Wedding Party Expenses: Who Pays for What?

What wedding party members typically pay for

Being in a wedding party is an honor, but it is also an investment. Here is what bridesmaids, groomsmen, and other attendants usually cover out of their own pocket:

• Their own outfit. The dress, suit, shoes, and any alterations needed to make everything fit properly.
• Travel and accommodation for the wedding. Flights, hotel stays, and transportation to and from the venue.
• The bachelor or bachelorette party. Their share of the trip or event, including the bride or groom's portion split among the group.
• A group gift for the couple. Usually a collective present from the entire wedding party, sometimes in addition to a personal gift.
• The rehearsal dinner outfit. Some weddings call for a specific dress code at the rehearsal. This varies by couple.

All told, the average cost of being in a wedding party ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 per person. That number can climb even higher for destination weddings. Knowing this upfront helps everyone budget accordingly and avoids sticker shock as each expense comes up.

What the couple typically covers

The couple has plenty of their own expenses, but they traditionally cover a few things for their party:

• Bouquets and boutonnieres. The flowers the wedding party carries or wears on the day of the ceremony.
• Day of getting ready costs. Hair, makeup, and any group styling sessions on the wedding day.
• The rehearsal dinner. The couple (or their families) typically hosts and covers the rehearsal dinner for the wedding party and immediate family.
• Accommodation for out of town attendants (sometimes). Some couples book a room block and cover or subsidize rooms for their party. This is a generous gesture, not an expectation.
• A thank you gift. Many couples give their attendants a gift as a gesture of appreciation for their time and money.

The bachelor and bachelorette party

This is almost always the biggest shared expense for the wedding party. What used to be a single night out has evolved into full weekend trips. The average cost per person now ranges from $500 to $1,500 depending on the destination and activities.

The standard rule: the bride or groom does not pay for their own bachelor or bachelorette party. Their share of every expense is split among the rest of the group. So if dinner costs $600 for 8 people, the 7 attendants each pay $85.71 (their share plus one seventh of the guest of honor's share).

When planning, the organizer should get a budget range from the group early. Not everyone can afford a weekend in Miami or Scottsdale. A quick anonymous poll asking "What is the most you can comfortably spend on the bach party?" prevents someone from planning a $2,000 per person trip that three people quietly cannot afford.

Common bach party expenses to split

• Accommodation (Airbnb, hotel, resort)
• Dinners and group meals
• Activities (boat charter, spa day, golf, paintball)
• Decorations and themed supplies
• Transportation (airport shuttles, party bus, rideshares)
• The guest of honor's share of everything above

Wedding party outfits

Bridesmaid dresses typically cost $100 to $300, and groomsmen suits run $150 to $400 depending on whether they are purchased or rented. Add alterations, shoes, and accessories, and the outfit bill can easily exceed $400 per person.

Some couples subsidize or fully cover the outfits for their party. This is increasingly common and is a thoughtful way to reduce the financial burden. If you are the couple, consider offering to cover at least a portion, especially if you have chosen an expensive designer or specific store.

The most important thing: communicate the budget early. If the bride picks a $350 dress, the bridesmaids need to know that number months in advance, not two weeks before the fitting. The same goes for groomsmen. Give people time to plan.

The group gift

Many wedding parties organize a shared gift from the entire group. This could be a big ticket registry item, a meaningful experience, or a cash contribution toward something specific like the honeymoon fund.

Here is how to handle the logistics cleanly:

1. Set a per person budget. Propose something reasonable ($50 to $100 per person) and let people opt up if they want.
2. Have one person purchase the gift. One organizer picks it out and buys it, then collects contributions from the rest of the group.
3. Collect contributions before the wedding. Do not wait until the week of. Give people a clear deadline at least a month out.
4. Track who has paid. Log the contributions so the organizer is not chasing people down via text messages.

Travel and accommodation

For destination weddings or ceremonies in a different city, travel is often the single largest expense. Flights, hotels, rental cars, and ground transportation can add $500 to $2,000+ per person depending on the location.

Smart ways to reduce and split these costs:

• Share hotel rooms. Two attendants splitting a hotel room cuts the nightly rate in half. Coordinate roommates early.
• Split a rental car. If several people are flying into the same airport, one rental car split three or four ways is far cheaper than individual rideshares all weekend.
• Book together. Sometimes group bookings at hotels come with discounted rates. Ask the couple if they have arranged a room block.
• Coordinate flights. If multiple people are traveling from the same city, booking the same flights can make airport logistics and ride sharing easier.

How to track all these expenses

Unlike a vacation or a dinner, wedding party expenses span months, not days. The first dress fitting might happen six months before the wedding. The bachelor party could be three months out. The group gift collection happens a month before. And the final hotel and travel costs land the week of.

Keeping a running tally across all these expenses is essential. Without it, the maid of honor or best man ends up fronting thousands of dollars and spending weeks chasing reimbursements after the wedding.

The best approach: create a shared space where every expense is logged as it happens. Each person can see what they owe, what they have paid, and what is still outstanding. When the wedding is over, settling up is straightforward because everything has been tracked from the beginning.