Woman Upset After Finding Out Last Minute That Bridal Party Is Expected to 'Foot the Bill' for 'Expensive' Bachelorette Trip

Mar. 15, 2025

Bachelorette party (stock image).Photo:Getty

Getty

A bridesmaid says she is feeling increasingly “stressed” about her close friend’s upcoming bachelorette trip — especially since she just found out that the bridal party is expected to “foot the bill” for the pricy celebration.

The 24-year-old woman detailed the dilemma in a post onReddit’s “Wedding” forum, explaining that the bride, 27, asked her to be a bridesmaid in December and told her she is having a destination bachelorette party. The OP (original poster) said she was initially excited about the three-day trip until she found out just how expensive it was going to be and that the bridesmaids would be splitting the entire cost.

“Her maid of honor planned everything and no one in the group was made aware that the bride wasn’t paying for ANYTHING until a few weeks ago,” the OP wrote. “The Airbnb alone cost $6,000 (already booked) and my plane ticket was $400 (I already paid). There’s 7 of us not including the bride. They’re renting a yacht which is $1,200, doing yoga classes, Pilates classes, a sunset cruise, spa days, and we (the bridesmaids) are supposed to cover for all food, groceries and Ubers. For all 3 days.”

She said that after totaling all of the costs, each bridesmaid would be responsible for paying between $2,500 and $3,000 for the trip. “This is more than my own paychecks,” she vented.

The OP expressed her frustration that the expenses were not communicated to the bridal party sooner. “The maid of honor just said ‘the bride will NOT be paying for anything’ as of a few weeks ago. Shouldn’t she have asked the bridal party if we were comfortable with the expenses? I just wish the expenses were communicated BEFORE we had to commit to it,” she wrote.

Women celebrating on a bachelorette trip (stock image).Getty

“Do I talk to the maid of honor or my friend the bride?” she asked. “I don’t want to start resenting my friend (the bride) for letting the entire bridal party foot the bill. But I feel so stressed about this trip and I’m spending more money on this bachelorette trip than I would on my own vacation. Please help, I don’t know what to do without making the situation awkward.”

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They added: “Want a luxury vacation? Plan a honeymoon to that destination on your own dime.”

Women celebrating at a bachelorette party (stock image).Izusek/Getty Stock Image

Izusek/Getty Stock Image

Others assured the OP that she was not the one making the situation “awkward” and advised her to simply be honest with the bride.

“It is not okay to make these decisions without making sure everyone who has already committed can afford them. I would politely chat with the bride and say you simply cannot afford the bachelorette but would still love to be a part of the wedding,” one person suggested.

“Ideally the bride/MOH should ask about people’s budgets before the planning gets too far along,” they added. “If a ballpark figure wasn’t given to you in advance, I would text either bride or MOH and say that it’s more expensive that you had budgeted for, and you won’t be able to afford to attend both the bachelorette and the wedding. If she’s a good friend, the bride would be understanding because life is expensive!”

Quite a few Redditors took issue with the overall trend of pricy bachelorette trips.

“Brides nowadays — expecting people to shell out this much cash is crazy and selfish,” one person wrote, telling the OP, “Good luck and don’t go broke for someone else’s wedding. Have boundaries.”

source: people.com