Sharon Naylor - Bridesmaid on a Budget: How to Be a Brilliant Bridesmaid without Breaking the Bank

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Table of Contents

BOOKS BY SHARON NAYLOR

The Bridesmaid Handbook
Your Special Wedding Toasts
The Ultimate Bridal Shower Idea Book
Love Bets: 300 Romantic Wagers to Up the Ante on your Love Life
Your Wedding, Your Way
The Brides Diplomacy Guide
Renewing Your Wedding Vows
The Essential Guide to Wedding Etiquette
The Busy Brides Essential Wedding Checklists
The Ultimate Wedding Registry Workbook
Your Special Wedding Vows
The Mother of the Bride Book
Mother of the Groom
The Grooms Guide
1000 Best Wedding Bargains
1000 Best Secrets for Your Perfect Wedding
How to Have a Fabulous Wedding for $10,000 or Less
The Complete Outdoor Wedding Planner
How to Plan an Elegant Wedding in 6 Months or Less
Its My Wedding Too: A Novel

For my bridesmaids,
Jill, Jen, Pam, and Madison

Introduction

When you hear those words, Will you be my bridesmaid? from the newly engaged, radiant bride you love, you become pretty radiant yourself! Its so incredibly exciting to be asked into the brides Inner Circle, to be named among the most important women in the world to her. Of all of the people she knows, she wants you to stand up with her as she takes her wedding vows and begins her new life. Its pretty fabulous to be named, and pretty fabulous to look ahead at all of the fun and glamour to come. Trying on designer gowns, planning a lavish and lovely bridal shower worthy of a photo feature in the top bridal magazines, throwing an unforgettable bachelorette bash, walking down the aisle with all eyes on you as the ceremony begins (and maybe youll get the Hot Groomsman paired up with you!). This is where you have a lot in common with the bride: such dreamy, detailed plans to make, so many thrills in the months to come....

Well, maybe thats not your take on it. If youve been a bridesmaid beforeperhaps many times beforeyou know that its not always such a dreamy, effervescent time. After all, you know from experience that being a bridesmaid can sometimes mean dealing with a bride who transforms into a demanding drama queen, or Mean Girls antics from the other bridesmaids, and a list of responsibilities that grows every day. Right now, you might be more likely to down a margarita to calm your nerves than to celebrate the thrills of the months to come. Especially since you know what being a bridesmaid can cost.

No matter which end of the spectrum you fall on, heres the reality : Being a bridesmaid costs money. Lots of it. Sometimes, lots and lots of it. Just take a look at this chart from the wedding industry survey site TheWeddingReport.com to see the national average expenses of bridesmaids across the country:

Bridesmaid Market Overview: In 2009, bridesmaids will spend an estimated $9.61 billion. Results from our recent bridesmaid study concluded there are an average 4.3 bridesmaids per wedding accounting for an estimated 9.53 million bridesmaids spending $9.61 billion. A single bridesmaid will spend $1,069-$1,269 on dress to travel.

The average number of times someone is a bridesmaid is three, which translates to well over $3,000 spent by each bridesmaid in her life.

10.93 percent of you have been a bridesmaid once (including now)

67.07 percent of you have been a bridesmaid between 2 and 5 times

14.90 percent of you have been a bridesmaid between 6 and 20 times

7.1 percent of you have been a bridesmaid more than ten times

THEWEDDINGREPORT.COMS SURVEY RESULTS FOR 2009*
BACHELORETTE PARTY EXPENSES	$152
BRIDAL SHOWER GIFT	$72
BRIDAL SHOWER PLANS	$60 TO $200 PER BRIDESMAID
BRIDESMAID ACCESSORIES	$52
BRIDESMAID DRESS	$178
BRIDESMAID DRESS ALTERATIONS	$56
SHOES	$49
HAIR STYLING	$65
MANICURE (PLUS TIPS)	$32
PEDICURE	$30
OUTFIT FOR REHEARSAL DINNER	$71
PLANE FARE	$303
HOTEL (PER NIGHT)	$140
RENTAL CAR (PER DAY)	$88
WEDDING GIFT FROM BRIDESMAID	$117
* EVERY CATEGORY IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE MODERATELY IN EXPENSE BY 2014, ACCORDING TO SURVEYS CON DUCTED BY THE WEDDINGREPORT.COM.

And these are the national average figures, combining the sky-high prices of the Northeast with the more moderate prices of the South and the Midwest. If youre a southern woman, you might look at that $32 for a manicure figure and laugh in disbelief. If youre a New York City or Boston woman, $32 might get you very, very excited and Googling to see where you can get a manicure for that low price.

No matter how the individual expenses stack up per category for this wedding, youre looking at a cash outlay of about $1,000. More or less. And in this economy, with where you are in lifemaybe just graduating college or still in school and eating Ramen noodles, recently married and buying your own first home, struggling to make ends meet in a frustrating and low-paying job that drives you crazy but youd still hate to get laid off anytime soonthats a lot of money to devote to anything.

A thousand dollars? Thats two rent payments, says one bridesmaid, whose bliss bubble has burst after a week of being named to a bridal party. Its going to be tough to come up with that kind of cash.

My boyfriend is already paying most of the bills in our apartment, says another bridesmaid. He knows Ive said yes to being in the bridal party, but Im already anxious about each check Im going to have to write for my friends wedding.

And then theres, There goes my ski trip!

But of course, theres also this: I know its going to cost a lot, but the bride is so very important to me, and this is just a short time of stretching my dollars. So whatever she wants, Ill find a way.

Kinda want to smack this last one, dont you? Thats the kind of breezy attitude tossed around by bridesmaids who arent living from paycheck to paycheck, who have plenty of room on their credit cards, or who have parents who hand out cash like candy on Halloween. But the truth is, we all have that belief deep inside of us. We love the bride. Wed do anything for her. And were trying to balance our money panic with a very real sense of, Its worth it.

Thats quite a seesaw, so get your Dramamine ready, because youre going to be swinging back and forth between the twomoney terror and friendly benevolenceuntil the day you walk down the aisle ahead of her... and maybe for a few months afterward when the credit card bills start rolling in.

What youve got here, though, is a handbook of secrets thats going to cut down on your bridesmaid money terror. Way down. Way, way down. Because you get insider scoop on where to find fabulous bridesmaids dresses for a fraction of the national average price. And expert advice on how to throw a stylish shower that only looks expensive, but really costs very little. And... get ready for it... the power to have a say in what youll be spending.

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