11 BUDGETING TIPS FOR BRIDESMAIDS

11 budgeting tips



We'll tell you now: Being a bridesmaid is one expensive honor. Here's a rundown of how much you can expect to spend on various bridesmaid essentials, with money-saving tactics to ease the pain. Don't panic -- the numbers are high estimates. Ideally, the bride and her maids should work together to make the wedding a budget-friendly affair. Remember that everyone has to be flexible, take a deep breath, and read on for what's in store.

The dress
What you spend on the bridesmaid dress could be your major expense -- if you don't have to travel too far to the wedding. You'll want to put aside about $300, which is generally what the average bridesmaid dress costs. But remember to account for alterations, which may tack on an extra $50 or more.

Ways to Save:


Two-piece bridesmaid dresses are very hot. Why? No alterations. You can mix and match sizes, just as you might when shopping for a bikini, which makes for a more accurate fit.

Many bridal salons will give discounts on bridesmaid dresses if the bride gets her gown there too -- make sure your bride asks the salon about this.

Ready-to-wear dresses (e.g., you all go to Ann Taylor or J. Crew and pick a cute dress off the rack) may save you cash, because again you probably won't need alterations. Also, you can take the dress home the same day, which only means less hassle for everyone.

If the bride leaves it up to you to decide what to wear, bargain hunt at sample sales, end-of-season sales, and off-price stores. Or consider borrowing a dress.

Lingerie
Hopefully you won't need anything special, but some dresses require a strapless bra, seamless panties, a certain kind of slip, or other undergarment. Put aside at least $50 for this, just in case. Don't forget hose, which you really shouldn't pay more than $10 for.

Ways to Save:

Find a friend (with the same measurements) who has the girdle/half-slip/bustier in question and borrow it.

Gush over dresses you can wear a regular bra with.

Refuse to wear hose if it's a summer wedding.

Shoes
Most brides will choose a pair of dyeable shoes for the maids to wear or let you pick out your own. We're talking $50, including sales tax and a dye job.

Ways to Save:

If you have a pair of dyeable shoes from a previous wedding, you may be able to get them re-dyed if you now need them in a color that's darker than the last one.

Guide the bride (gently, now) to stores like Payless or Parade of Shoes to find a hot-but-inexpensive pair. You'll pay $15-$20 if you get lucky.

Hope that the bride tells you black heels or strappy sandals are perfect and wear the ones you already own (but get them cleaned up).

Is the bride marrying outdoors? Discuss going barefoot. It might make for a clever 'dressed down' fashion statement.

Jewelry and accessories
You may get the requisite wedding-day jewels as a bridesmaid gift from the bride. If she does ask you to coordinate accessories -- like earrings, bracelets, purse, barrette, wrap -- hopefully it won't cost you more than $60.

Ways to Save:

Shop at costume-jewelry stores like Claire's (a favorite mall stop). You can score tons of sparkly stuff in stores like these for cheap (and still look stylish).

If she wants you to get a purse, convince her that a dyeable one is best. You can have it re-dyed black later for an instant evening bag.

Investigate your or your mom's jewelry box carefully -- you may be fortunate enough to already own the type of jewelry needed.

See what fits your budget in our Accessory Search

Be minimal chic. Agree as a group to not wear any jewelry at all -- you'll have a very uniform, streamlined, polished look going. Let your outer glow speak for itself -- you don't need all that glitz and glitter to shine.

Hair and makeup
Your bride might find it necessary to schedule a group hair and makeup appointment for the morning of the wedding. This is great if she's treating (she's generally expected to foot the bill). If it turns out to be yet another expense and you can't get out of it, you'll probably want to set aside at least $100 for a hairstyle, makeup application, manicure, and tip. Maybe keep an extra $50 in your pocket if you're in a big city.

Ways to Save:

Do your own hair and makeup. Or plan with the other bridesmaids to do each other's. Read our do-it-yourself articles for the at-home manicure and pedicure, and beauty night for ideas.

Travel
How much you spend on a round-trip plane/train/bus ticket can vary from $50 to $600. If you have to travel for the shower as well, make it double. Other expenses to consider: A rental car while in town ($20-$150 a day, depending on where you are and whether it's a high-car-demand holiday weekend, plus gas), cab fares if the wedding is in a city and/or for the bachelorette party (say $20).

Ways to Save:

Save up and use your frequent-flyer miles.

Make your plans as early as possible to get the best fares.

Check out the discounted air fare situation on the Internet. We've had luck with priceline.com and expedia.com.

Beg off on the shower if you must. If you just can't swing the trip twice, the bride should understand; she knew you were long-distance when she asked you to be in the wedding.

Maybe host the bachelorette party and shower within the same weekend. This will cut down travel expenses.

Share a rental car with another bridesmaid, or carpool, splitting what it costs for gas. You may even want to call the alumni association at the college you went to -- they often have special alumni deals that you can take advantage of. Your company may be able to secure you a slightly discounted rate if you hire their affiliate car service.

Accomodations
Chances are, your participation in the wedding will require that you shack up in a hotel room for a couple of nights. Hopefully the bride and her beloved have reserved a block of rooms at the hotel where the reception will be (or somewhere convenient to the reception site) at a reduced rate. Even so, expect to pay $60-$200 a night, depending on where you are. Also consider that you'll want to tip people like porters and maid service. Another $30 at least.

Ways to Save:

See if you can produce a local friend or relative to stay with instead. (Be sure to set aside $25-$50 for the thank-you gift you should present in return for the hospitality.)

If you don't know anyone in town, or the couple insists that the wedding party all stay in the hotel, try to double up with another cost-conscious attendant (or guest!).

If the rate's just too high for you, do some research to find a nearby hotel with a lower rate.

Parties
Hopefully you'll spend more time than money on the shower, but still, some maids of honor will request $50-$100 from each maid to cover the shower expenses. There's also the bachelorette party -- dinner, drinks, a club, a comedy show, a day at a spa; whatever it is, your share will probably come to between $50-$200.

Ways to Save:

Forget the high-tea-at-a-fancy-hotel idea and have a low-key, at-home shower, for which moms, relatives, friends, and maids do the decorations, make the favors, and cook all the food.

Have a slumber-party bachelorette soiree, for which the major expenses are beer, pizza, microwave popcorn, and a video.

Gifts
Even after shelling out all this cash, you're still expected to buy shower and wedding gifts. Think $30-$50 for the shower and $50-$200 for the wedding, depending on what you can afford.

Ways to Save:

Give the bride and/or couple something homemade -- a quilt, a painting or collage you did, a recipe book you created yourself.

Go in with other maids/guests on a bigger, cooler gift than you'd have been able to afford yourself.

Put off giving a wedding gift until you're back on your feet after all this. You've got up to a year after the big day to give them something.

Expenses chart
Got all that? Print out this chart and fill in how much you plan to spend (or end up spending) on each item -- it'll help you keep track. Hopefully you can beat our estimates.


Dress ($300):

Lingerie ($50):

Shoes ($50, including hose):

Accessories ($60):

Hair and Makeup ($100-$150, including tips):

Wedding Travel ($50-$600):

Shower Travel ($50-$600):

Rental car ($20-$150 a day, plus gas):

Cab fare ($20):

Hotel ($50-$200 a night):

Hotel tipping/room service/hostess gift/dry cleaning ($30-$50):

Shower ($50-$100):

Bachelorette party ($50-$200):

Shower gift ($30-$50):

Wedding gift ($50-$200):

Ways to pay
Literally take a set amount out of each paycheck and put it aside. And remember that you don't have to pay for it all in one fell swoop; it may be more like a certain amount per month. And you can buy plane/train tickets well in advance. Try as hard as you can not to charge all this. You don't want to be X-amount in the hole when the next pal gets engaged.