Bridal Party: Hidden Costs

After talking to friends and so many of my couples, this is one area people often forget to properly budget for.

Being part of a wedding is such a special honour, but it can also become really expensive very quickly — especially when someone is a part of multiple weddings in the same year.

There’s no right or wrong approach here. Every couple’s budget and priorities are different. But I do think it’s important to sit down early and think about what costs you’re comfortable asking your bridal party to cover themselves.

For us personally, we really wanted our bridal party to feel comfortable, looked after, and not financially stressed because of our wedding. That became a big priority when we were budgeting.

Approximate bridal party costs can look something like this:

Bridesmaids
• Dress — approx. $400 each
• Shoes — approx. $100 each
• Handbag — approx. $90 each
• Pyjamas — approx. $80 each
• Hair — approx. $160 each + travel fees
• Makeup — approx. $160 each + travel fees
• Nails — approx. $70–100 each

Groomsmen
• Suit hire — approx. $200 each
• Shoes — approx. $100 each

Transport
• Bridesmaid transport — approx. $400
• Groomsmen transport — approx. $400

And that’s before accommodation, hens weekends, gifts, time off work, and everything else that can come with weddings.

For our wedding, we gave our bridesmaids a budget for dresses and let them choose something they genuinely loved and felt comfortable in. Some girls stayed within budget, some chose to spend a little more — but everyone had the freedom to choose what suited them best.

I think the most important thing is simply being mindful and having open conversations 🤍