bridesmaid dresses - who pays?

I'm paying for everything, including dress, jewellery, shoes, hair, make up, hair accessory, spare pair of flat shoes for evening, handbag and shawl. I don't believe it should cost them anything as I have asked them to do it. Plus, if anyone asked me to be BM and I had to pay for anything I'd have to turn it down as I couldn't afford it and I wouldn't want to put my BMs in that awkward position.

I've paid for dresses, cardigans and jewellery. They will be doing their own hair and make-up, but I don't want them all to have 'matching' hair, so they can have it how they like. I've also asked them to provide their own shoes (again, not worried about their shoes matching), and they will have to arrange alterations themselves because they all live miles away. I feel a bit bad now that we aren't paying for their hair and make-up but its so expensive, and would take ages on the day for 4 BMs to have professional hair and make-up done!

I haven't decided for certain yet, but I'm definitely paying for the dress (which we've chosen together) and alterations, and likely a pashmina/ coverup. My bridesmaid (just the one) is happy to wear a pair of neutral shoes of her choosing (she'll be wearing a long dress so I don't care) and either wear jewellery she already owns (that I say is ok) or put towards/ be given some jewellery of my choosing. I expect we're going to split the hair and makeup costs (she has in mind going to a cheaper salon and doing her own makeup- I don't want to cheap out on her and she's not very good at doing her own makeup, so my plan is to have my hairdresser/ MUA do the both of us). My problem, if I have one, will be getting her to accept that I'm going to help pay! She's coming all the way from Australia so damn straight I'm at least putting towards it!

I had it easy! I had one BM and she wore a dress she already had. She offered to buy a new dress but I didn't see the point. We had a very small wedding and I couldn't have a afforded a dress so I said as lOng as it wasn't dark blue (colour of my dress)

I'm having 3 bridesmaids. I intend to buy dresses, shoes, jewellery (as bridesmaids gift) and if there's any money left over... maybe pay for hair as well. I have 2 years to plan and is hoping to get the dresses and shoes from the High Street during sales. I'll be choosing dresses that they can wear again, maybe buy 3-4 different styles for them to choose from.

I am a firm believer that bride should pay if stipulating what they wear. I bought my bridesmaids' dresses, jewellery (Cambodia's "finest jewels" eg talking about a few dollars!) and paid for their hair and make-up. Told them they just had to wear silve shoes as the dresses were purple.

Tried to buy dresses they could wear again, and bought them off Kaliko. Would not dream of asking for them back!

x

We paid for dresses, shoes, hair and accommodation, all of which I had final say on. I have been a BM in the past where I paid for my own outfit, but I had complete freedom of choice on dress and shoes, right down to colour and style.