If you’re a bride planning your wedding, you may see how quickly the costs add up while you’re putting everything you dream of in place. Having your besties by your side to support you is an essential part of the preparations as your bridesmaids will want to ensure your day is perfect. But you may be wondering which costs you cover… and what bridesmaids are expected to pay for.

In this blog post, I’ll show you the different expenses that bridesmaids typically pay for and provide tips to ensure everyone knows what is expected in terms of cost.

There are five essential tips to ensure bridesmaids know what costs to cover — and which expenses you and your partner plan to foot the bill — before you propose to your BFFs. :)

The question you may be wondering first is, who pays for the bridesmaid dresses? Let’s tackle it.

Do bridesmaids pay for their own dresses?

As a rule of thumb, yes — bridesmaids pay for their own dresses. Paying for the dress is one expense of being a bridesmaid; however, the bride does have the responsibility of determining how much the dress will cost.

To keep things affordable for your bridesmaids, select a dress you’d like to wear, one that can be worn again, and doesn’t cost too much. As a rule of thumb, an affordable bridesmaid dress is between the $75 and $150 range.

[ Read: 6 Best Places for Cheap Bridesmaid Dresses Online to navigate your search. ]

Do bridesmaids cover the cost of their bouquet?

Do bridesmaids pay for the bouquets they carry?

No! Bridesmaids are given a bouquet to carry down the aisle and keep, provided by the bride. If you opt for an alternative like this — i.e. clutches instead of bouquets (love!), lanterns down the aisle (again, love!), or brooch bouquets for everyone — the cost falls on the bride.

Who handles the expense of bridesmaid shoes?

If the shoes are supposed to be a general color (black, navy, grey, silver, gold, etc.), most likely the bridesmaids will already own a pair they can wear. If not, bridesmaids need to pay for their own shoes. But if the bride wants everyone to wear these, be casual in a pair of these, or parade around in these, then the bride must pay for bridesmaids shoes.

Who pays for wedding hair and makeup?

If bridesmaids want to get their hair and makeup done, they pay for it along with the tip.

However, if the bride is requesting that bridesmaids have professional hair and makeup services done (i.e. everyone needs an updo or a particular type of makeup application) then the bride should cover the cost of hair and makeup — including tip.

Read: How Much to Tip for Wedding Hair and Makeup.

Do bridesmaids pay for the bridal shower?

Bridesmaids are expected to help plan and chip in monetarily with the bridal shower, given the host’s wishes.

If the bride’s mom, for example, is planning a bridal shower, bridesmaids should find out if she needs any help planning, decorating, paying for, or assisting with duties leading up to and including the day of the bridal shower. 

This might include things like picking up the cake, taking photos at the bridal shower, passing out shower games and prizes, or assembling bridal shower favors.

Paying a portion of the luncheon is a nice gesture, too, and should be offered to the host of the shower.
 
And, don’t worry: if you’re tight on funds, be honest and offer to help out in other ways (as outlined above).

Do bridesmaids pay for the bachelorette party?

Yes. The bachelorette party is a big expense of being a bridesmaid, but most of the costs are the responsibility of the Maid of Honor.

The entire bridal party including bridesmaids and the Maid of Honor contribute to the bride’s bachelorette party. The Maid of Honor typically sees to it that everyone’s costs are split evenly and that everyone is on board with the plan (i.e. a night of bar-hopping locally, a trip to Vegas, or a relaxing spa or beach bachelorette party).

Do bridesmaids pay for a wedding gift?

Yes. As a bridesmaid, it is your responsibility to pay for a gift to give at the bridal shower, as well as a wedding gift, just as you would as a wedding guest.

Who pays for accommodations for a destination wedding?

If you are getting married locally, the bridesmaids are expected to get themselves to the wedding and cover any expenses incurred (such as lodging, although they may live in the area so this won’t be an expense).

If you are getting married in a destination wedding — like Mexico or Bermuda or even a few hours away from your hometown — you should be clear of the expenses ahead of time.

According to etiquette expert Emily Post, for a destination wedding, the bride and groom are financially responsible for the wedding party accommodations. However, it will depend on what you as the couple can cover — and what you expect the bridesmaids and groomsmen to foot the bill.

If you’re upfront about expenses early on, you can eliminate any confusion.

For instance, you may tell everyone, “We’re getting married in Mexico! If you can pay for getting yourself there, we’ll cover your hotel lodging from Thursday through Sunday, as we’ve rented several rooms where everyone will stay”. It is important to be clear ahead of time so attendants can decide if they can afford to do so and commit to the obligation of being a bridesmaid or groomsman.

If a bridesmaid is having trouble tackling some of the costs, the bride may offer to help.

This may include things like travel to get to and from the wedding, the cost of the bridesmaid dress, or paying for the expenses of hair and makeup on the wedding day.

This is a nice gesture but not expected from the bride, as typically the bridesmaid covers these costs herself.

If you are planning to do any of the above, be open and communicate ahead of time so they know you are helping with some of the larger expenses to ensure it’s not a burden for them financially.

Managing Expectations of Bridesmaid Duties

As early as possible, it is a good idea to discuss with bridesmaids what is expected in terms of celebrations and costs.

You may wish to plan a bridesmaid luncheon for everyone to get together and casually discuss these items OR write them down in an email that can be sent out to the bridal party.

Bridesmaid Duties to Discuss

► The date of the wedding, time, and location
► Rehearsal dinner date and location
► Include TBD Dates of other parties (bridal shower, bachelorette party, engagement party) — note: these are not official obligations, but nice to have ahead of time
► Where bridesmaids will stay (for destination weddings)
► What bridesmaid attire will be: dress, hair, makeup, shoes, jewelry
► Time and location of where everyone will get ready on the day of the wedding
► Transportation arrangements for the wedding party

Make it easy for bridesmaids to discuss any potential concerns or hesitations with you. Inform everyone they can reach you by phone, text, or email; be kind, courteous, and understanding. Some bridesmaids may need to decline and that’s OK. Others may commit to the obligations but may have some hesitancy later on.

If you are a relaxed and understanding bride, your bridesmaids will have fun being an attendant and it will be an enjoyable experience for all involved.

Here’s a short video on the topic you can watch + share with your bridesmaids:

When it comes to bridesmaids and the costs they are expected to pay for, it is best to manage expectations early and be clear about what the responsibilities are. Bridesmaids want to support you and typically expect to cover some costs. However, it is essential the bride makes it clear what bridesmaids pay for so the bridesmaids do not have any surprises after committing to the role.

Do you have any questions about what costs you should expect your bridesmaids to pay for? If so, let us know in the comment box below!

Happy Planning!
 
xo
Emma