Particularly if your dress is a reasonable price, off the rack, or something you will wear again, there is no reason why you shouldn't offer to pay. However, making their bridesmaids pay for the dress can make some brides feel uncomfortable.
Bridesmaids' dress
Buying a bridesmaid's dress is commonly a bridesmaid's own responsibility. If the bride wants to pay for her gal pals and wants to thank them for being with her, she can pay the whole amount or contribute to the bride's expense as a gift for the bridesmaids.
Bring your maids dress shopping with you, and when you're looking at a particular dress, it's okay to say to the group, "Do you girls think this one is going to be too expensive for you?" If one of the newbie maids blanches, either you or one of the girls who's been down this road before can explain that it's the norm ...
If the bride is paying for the bridesmaid dresses, then it's reasonable to ask the bridesmaids to cover the cost of their own shoes and even jewellery, hair and makeup. Just like with the dresses, you'll have to let go of the reins if you go for this option, so set some boundaries early on to avoid disappointment!
The bridesmaid's dress and shoes are their responsibility (but consider giving their jewellery to them as a gift on the day!) Hen party costs are also up to the bridal party – although they can split this between them and still give you the best pre-wedding party of your life!
“It's very common in Australia for the bride to pay for the bridesmaid dresses. This varies overseas but if the bride wants something specific it seems fair for her to shoulder the cost. It's not uncommon however nowadays for the bride and bridesmaid to split the cost.”
"The bride should cover the cost of her wedding party's hair and makeup, especially if she's requesting or encouraging them to have it done," says Jove Meyer of Jove Meyer Events.
The bridesmaids are responsible for covering the costs of their own dresses, undergarments, shoes, accessories, and hair and makeup for the big day.
What does the Maid of Honor Pay for? As the main event planner and bride's right-hand gal or guy, the MOH is often the one who covers some of the bachelorette party expenses — extra fun additions like decorations, a stocked fridge, or first-class upgrade for the bride's flight (if you're feeling extra generous).
You should expect your bridesmaids to... Be your trusted confidantes and sounding boards. Throughout the process, bridesmaids will continue to be trusted friends and good listeners. Your bridal party is there for you to bounce ideas off of and vent if you need to.
This said, there's probably a bit of etiquette that you could use as a guideline. We'd say there's a fairly solid consensus that the couple should pay for anything beauty-related for bridesmaids, like hair, makeup, tans or nails.
You might think the bridesmaid dress is the most expensive part of being in a friend's wedding. Turns out it's just a small percentage of the wedding expenses associated with bridesmaid duties. Wedding Wire estimates that the average cost of being a bridesmaid is $1200 for each wedding.
The bride may agree to pay for makeup while the bridesmaid pays to get their hair done, for example. Depending on their ability, a bridesmaid may choose to do either their hair or makeup on their own to save herself or the bride money, says Shackleton.
Today, a maid of honour is traditionally the closest friend or family member to the couple - often a childhood friend or sister. The maid of honour role is typically assigned to one person, chosen by the bride, who then acts as their right hand woman throughout the wedding planning process.
A 2017 study from WeddingWire found bridesmaids spent about $1,200 or up to $1,800 — with inflation, that's a range of $1,478 to $2,218 today. The amount it'll cost you also depends on where you live: bridesmaids in the Northeast might spend more than those in the Midwest.
How Much Does Bridesmaid Hair and Makeup Cost? On average, bridesmaids and other wedding party members should expect to pay about $125 to $250 per person for hair and makeup. It's up to the bride if she will pay this cost, or if her attendants will cover it themselves.
The Answer: It Depends
There's no definitive answer of who foots the bill on bridal party glam. That said, the bride or the bridesmaids will pay for the bridal party's hair and makeup. Some brides cover the cost of glam as a “thank you” to their friends for supporting the wedding. However, this isn't always the case.
You might be aware that the bride's family is expected to cover the majority of the wedding day costs, while the groom's family pays for a variety of extra activities, like the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon.
In fact, no one asks someone to be a part of their wedding party expecting anything other than joy and gratitude - but this shouldn't make you feel guilty. If being someone's bridesmaid or being part of a wedding party is going to effect your life or mental health negatively, it's okay to say no.
It's tradition for the bride's family to pay for the ceremony venue, while the groom would pay for the celebrant and the marriage license.
In Australia, it is tradition for each guest to pay for herself to attend the hens party. When sending out your invites, be specific about what the hens party package includes, so people know exactly how much they are spending and what they are spending it on.
According to one report on average we can expect to serve as a wedding attendant five times—three of them occurring before we turn 27. Still, it's a love-hate undertaking. Wedding website The Knot notes that 95% of bridesmaids genuinely enjoy the duty.