Don't make your friends go broke; how to keep your bridal party's cost at a minimum

One of the most important decisions a recently engaged couple makes is who is going to be in their bridal party.  These people usually consist of family members and very good friends of either the bride or groom. Being asked to be a part of someone's special day is quite the honor.  It says that you have been an important aspect of the couples life in one way or another and they want to tell the world of your importance.
But what is the financial obligations of these friends and family members?  What is a comfortable amount to ask these people to contribute?  Let's face it, when a person is initially asked to be part of the bridal party, most of the time they are so flattered that someone would think of them for such a great honor, the money signs don't seem to be part of the equation.

In reality, here's what we're talking about as a minimum for financial contribution:

Bridesmaid
Dress - $150-$300
Bachelorette Party $200-$400
Shoes $25-$75
Hair $30-$50
Nails $50
Make-up $50
Wedding Gift $50
Total Cost: $550- $1,000 per person
(doesn't include any undergarment, alterations, or additional gifts)

Groomsman
Tuxedo Rental - $100-$200
Shoe Rental - $20
Bachelor Party - $200-$400
Wedding Gift - $50
Total Cost: $370- $670 per person

As you can see, the cost really adds up for each member of your party.  I'm a firm believer in trying to minimize this expense as much as possible but I know, that's much easier said than done.
You want to include them but you don't want to burden them at the same time.  So what to do what to do.  Time to get creative.  Here are some suggestions on how to keep the costs at a minimum and still get the wedding you want.

For the girls:

1. Find out if everyone already has the same color shoes that would work with the style of the wedding or let them be free in their decision of what to wear.
2. Choose a dress from a designer that has tiered pricing (the more dresses you buy of that style, the less it will be per dress).
3. Keep an eye out for trunk shows.  These usually offer some kind of discount when the dresses are purchased within 2 weeks of the show.
4. Find a company who can do both your hair and makeup.  Many times they'll give you a package deal that ends up being a little less expensive than if you were to buy separately.

For the guys:

1. Have the groomsmen wear suits they already own.  To make everyone match rent only the vents/cumber-bun, tie, and pocket square. 
2. As part of your gift to the groomsmen, pay for haircuts before the wedding day, and to get their shoes shined.

For the whole party:

1. Consider including a portion of the overall cost into your original budget.  Look at it as part of the overall wedding expense.  
2. Keep the Bachelor/Bachelorette party local and stay at a house rather than hotel if possible.
3. Let your party know ahead of time that you don't expect a gift from them for every party (engagement, bridal shower and wedding day). I think this is an expense that is not thought through but could help your girls out in the long run.

All of these solutions will help your bridal party enjoy your day that much more.  You don't want to make being a part of your special day a headache for them as they really are there as honored guests.  Remember that.

I'd love to hear from you!
What do you think is a reasonable amount of money for your bridal party to put out?
Have any ideas to save your bridal party money without breaking your bank too?

The Wedding Planner Gets Engaged

As some of you may know, I just got back from a great vacation in England.  Who would have thought I would come back engaged!  It looks like the wedding planner will be planning her own wedding. :)  I'll keep you all informed of the challenges and successes I have along the way.
First things first though, how did it happen?
My boyfriend, Jason, and I planned to go on this vacation at the beginning of the summer last year.  We both had studied in London during college and were looking forward to getting back there to enjoy the city together.
Little did I know, he had much bigger plans than just being a tourist for 10 days.
Our first couple of days in London were pretty standard; waking up way too early dealing with the time change, realizing that looking left to right before crossing the street doesn't work as well as it does here, and of course, learning how to "mind the gap" when getting on the tube.
By day 6 we were getting to know our way around our neighborhood and had somewhat of a routine.  We had made a habit of walking through Hyde Park in the morning.  I guess you could say it's like the Central Park of London.  Dogs run around without leads (aka leashes), runners and cyclists make their way past fountains, monuments, art installations, and, you know, Kensington Palace, and commuters use it as a short cut to get to work.

On this particular day, we had stopped by Starbucks and picked up coffee, a chocolate croissant for Jason and a blueberry muffin for me (a pretty standard event with us no matter where we are in the world).  We started out on our usual path looking for a dry bench to enjoy our tasty treats.  Of course, this was the first morning of our trip that we woke up with frost everywhere so a dry bench was a little hard to find.  We settled on a wet one and did our best to dry it off.

We sat down and proceeded to drink our coffee and eat our pastries when Jason asked me a question he had asked many times before: "Can I keep you? Forever?"  to which I answered "of course you can baby"  he then responded with "then you might need this"  I turned to see a little gray box.  Being the romantic that he is, Jason got down on one knee and asked me the big question.  to which I said "yes babe yes!"  and in an instant it was over.  We were engaged and I was a blubbering mess with a mouth full of muffin.

It was unexpected, completely nontraditional and perfect!  I wouldn't have had it any other way.  So here I go, planning my own wedding.  Wish me luck. :)