Photo: Brooke Mayo Photographers
Managing your bridesmaids—and working with their financial limitations—can be a stressful part of planning your wedding. That's why we've enlisted one of the top etiquette experts to answer this dilemma and some of your other tough wedding party etiquette questions: Anna Post, the great-great-granddaughter of the famed Emily Post.
My bridesmaid lost her job. What should I do?
The first thing to do if one of your bridesmaids can no longer afford her dress or other expenses is to talk things over before assuming anything. She may have other resources available to her, or she may have a solution she'd like to propose. You can also talk about other ways to economize that could make the expenses reasonable enough for her to handle, such as going with a less expensive dress. If she's out of options, you can certainly offer to cover her remaining costs. This is a generous and gracious way to handle the situation, if you have it within your means. When you initially invited her, it was because you are close to her and want her to share in your wedding day. On a whole, the costs to a bridesmaid (dress, alterations, shoes, and travel to the wedding) are miniscule compared to a wedding. This may be a small price to pay to keep her in the picture.
—Anna Post, The Emily Post Institute
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