i think what's really driving the costs up is the shower. At the Hilton. Which all the bridesmaids are splitting.
Did they all agree to help host the shower or were they told to show up at the Hilton and pony up X amount of dollars, end of discussion? Because if I'm helping to host a party, I'm going to have some say in where it's being held and how much I'm willing to contribute.
Do y'all travel to be BMs all the time? I've only had to travel once and it was around $1000, but the rest of the time its been local and around $400. I'd be declining if it was local and around $1000 unless they were my BFF.
I can't think of a wedding I've been to, never mind been in, that I haven't had to travel for. Maybe one immediately after college graduation.
Post by peachykate on Jan 23, 2015 12:10:59 GMT -5
My sisters wedding is going to be so expensive. It's a destination wedding in Florida, Bachelorette party is a weekend away in Baltimore, shower at the Ritz, ect... The whole thing is driving me crazy, I bought a piece of jewelry she wanted at a trunk show and told her that was the only present she was getting. We joked that was better than a spatula.
When I was younger I only spent a few hundred. The wedding I was in last year was about a grand but it was an Indian wedding and I needed several dresses.
The entitlement attitude brides get nowadays with the bachelorette weekends away just blows my fucking mind.
Post by aprilsails on Jan 23, 2015 12:29:15 GMT -5
Usually $500 - $1000. The last wedding I was in ran closer to $2000 and it was local. I couldn't believe it when I tallied everything up at the end.
The one I'm MOH for this summer will probably run me at least $1500. The other bridesmaids really can't contribute so I'm guessing whatever we want to do for the shower and the bachelorette is really on me. Which is what happened the last time around too.
It really depends on if I'm involved in throwing the shower and what the bachelorette party consists of. I was in 2 weddings in 2012 and I think each ran me around $800-1000. I did have to travel, but it was just gas/Mega bus travel so no plane tickets. I don't think anything either bride did was out of the norm (no flights to bachelorette parties, no fancy showers at expensive restaurants, dresses were under $200, etc), so I couldn't really complain.
I usually budget between $1000 and $1500 depending on location. My friend's this summer may have gone over that.
For my sister's wedding I believe I spent about $1000 but that included fully funding the bachelorette. Her dress was $95 and alterations were about $15. Then nails the day before, gift and shoes.
For mine I think she told me she spent about $500. Their dresses were $25, I don't know how much her alterations were, she paid part of the bachelorette and nails again. My bridesmaids also actually asked to stay with my parents both nights instead of getting hotel rooms since neither of the other two brought dates and my mom is an obsessive hostess. She will feed you until it hurts and then ask if you want dessert.
My parents paid for showers for both of us and covered the bridesmaids hair on the day of.
Post by ninjabridemom on Jan 23, 2015 15:50:55 GMT -5
$500 spread out is doable. I think that was about what I spent on my sister. And that's what was budgeted for another friend, but she ended up canceling.
I had to withdraw being a bridesmaid (before dresses were ordered) because they were having it in CA. When I agreed it was most likely in MA area and doable, but the tickets plus hotel tossed it. I couldn't go to the wedding either. It felt shitty. I think w the airfare/hotel that wedding would have been $1000+.