With the peak wedding season upon us, it’s not only the happy couple and their families who have to open their wallets. Often bridesmaids and groomsmen have to pony up significant dollars, too. Consumer Reports has advice on how to soften the financial pain for members of the wedding.
Groomsmen often have to buy or rent a suit and pay for a bachelor party. Groomsmen actually spend more than bridesmaids on average, according to a study by the financial advice website GOBankingRates.
Bridesmaids have many expenses—hair, makeup, even jewelry. There’s also the dress and often a party for the bride.
Consumer Reports’ money editor, Tobie Stanger, says, “Brides and grooms really need to think carefully about the expenses that they’re foisting on their friends and relatives.”
Some brides keep the costs down for their bridesmaids by sending them links to dress sales and giving them color swatches so they just have to buy a dress in a coordinating color, but don’t have to buy an exact dress.
Grooms can keep costs down for their groomsmen by letting them wear a suit of their choice in a similar color and add matching ties and pocket squares to pull it all together.
In addition, think hard about having a destination wedding. With fewer guests, it may keep costs down for the wedding couple but not for those who attend. There’s transportation, hotel rooms, and extra meals.
More on saving money on weddings can be found here.
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