Bridal Party Financial Roles and Responsibilities
When it comes to figuring out finances with your bridal party, things can get awkward fast. But they don't have to! This guide will help you understand what you, and your girls, are responsible for covering. Of course, every wedding will be a little bit different. And if any of your girls are concerned about finances you should come up with a plan that is more suited to their individual situation. A little communication goes a long way. So be honest about what you expect from them, and the financial commitment they will have to make. This guide will give you a traditional foundation to start with. Where you go from there is up to you!
Who Pays for What?
Wedding Day Outfit - The Bridal Party
One of the biggest up front expenses of being in the wedding party is the dress. This purchase is covered by the individual ladies in your party. If you don't have a preference on shoes or accessories, and give them a basic guideline (nude pump, etc), they cover that too. But if you're wanting matching footwear and icing for your girls, you should cover those costs. For a budget conscious bridal party, we are big fans of the mix and match trend. This way, each girl gets to wear a dress and accessories of her choosing (within a color scheme or theme). Another bonus is that if every girl gets to pick her own dress, she's guaranteed to feel great in it.
Hair and Makeup - The Bride
If you're requiring your girls to have professional hair and makeup done, you should be footing the bill. Many brides use this opportunity to pamper their girls as a thank you gift for participating in the wedding. Otherwise have a styling brainstorm before the wedding to test different looks and decide on one (or two, or three!) as a group. Not only is this a great bonding opportunity with your best girls (can you say slumber party?!) But this way they can also go to their own stylist on the day of, or do it themselves.
Bridal Shower - The Bridal Party
The cost of the bridal shower is covered by whomever hosts. That may be the mother of the bride, an aunt, or in many cases, the bridal party. If your girls are throwing the shower, they should split the cost among themselves. But even if somebody else is bankrolling, your wedding party should help with the preparations, decor, and clean up.
Hotel and Travel - The Bridal Party
Unless you've already reserved space for everyone to stay (such as a vacation rental, hotel suite, etc.) your girls are responsible for their own accommodations like any other guest. If they need to travel encourage them to book flights early for better deals and consider sharing rooms or rental cars to help offset the cost.
Bachelorette Party - The Bridal Party
This has a few gray areas. If they're planning a single evening event, your girls should split all costs of the night evenly. If they're planning a getaway trip including multiple days, the bride should cover her own travel expenses and chip in for her share of the room. A bachelorette vacation is like any other group trip, with all food and activities evenly split. But it's nice to treat the bride to one special "night out" where she doesn't need to crack open her wallet.
Flowers and Corsages - The Bride
Traditionally, the bride and her family cover the cost of all flowers and floral arrangements. But if your MOH is a budding florist, feel free to shake things up.
Wedding Gift - The Bridal Party
Your girls are putting a lot of time, money and effort into making your big day perfect. So individual gifts from each of them are not necessary. A group gift from the entire wedding party, (like a fancy date night for you and your soon to be hubs), is a popular option.
Day Of Transportation - The Bride
It's up to you and the groom to make sure all members of the bridal party make it to the venue. However you do that is up to you. Since you usually will be getting ready together, this is pretty easy to coordinate.
Weddings are expensive for everyone involved. But with a little communication and compromise, everyone should make it out unscathed. And don't forget to go the extra mile and thank your girls for all of their hard work with custom thank you cards from Marrygrams!
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