The Cost of Being a Bridesmaid

The bride has honored you by asking you to be her bridesmaid. In the excitement of the moment you jump up and down together and you quickly accept with an exuberant "Absolutely!"  Now that you're driving home you're thinking of some more practical matters  like what are my duties and how much will this cost.

First, head over to Twirl Talk a blog devoted to bridesmaids - fashions, etiquette and other interesting things. They have a great list of bridesmaid duties such as

1. Respect your bride's taste and vision, even if they don't match your own.

[Sidenote: OK. So the dress is hideous. But here's a way you can still win. Enter a chance to win $5,000 in WETV's Ugliest Bridesmaid Dress Contest. Contest ends April 13.]

2. Be gracious at all times.

3. Be a friend first, a bridesmaid second.

4. Whether you are a size 2 or 20, buy Spanx.

5. Stay on top of things you are asked to do like ordering your dress, buying shoes and making your hair appointment.

6. On the wedding day ask what you can do to help your bride stay calm.

I would add to the list: 

7. Try on your complete ensemble before the wedding day to make sure it fits and looks right. At least one bridesmaid usually has a dress that is too small or too big or needs to hide bra straps or be sewn into her dress. 

So how much is this going to cost? The latest Wedding Report says the average cost to be a bridesmaid is $1009. I believe this covers the bridal shower, bachelorette party and wedding gifts; the bridesmaid dress, shoes, alterations, accessories, hair, mani-pedi, outfit for rehearsal dinner; plane fare, rental car, hotel; and bachelorette party expenses. 

When all is said and done, on the wedding day a bride and her true friends share an experience that is simply wonderful and which none would trade for all the world.