So you are ready to select your
bridesmaids and this can be an easy choice as to who it should be.
These are women that know and love and they are so excited you are getting
married. Of course they will happily
accept your invitation. However did you stop and think about all the
details? Do you know how much it will cost to be a bridesmaid? What
you want them to be responsible for? Are they paying for their own hair
and makeup? Do you want them to plan your bridal shower? Before your
bridesmaids say yes to you they should know exactly what they are saying yes
to. Giving your bridesmaids all the
information up front will save you and your bridesmaids’ headaches,
aggravation, and sticker shock later down the line. Here’s what they should know:
1) The
Dress
The dress will be the most expensive purchase
your bridesmaids make. You should start
a preliminary dress search to see which styles and designers you may like. Once you made a few choices, see what price
range they fall in. This ball park
figure will be helpful especially if the dress you love is on the pricey
side.
2 2) The
Accessories
Not only do your bridesmaids’ need dresses but
they will need shoes and jewelry usually the bridesmaids are responsible for
paying for their own shoes. If you are
picking the shoes and you want them to wear the same shoe, pick a price point
and let your bridesmaids know which direction you are leaning towards. If they can buy their own shoe, just give
them the criteria and this way the budget is their choice. Many brides gift the wedding day jewelry to
their bridesmaids as a thank you for being a part of their wedding party. If you are not taking this route, you should
let them know in advance.
3) Hair
and Makeup
This is always a touchy subject for
brides. The expense of wedding day hair
and makeup onsite can start about $75.00 per bridesmaid. If you have a large bridal party, this can
get costly. If you can’t afford to pay
for the complete package, you may want to consider paying for half or just the
makeup portion. More than likely, your
bridesmaids already have a trusted hair stylist and they won’t let anyone else
touch their hair not even for your wedding.
4) Pre
Wedding Activities
These days’ brides are having bridal showers,
bachelorette parties and sometimes bachelorette getaways. Traditionally, the bridal shower should be
thrown by the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. The bachelorette party or getaway is paid for
by your bridal party and they may cover your expenses as well.
Once you have a general idea of what you want
for all four of these items, you should be prepared to let your tentative
bridesmaids know shortly after you ask them to be a part of your bridal party. You should also be considerate of everyone’s
financial situation. These are your
friends and family; for the most part you know what’s going on in their lives
and what they can afford. You should not
have to give up you anything you want but be prepared to cover some the expense
in order to have it. You may want to
give your friends a chance to opt out of being a bridesmaid. This may save you from uncomfortable
conversations and will also save your friendships. Your friends want to be a part of your
wedding and they may feel pressured into doing so even if they can’t afford
it. Take the pressure off and give them
a chance to decline the invitation to be a bridesmaids but I’m sure they will
gladly be a guest at your wedding.
TIP: Start a wedding club. This is the same concept of as a Christmas
club but it is for the wedding expenses.
Put your maid of honor in charge and everyone can put in a small amount
once a week or whatever works best. For
example, if all the expenses will total $1,000.00 divide this by 36 weeks and
that’s about $27.00 a week. That’s much
easier to swallow than a couple of $100.00 here or there.
Do you have a bridal party dilemma you need help solving? Send me your question at DJoseph@weddedluxe.com and I will help you and your bridesmaids come to a resolution!
Live.Laugh.Love…..
Luxuriate!
Deniesha Joseph
Wedded Luxe
718.938.4713
