Brides aren’t always on their best behavior when wedding planning. They might be stressed, overwhelmed, and hyperfocused on the tiniest of details. They might scrutinize the guest list for hours and have a meltdown over what songs to request from the DJ. So it’s best for friends and family members to be understanding during this time.
But some brides aren’t just dealing with stress when prepping for their big day; some are finally showing their true colors. When one woman realized that a “friend” had attempted to charge her double for her bridesmaid dress, she knew it was time to drop out of the wedding and the friendship. Below, you’ll find the full story that she shared on Reddit.
Being a bridesmaid is typically seen as a huge honor
Image credits: Omelnickiy/Envato (not the actual photo)
But this woman was shocked to find out that her "friend" had attempted to scam her bridesmaids out of hundreds of dollars
Image credits: AnnaStills/Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: ShamedShamingShamer
Readers were appalled by the bride's behavior, and many wondered if the bridesmaids could take legal action against her
Later, the author shared more details on the situation, along with an update on the drama
Image credits: www.kaboompics.com/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Ivan/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: ShamedShamingShamer
On average, being a bridesmaid costs about $1,800
For many women, being asked to be a bridesmaid is a huge honor. Typically, a bride will only ask her closest friends to participate in the most important day of her life, and by doing so, she’s making it clear how much she loves and appreciates them.
According to The Knot, the average bride has a team of four bridesmaids by her side, and the vast majority of women will accept this responsibility. But not everyone is thrilled about it.
Brides.com notes that typical bridesmaid duties include supporting the bride, helping with pre-wedding events (such as planning the bachelorette party), attending the rehearsal dinner, preparing for photos, being the bride’s “bathroom buddy,” and keeping the energy up at the wedding.
Image credits: Milan/Pexels (not the actual photo)
It also usually entails purchasing and wearing a specific dress that the bride chose. Or, at the very least, a dress in a color assigned by the bride. Bridesmaids should enjoy the wedding, of course, but they should also make sure that the bride is having the best time. She’s the VIP of the day.
Being in the wedding party isn’t all sunshine and roses, though. Aside from the fact that 78% of bridesmaids hate the dresses that they’ve been asked to wear for the ceremony, this role can be a huge financial burden.
The Knot reports that after a bridesmaid has paid for a bridal shower gift, the bachelorette party, the bridesmaid dress, a wedding gift, and her hair and makeup for the big day, she might have spent a whopping $1,800.
Brides must be transparent about how much the wedding will cost their wedding party
Many women have even gone into debt to be able to be bridesmaids in friends’ weddings. In fact, a 2019 study found that one-third of people who had been in a wedding party in the past two years admitted that they went into debt for bridal-party related expenses.
Given the fact that 90% of Americans have some kind of debt already, it’s likely becoming more and more unaffordable to participate in a friend’s wedding. So you’ll only want to accept the role of being a bridesmaid if it’s for someone you truly love.
Image credits: Анна Хазова/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Meanwhile, the bride should understand what exactly her bridal party should and shouldn’t pay for. Obviously, scamming them out of money is off limits.
But Brides.com says that bridesmaids also shouldn’t have to worry about paying for their own hair and makeup or their wedding flowers. Their day-of transportation should also be covered, along with snacks and meals on the wedding day.
At the same time, brides should be transparent about how much everything is going to cost upfront. If anyone can’t afford to attend the bachelorette party or to purchase a dress for the wedding, they might want to opt out of being involved at all.
Simply attending a wedding can be pricey for many people, once you factor in travel, accommodation, and a gift. So even some of the bride’s closest friends might prefer to skip the additional costs and just attend as guests.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think that this bride got what was coming to her? Feel free to weigh in, and then you can find another Bored Panda article discussing similar wedding drama right here.
Again, amused readers shared their reactions and called out the bride for her bad behavior
