wedding costs

[disneydave2003]

how much do you EXPECT to pay or spend or budget for in total when you agree to be a bridesmaid or groomsman/usher in a wedding? i'm talking everything from bachelor party to clothes, gift, the whole kit and kaboodle.

 

[Freyja]

I don´t like the idea that it has to cost others to be in your wedding. Therefore we paid for everything for our attendants. Best mans tux, dresses and shoes for 4 flower girls, clothes for 1 ring bearer.

 

[lindakmonty]

I was in a bridesmaid in Aug. and it cost me about $700-$800...

 

[pearlieq]

I'm MOH in my friend's wedding this May and the whole thing is going to cost about $1200 (dress, hair, gifts, shower, bachelorette party). However she isn't expecting me to spend that much--I'm doing it because I want to.

I bought dresses for my junior bridesmaids and my MOH wore a dress she already owned. The guys rented their own tuxes (about $75).

It's so different for men and women. If I were a guy I would expect to pay for my tux, my share of the bachelor party, and a gift. I would think that would come to about $500 or so in my neck of the woods.

As a bridesmaid I would expect to pay for the dress, shoes, alterations and/or speciality undergarments, hair styling, my share of the bridal shower, shower gift, my share of the bachelorette party, and the wedding gift. I would expect that to be about $800 or so.

With that being said, wedding can be as extravagant or as frugal as you make them. If participating is going to cause a hardship, speak up! A real friend wouldn't want you to stress out or put your finances in jeopardy just to be in the wedding.

 

[cinmell]

One of my brothers wedding cost around $1,300-$1,400 and my husband and I were both in it. This included tux, dress, gift, shower, bachelor & bachelorette parties, hotel for wedding weekend and hair.

My other brothers wedding a year later cost us approx. $900-$1,000. My husband, my daughter (age 5 at the time) and I were in the wedding. This included tux, dresses, gift, shower, bachelor & bachelorette parties and hair.

Now the 3 of us are in my brother in law's wedding in June. He is my husband's only brother. It's turning out to be quite pricey.

Dress $170
Flowergirl dress-Bride wants to pay for
Tux- Approx 100-150
Wedding gift
Shower is $270 so far and that is only for the function room and appetizers type food. This price does not include centerpieces, favors or shower gift which won't be a group gift. Each bridesmaid is going to bring 2 gift prizes for a game to be played during the shower. There are 8 bridesmaids.

Bride decided her bachelorette is in Vegas which is going to end up being $1,200-$1,500 for 3 nights. Some of the clubs they are planning on going to are $45 just to walk in the door, bride would like to eat at one of Emeril's restaurants and she would like a cabana at the pool during the day. I have a 6 year old and a newborn so I don't feel comfortable hopping on a plane across country for a mini vacation so I won't be going.

Bachelor party to chicago going to be $1,000

 

[disneydave2003]

thanks for the responses. i'm getting married and feel funny about people spending $$$ to be in my wedding. i would like a small wedding party but dfi wants a rather large group. not sure what we will do. i hate to essentially ask people to dish out $$$ for our day.

p.s.
do people really get on planes an fly away for bachelor/ette parties? wow

 

[The Mystery Machine]

how much do you EXPECT to pay or spend or budget for in total when you agree to be a bridesmaid or groomsman/usher in a wedding? i'm talking everything from bachelor party to clothes, gift, the whole kit and kaboodle.

Too damn much! Around 1,000.

 

[Tracey1974]

I have been in 6 weddings , my 7th is in March. I have to say that bach parties are getting more expensive these days. Here is the average breakdown for me:

Dress- 150-300
Shoes, hair, nails, makeup- 150
Shower- 200
Shower gift (usually chip in with rest of bridal party)- 60
Bachelorette party- 100
Wedding gift- 150

And sometimes a hotel for the night of the wedding

I think my girls paid a bit less for my shower but all in all, that was the average for my wedding too. I did not require the girls to get their hair/nails and makeup done so that may not have been as expensive either but I think they all did anyway.


So yes, it does get expensive!

 

[Zandy595]

My brother's wedding is in March and DH, DS, and I are in it. I just went for my bridesmaid's dress fitting today ($70 + $170 for the dress). We really don't have the money to do all this since we are only a one income family and DH doesn't really make that much to begin with. I never realized how much it was going to cost. But how can you say no when they ask you to be in their wedding, especially family. He's my only sibling.

My mom asked DB what she could do to help out with the wedding and he told her to help us out with the wedding costs. I told DH that my mom gave me a check (which I tried to refuse) and he told me to give it back to her. I really don't want to cash it, but I don't see how we are going to afford it otherwise. I just feel really awful about the whole thing.

 

[sugarpie]

I've been in quite a few weddings and I'd say I average spending about $1000 per wedding. I've spent as little as $50 on a dress, and as much as $350. I can tell you that it's much easier to enjoy yourself and not become resentful when you haven't spent tons and tons of money.

 

[ducklite]

The last wedding I was in:

Dress $120
Shoes 35
Hose 5
Nails 40

My share of the shower $200
My plane ticket and hotel to go to the shower $500
Shower gift $60

My gas to get to the wedding $60
DH and my room for the weeding $600 (peak season in VT)

Wedding Gift $150

$1770. Wow. Outrageous!

I don't think the bride and groom spent that much on the entire wedding, but that's another thread

Anne

 

[sugarpie]

The last wedding I was in:

$1770. Wow. Outrageous!

I don't think the bride and groom spent that much on the entire wedding, but that's another thread

Anne

Doesn't that suck!

The wedding that I payed $350 for the bridesmaid dress for, the bride only spent $250 on hers. Ridiculous.

 

[scrump]

how much do you EXPECT to pay or spend or budget for in total when you agree to be a bridesmaid or groomsman/usher in a wedding? i'm talking everything from bachelor party to clothes, gift, the whole kit and kaboodle.

I've been a bridesmaid twice, and each time I've paid $1000 - $1200, so no more wedding parties for me!

 

[Pigeon]

It all depends on the Bridezilla factor.

One of the nicer things I've seen at a few weddings lately is where the bridesmaids are just asked to wear a dress of their choosing, rather than the inevitably God-awful matching $$$$ bridesmades dresses. It ends up looking better because the attendants can pick out styles that flatter them, rather than getting something that looks hideous on everyone. It's usually less expensive for the attendants, and they end up with a dress they really can use again.

 

[ducklite]

It all depends on the Bridezilla factor.

One of the nicer things I've seen at a few weddings lately is where the bridesmaids are just asked to wear a dress of their choosing, rather than the inevitably God-awful matching $$$$ bridesmades dresses. It ends up looking better because the attendants can pick out styles that flatter them, rather than getting something that looks hideous on everyone. It's usually less expensive for the attendants, and they end up with a dress they really can use again.

My sister was my only attendant, I told her to "wear whatever worked for her." She was living in Scotland at the time, and showed up with two dresses at my house the night before the wedding, we looked at both and selected the one that complimented my dress the best.

My FIL stood up for DH, and he just wore a dark suit, which is what DH wore.

Anne