I've been a bridesmaid five times... the amount I've spent on weddings is jaw-dropping

Daily Mail​

8 hours ago

A woman has shared the eye-watering amount that she's forked over for friends' weddings - joking she 'could have put a down payment on a house' with the amount she's spent.
Sacramento-based Shannon Detrick, 30, revealed she's been a bridesmaid in five of her close friends weddings - and she broke down the total cost.
She explained in the now-viral TikTok that for the first bachelorette party, which was held in Palm Springs, Shannon spent $965, with the wedding being held semi locally and costing her $916.
'Bachelorette number two was for one of my high school BFFs, it was in Miami, and [I] spent $1,425,' she said.
The wedding was local again, costing Shannon $522.
The third bachelorette party was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, coming to a total of $1,536.
The wedding took place in Denver, meaning they had to fly out, which cost her another $1,782.
'Bachelorette number four was in Sonoma [California], it was her 30th birthday so we kind of balled out,' she admitted, revealing the total she spent was $1,676.
The wedding was held in Maine, with accommodation and flights coming to $1,982.
The fifth celebration was a joint party held in Scottsdale, with Shannon's husband's cost included in the total, which was $2,978. That wedding cost her another $1,081.
In total, Shannon spent $14,863 on five bachelorettes and weddings, spending an average of $1,256 on the weddings and $1,716 on the bachelorette festivities.
She added her time as a bridesmaids isn't over yet, with upcoming maid of honor duties for her sister's wedding and bachelorette coming soon.
'Love all of these people SO MUCH and would do any one of these events over in a heart beat,' she captioned the post.
She continued: 'But its always important to remember that saying "yes" comes with a [price] tag!
'Brides/couples: be very open with your wedding party before expecting them to say yes.
'Also be flexible with your expectations for things like travel, bachelorette parties, etc. in this economy.'
'Your friends (usually) WANT to be there for you!' she added. 'Bridesmaids/wedding party: make the most out of the trips! Its such a special time for your people and being by their side is truly so special.'
According to The Knot, the average cost of being a bridesmaid is between $1,200 to $1,800 but said it could be as high as $2,950.
Many bridesmaids have taken to social media to share their qualms over being invited to be a part of someone's big day - with an astronomical price tag.
Earlier in the year, a woman posted a lengthy message to Reddit, sharing her concerns over an upcoming wedding after the bride told her bridal party she expected them to cover huge financial costs of her pre-wedding events.
'When asking us to be in the wedding party, the bride made it clear she expected bridesmaids to pay for our dresses, alterations, and to be present for the rehearsal and wedding,' the woman explained in the Reddit post, shared to the Am I The A**hole Subreddit.
She offered to either pay for makeup OR hair for me (the maid-of-honor) but said the bridesmaids can pay extra to have those done the day of the event,' she explained.
The woman added that the other bridesmaids have expressed concern about escalating costs, which she also shares.
However, when she spoke with the bride, she suggested that it would be easiest for the bridesmaids to understand the total costs they're expected to incur for the wedding, including dress, alterations, bridal shower, bachelorette, and any incidentals.
'I argued (politely) that we need to have an idea of what's expected of us, and it's not on us to create/manage the budget for her wedding,' she explained.
'I asked for a clear spreadsheet of our expected expenses so I can speak with the bridesmaids and make a plan,' she shared.
'Is it normal for bridesmaids to not know what's expected of them? I don't know much about weddings or being MOH and want her to have an amazing wedding without breaking the bank for the other ladies,' the woman shared, adding: 'I'm never saying yes to MOH again.'
After speaking with the bride, the bridal party was given an estimate of $1,000 each.
'This is much higher than the initial $100 on a dress and alterations,' she pointed out.
Reddit users agreed that the bridesmaids shouldn't be wildly out of pocket to cover someone else's wedding.