cost of being maid of honor?

I've never been in anyone's wedding party before and I'm going to be my BFF's maid of honor in November. I'm trying to get an idea of how much money to set aside. My baby is due in August, so if everything goes according to plan, I will just be going back to work right before the wedding, so money will be tight. I need to plan now.
All-in, how much could this run me? Dress, shoes, hair, makeup, shower, bachelorette party, gifts???

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

I've never been an MOH, but I'm in a BP this June...I'm estimating, in total, it will probably cost me somewhere around $1500-$1700.

I think this number can really, really vary though. For example, the dress we are buying does not come in my size, and the store has to order extra fabric to make it...so I'm paying about $450 just for the dress.

I should mention that the BP is not paying for the bridal shower...the MOB is...and it's not a destination bachelorette party.

Message edited 1/18/2013 8:59:51 AM.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

My MOH events have come in at a low of $1200 (including everything) to over $2k.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

I wasn't MOH for my best friend but I was sorta a pseudo MOH because her sister lives far away - so I threw/hosted the shower (it was small and 2 others contributed a bit), bought at least 3 different gifts (engagement, shower, wedding), flew elsewhere for her bach party, and stayed at the hotel the weekend of the wedding. Plus the cost of dress added to all that I spent about $2k I believe.

cost of being maid of honor?

It all depends on the bride... This is about what I spent and lower to average prices.

Dress $200 - $300 including alterations

shoes - $50 -$100

hair & makeup - about $150

shower - $800 (I Split this with the MOTB)

bachelorette party - $250

gifts - $600

I'd estimate $2 - $3K.....

Message edited 1/17/2013 1:51:25 PM.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

Holy cr@p!!! My sister was my MOH and I know my parents helped pay for alot of stuff so I had no idea.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

All 3 times I have been a MOS, it has been about $2500 give or take

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

I'd block out about $2K. It really depends. a BM dress can be $150 or it can be $400. You may be able to choose your own shoes, or you may have to get a specific shoe. You may have to get an updo, etc. Also, bachelorette parties and showers really vary in scope and scale

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

I think it depends on the bride and her expectations.

For my wedding, my MOH/BMs paid for their dress and shoes, the bachelorette party, and they got me gifts for my bridal shower and wedding. My mom and grandmother paid for my shower. I also paid for the girls to get their hair done. Compared to the last bridal party I was in, my friends got off pretty easy!

My dh and I were both in the same couples bridal party. They expected us to pay for the dress, tux, bachelor and bachelorette party, shower (which was WAY MORE than I wanted to contribute split amongst me and the other girls.. one girl took over and thought our wallets were bottomless pits, spending money on the party without asking approval and then telling us what we owe) and we also gave generous gifts for the shower and wedding. .. umm their wedding was also relatively far so we paid for a hotel for I think two nights.. I also paid for my hair (did my own makeup). In the end it was a few thousand dollars.

Sooo as you can see, it varies a lot from bride to bride. I joke with my dh now and say that if my friends care about me so much I wish they wouldn't put me in their bridal party I hate for it to come out that way but rather than have the focus be centered around being there for my friends, it becomes this huge expensive event. It kind of takes away from the meaning behind why you were asked to be in the bridal party in the first place.

Message edited 1/17/2013 2:37:16 PM.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

About 1500- 2000. If you have to travel and have to have a hotel room, add that to the total for each event you attend.
I have been a MOH once and a bridesmaid twice. I have never had to pay for the shower as the parents of the bride have paid for that event and we don't do batchelorette parties in my circle of friends. We do go out for lunch and the bride paid for that to thank the girls as I did for my friends.
Dress 200-400
Alterations 50-100
Shoes 50-100
Hair/makeup 200
shower/wedding presents 600
Hotel about 100-150 a night
I drove so tolls and stuff 50

I have only been in the bridal party for siblings and bffs. I know there are some girls who are in tons of bridal parties and just don't know how they do it.

Message edited 1/18/2013 9:49:56 AM.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

just married off my sister and was her MOH in September- this is what I spent

Dress- $150
Shoes- $50
Hair/Mu- my mom paid for
Shower- my mom paid for most things but I did decorations, favors etc and it was like $500
Shower gift- $100
Bach party- $800 (South Beach)

so $1600 for me

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

It depends if you're expected to pay for the shower and certain things.

A lot of times the mother of the bride and family will throw it.

That makes a huge difference right there.

cost of being maid of honor?

It is going to depend on how things are handled... My sister was my MOH and these were her expenses:

Dress and alterations $240 (if that)
Shoes (everyone could pick their own)
I gave them jewlery
Hair and Makeup were optional but as the MOH she went with my person ($150)
Bachelorette Party - we just did a night out in the city so she paid for her own mani at Bliss and then everyone split dinner and paid for whatever drinks she had afterwards. Not sure what this cost
The shower was completely paid for by my mom so she just needed $$ for a gift
And then the wedding gift.

If you're expected to pay for the shower or to go away for a bechelorette party it will add up REALLY fast. If you have to buy a designer dress and the shoes the bride picks out even more. I really tried to make it as cost friendly for everyone as possible.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

I"m a BM in my friends wedding (hubby is the BM )

Dress 230+alterations
Shower Gift - group maybe 100
Shower Misc (games, etc) 50
Shower gift from me 50-100
Bach Party - 500 if its simple, more if its overnight somewhere
Gift 500

And of course the bachelor party is gonna run 1200+ cause these guys think they are ballers

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

too much. start saving now.

cost of being maid of honor?

About 2K is what I spent

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

I think it depends on how the bride is. I happened to have a very costly wedding reception but I realized that choice or dream of mine, hah, did not have to (and should not) trickle down to my bp.

My engagement party and rehearsal dinner were bbqs- no real cost to bp- although the girls all gave me a little gift like a frame or something.

They wore beautiful navy blue dresses from, gasp, David's Bridal. Cost was $125. Shoes were anything silver (everyone already had).

Alterations were like $20 from the tailor I use out of her apartment.

My bridal shower was paid for by my family. My girls gave me some beautiful themed baskets and also chipped in for a mixer. They probably spent something like $200 each.

My bachelorette party was two part. The bp girls accompanied me to a broadway play that we all already wanted to see (Little Mermaid) and then we were joined by like 30 more girls at a bar in the city. No limos or anything like that- they paid for a couple app platters though. So tix and food plus some booze- Maybe another $150 each. No one person bought me drinks- people took turns, and I was vomiting by 2am.

Wedding day they had their hair and nails done wherever they wanted. I don't think they paid much. Maybe $25 mani/pedi and $50 up-do or blowout.

So, I can't say that my bp girls paidmore than $550 each for the whole fiasco and then they gave different gift amounts ranging from $400 - $1k+ from my sils.

It's when brides pick expensive dresses and destination bacherlorette parties that the $$ starts really adding up.

Message edited 1/17/2013 4:14:52 PM.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

omg thats alot of money.......

my bp only had to get silver shoes... i bought dresses, they did their own hair and makeup.

my mom paid for shower, they only got a gift...

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

As others have said, it really depends on the bride. I have never been a MOH but have been a BM 5 times I've spent...

Dresses: $275-350 (with alterations)

Shoes: $50-100

Hair & Makeup: ~ $200 (including gratuity)

Gifts (engagement party, shower, wedding): $600-$700

Bach Party: $500-1,000 (we've always gone away somewhere)

Luckily, I have never had to contribute to the bridal shower--the MOB has always taken care of it all...but I know that's rare.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

i'd probably budget $1000 on the low end; thats dress, shoes, hair/makeup, accessories, and if you need to contribute to the cost of the shower. then there is the wedding gift, bachelorette party, etc.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

Depends on the bride. My BM dresses were $200 (from J Crew), and I paid for their hair and makeup. My mom paid for my shower. My bachelorette was probably $150 per girl, including hotel.


I would feel her out to see what type of bachelorette party she wants, if you are responsible for paying for the shower, etc. to get a better idea.

Re: cost of being maid of honor?

I never figured this out.

My dress cost 400 with alterations
Hotel/flight to wedding for me -- 800
gift - 400
shower that I threw--200?
bachelorette party in Montauk---600?
Other

I probably spent 3000 when all was said and done.

cost of being maid of honor?

I think it depends on the bride. For my sister, I was MOH and my mom paid for her shower. I wanted to get her nice gifts and went a little overboard on liquor and food for her bachelorette party. I think it cost about 2k total. For my friend's wedding 2 years ago, it cost me around 1k, but I didn't pay for the bridal shower and it was a small bachelorette party. The last wedding I was in, we paid for the bridal shower and bachelorette party and it still wound up costing around 1k. So, I'd say you're looking at 1k as a minimum!