Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Bridesmaids Must Be Rich

My bridesmaid duties for my old roomate's wedding have begun. Now, one might think that being a bridesmaid for a friend is a honor, a treat if you would. For the wedding day, you might be right, yet for the months leading up to it, it's one of the largest financial burdens one can stomach. Let me lay this out for you:

1) Buy a dress that you'll probably never wear ever again. And get it tailored, because you know even though you were measured for it, when it comes it will need altering, never fail.

2)If you live out of state, buy plane tickets and figure out housing for not only the wedding but one or more of the various pre-wedding parties. Which brings me to...

3) So many damn parties. Since when has a wedding turned into an excuse to get as many gifts as possible from each person? I don't know, maybe it's just a Southern thing, but for this one wedding, there are at least 4 parties. First there was the engagement party. Then there's the bridal shower (or perhaps more than one, targeting different audiences). Then there's the lingerie party. Then there's the bachelorette party. As a bridesmaid, you're invited to them all. For the latter, that includes an expensive night out on the town with lots of food and drinks, and paying for a hotel room in a city in which you live!

So how exactly is a poor grad student supposed to pay for this all??? Funny thing is, with Becky, she used to complain that her friends had all these damn parties and that she had to get gifts for them all. Perhaps as payback to her other friends, perhaps at the suggestion of her other bridesmaids (who seem to think these redundant parties are necessary), she does the EXACT SAME DAMN THING she was complaining about. WTF???

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I feel your pain...
~JoAnna

Unknown said...

wow, that is pretty steep...I promise I won't have as many parties when you're my bridesmaid ;). Plus, if/when that day comes, I'm sure you won't be a poor grad student anymore...

Bela Naomi said...

I hate that too, and somehow, I have managed to go through this over, and over, and over again.

2 comments though - you forgot the Bridal shower. that is party #5.

A good idea that my friend Jen had was to combine the bridal shower and bachelorette party to one weekend, and the bridal shower "gift" was for each person to bring a recipe written on a piece of pretty paper sent in the invitation, and fill it out with a recipe or advice. It was a cute idea, and went over well.