A couple of months ago I wrote a little rant about knowing your finances during the wedding process. As a follow-up to that post, here is a general breakdown of what you are looking at  for the cost of being in a wedding. (Again these are the most general ones and do no include that random getaway or spa day you decided to do as a group. ) I keep a spreadsheet of all of my bridesmaids costs for each wedding so that is where this list comes from.  Please also keep in mind that these can be kept to a minimum or maximized depending on your bride and the location of the wedding.

Engagement Party Gift – Not everyone has a party and not everyone brings a gift.

Bridal Shower- If you are lucky enough to have one of the parents pay for this, the cost could be minimal, but otherwise expect to split everything with the other bridesmaids. This includes deposit on the venue if you are using one, balance of venue cost, invitations, favors, decorations, miscellaneous costs and if you choose, a gift. It is nice to buy a joint gift with the other bridesmaids to cut the individual cost but maximize the gift.

Dress, Shoes, Jewelry, Handbag – The costs of these usually depend on the bride and what type of wedding it is. Each has a pretty wide range. Generally speaking, expect to spend between $100-250 on a dress alone, unless you are a part of high society then you can jack the price up about 400 bucks. This is where it pays to REALLY know your bride and what she intends to do.

Bachelorette- The costs for this event vary widely depending on what you decide to do, but expect to pay in full for the bride (split with the other b-maids) on this night. This may include drinks, dinner, dancing, club entrance fees,  a weekend away- which has its own set of costs, and spa services – if you decide to go this route. You may also have to go in on a hotel room unless someone lives close by and offers to host, but as I said earlier a lot of this depends on your location. The farther you are from a major city the more you are likely to pay by way of transportation and lodging.

Wedding Gift – You obviously have control over this cost.  Some opt not to give a gift as they have already spent a lot to be in the wedding, and some give a smaller gift.

Transportation and Travel – This is one of the most important cost considerations as a bridesmaid. If you are a long distance bridesmaid your cost is automatically going to be higher than those who are local. You have to keep in mind, if applicable, cost of flight, transport to and from airport, hotel cost and any travel while in town (hopefully the other b-maids can help you out with this one so you don’t have to rent a car).

The following is a list of optional costs (of course still depending on the type of wedding and bride)  that are commonly found throughout the process.

Hair and/ or makeup the day of the wedding.

Nails – Mani and Pedi

Waxing, Tanning

Rehearsal dinner dress & Shoes

Any and all costs associated with “bridesmaid gatherings.” These can be meetings where the girls get together to plan the events aka bridal shower and bachelorette, or maybe a day out with the wedding party including the bride, any type of girls day with the bride or dinner out.

All said and done, it is wise to budget for at least $1,000.00 for the average wedding, more if you are long distance. My last wedding cost me $1,300, and the bride was not picky, let us pick our own dresses and we did a lot of DIY stuff. So it all adds up fast!

Well that’s all for now. I am sure I have missed a few, so I’ll add them in as I think of them.

Please share your experiences and any miscellaneous cost you have found (Outrageous stories welcome!)