What are you paying for, for your bridesmaid(s)?

For my MOH - she paid for the dress, we paid for everything else (I say we as I paid for shoes, jewellery, and make up - my mum is paying for hair and bouquet).

For the younger (children) bridesmaids, I bought the dresses and am paying for alterations (we bought them at a real good deal one age too big, so now we can get them properly fitted for length and width as they're all really odd sizes for their age groups so they'd have needed fitting anyway). I also bought cardigans and hair accessories. Mums paying for hair and their wrist corsages. Their parents (my aunts/uncles) have bought shoes and tights.

Hi! We have paid for the dress, shoes, flowers and buying jewellery for their gift. We are getting them a few other small gifts too though. They are doing their own hair and make up ?

Dress, flowers and gift (jewelry). It wouldn't cross my mind to pay for shoes. The dresses are long and black so any heels will look fine and every girl has at least one pair of heels.

We will be paying for their dresses, flowers, accessories (inc shoes) and I'm already practising making their gifts (tote bags for the flight).

One of my BM's had originally said no because of the expense she's had when being a BM before, I had actually never heard of BM's having to buy their own outfits - although now we're planning a wedding I can totally understand.

Luckily, one of my friends who will be coming to the wedding is a hairdresser and has agreed to do all the hair FOC, although I know my adult BM's are more likely to want to do their own, she will mainly be for the younger BM's.

Amen.

We are on a tight budget too. I have 3 bridesmaid, H2B is paying for SIL dress etc, I am paying for my sister and best friend. Going shopping for BM dresses in a couple of weeks. We will pay for their flowers, gifts and have £50 towards a dress each. Hoping will find something in BHS for that price. One of my BM's has offered to buy her own dress, if she does this then she will stick to yellow or blue shades but choose her own style, something that she would want to wear again. Will only use that option if the other two BM's want to do this.

I am happy for them to use their own hair accessories or will get them something from accessorize and to use their own shoes, all 3 have nice shoes anyway. I am having my hair and make up done professionally because I am rubbish at doing anything other than basic (I can do it but it takes me hours and a lot of stress!). Again I don't mind if they do their own hair and make up but if they want to pay to use mine then they are welcome to.

I think it all comes down to budget, if it was one of my friends and I knew they were on a tight budget I wouldn't mind paying for everything but flowers. However, if I knew they had a massive budget and I was skint and they made me pay for everything I may be a little more peeved.

I wouldn't pay for hotel anyway as SIL lives around the corner from the venue, sister would be staying in the hotel anyway and so would my best friend, even if they weren't bridesmaids.

This is a bit of a sore point for me - I'm being bridesmaid in a few weeks and am paying for my dress, shoes, hair, tan and make up. The bride is one of my dearest friends and of course I don't mind paying for it all even though I really cant afford it, but I can't help but think if you can't afford to contribute to your maids, then don't have 8 of them! I have asked my 2 best friends and although they are expecting to buy their dresses I feel like it's something I should do as it's me that's asked them to be part of my wedding x

We have budgeted to pay for dress (£200), hair and makeup (£80), flowers (£35). I know once the time comes and depending on the dress she chooses I will prob get her shoes too. Hadn't thought about jewellery but will prob add that in as well. And she will be getting a gift too. I only have one bm and she is my best friend so will prob spoil her in the end

I am getting my mum to make the dresses- except the flower girl.

flowers

gift.

shoes (possibly)

hair accessory? My SILTB might be making them.

they are going to do their own hair and make up- i just dont have the budget!

x

If my budget lets me, I would like to pay for everything. But it all really depends on the price of the dresses

We have 4 bm 1 adult 1 under 16 yrs and 2 flowergirls aged 6 and 8 iv paid for all they need for the day couldnt expect youner ones to pay for age reasons (think theres an age limit to be able to do a paper round lol ) adult bridesmaid was going to pay for own shoes but when we went to buy dresses they had been reduced so that payed for the shoes which were also reduced i think she is paying for hair and makeup she insists

I'm having 2 adult bridesmaids and 2 children (11 and 8).

For the children we're paying for dress, shoes, hair accessories, flowers and their jewellery will be part of their gift. Their Mum's will do their hair and have the arguments about make-up!!

It's basically the same for the adults except we're doing each others/ our own make-up and hair. My FSIL might choose to buy her own shoes, she loves buying new shoes and the ones she generally likes cost about what I paid for my dress! There's bound to be other bits that I get like wraps, bags, umbrellas...

I'm bought the dresses for the four adults. They are coordinating in the same shade of lavender rather than matching and I was going to buy them shoes, again coordinating them in silver but they all said they had some already that knew they would be happy in. I'm buying the flowers in silk so they'll always have them as a keepsake and some lovely necklaces that I saw on notonthehighstreet.com. My sister, best mate and Goddaughter are staying with me and my parents in a holiday villa we I hired for the night before and so I'll probably make them little pamper packages for the morning e.g. facepacks, bath bomb, slippers. I want to give them something during the speech but I'll probably just get them a bottle of wine or something.

I'll get everything for my flower girls, dresses shoes and socks and a little pendant, then a gift like a teddy or something.

Mini, I don't think it's cheeky. I have never known a bridesmaid who didn't buy her own dress, but that's because I'm not from the UK, and in Canada and the states it's not the done thing for the couple to buy BM dresses. I had to buy my BM dresses for both my brothers' weddings. I also had to pay for my own hair and make up, shoes, etc, etc. I did get a present from both: a coach clutch and gloves at one and a pair of Toms and a make up bag from the other.

My 2 adult bridesmaids have bought their own dresses (but they also CHOSE their own dresses), and will pay for their own hair and make up if they want it professionally done. They don't know, but I've bought them shoes and necklaces as a gift.

We bought the flowergirl dresses, and we plan to buy the page boy suits as well, but that's it.

I believe bride should pay for dress and shoes. Because we ask them to be our BM.

I agree with mini but that's my point of view

So it's not just me who thinks that!

Nothing worse than girls who look orange/a little grubby around the face.

What's wrong with the English rose look?

I agree that the bride should pay for the dress, they have asked the bridesmaids to be their bridesmaids after all. If l was asked to pay then l would want input into the dress, it is only fair after all if l was paying for it.

Glad to see my opinion is the only one to be mentioned two months after the thread began !

if in the us or Canada you normally pay for your own then of course you wouldn't find it cheeky would you?

my ref to 'grim' was more based on the thought of a bride dictating tan or nails to a bm. I think one of mine had a spray tan before the wedding but that's because she's the sort of girl who has them for a night out etc. I wouldn't dream of telling someone they were too pasty and to get a tan for my wedding day! I think that's a bit rude.

Fully agree, I think it's ridiculous how far some people will go to alter the appearance of their bridesmaids! Some brides out there even try to force BMs to dye their hair. My SIL got ridiculously angry with me for getting a bob haircut 6 weeks before their wedding because she apparently wanted no one else to have their hair down, but hadn't mentioned anything about it.