always a bridesmaid

Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride Is Actually Really Expensive

Photo: Michael Alberstat/Getty Images

Imagine this: You’re single and feel totally fine with it, and suddenly you get a call from your college bestie. She’s getting married. Yay for her! Do you want to be her bridesmaid? Of course! But what if you knew it’d cost you $1,466? Would you still want to do it?

Turns out, being a bridesmaid is crazy expensive. A study by Weddington Way found that being a bridesmaid in the U.S. costs women an average of $1,178–$1,466, depending on where you live. (It’s cheapest to be a Midwestern bridesmaid and most expensive to be a Northeastern bridesmaid.)

Typical expenses include: travel, accommodations, hair and makeup, your (probably hideous) dress, the bridal shower, and the bachelorette party.

To add insult to injury, the average woman is a bridesmaid three times in her life, which means she might spend upwards of $4,398 to basically eat mediocre chicken and get wasted with her friends.

How can we combat these unfair bridesmaids costs? Enter the lottery, find a rich husband yourself, or simply refuse — unless the bride’s paying.

Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride Costs You