A female pulled out of her best friend’s wedding following an email that included hefty prices for being a bridesmaid. At first, she was ‘beyond excited and honoured’ when Megan, her school friend for years, requested she be a member of the wedding party. But excitement turned to shock when Megan sent an email outlining the high prices for the bridal party.
Megan’s email contained a spreadsheet detailing the costs of the dress, hair and makeup, bride’s gift, bachelorette party deposit, and other miscellaneous charges. Confronted with the pricey requests, the woman told Megan that the overall price was well out of her budget because of financial commitments such as student loan payments and saving for other needs. Megan responded by saying that these prices were ‘the standard’ for contemporary weddings, going on to say, “I’m just trying to get everything perfect and these prices are a requirement. If you can’t afford to be in my wedding, I get it, but I can’t adjust the plans for everyone else.”
Feeling ‘super awkward’ and let down, the woman posted about it on Reddit, saying, “I’ve always been there for her, but this just feels like she’s using her wedding as an excuse to make her guests pay for her dream day. I told her that I couldn’t afford all of it, and she hasn’t spoken to me since.”
The narrative has generated debate on social media, with people providing different opinions regarding the monetary pressures involved. One of them said, “If you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it. You can just say, I love you and thank you for inviting me to be a part of your wedding but I will have to turn it down because of money. I would still really like to go and stand by you.” One user had advised, “If she truly is your friend she will be understanding, but you might need to let events take their course depending on what she says.” Some users censured the bride, one calling her “money hungry” and another labelling the expectations as “way too much to expect from a friend.