Your best friend gets engaged and OF COURSE you’re delighted for her.
But you’re also mentally tallying up how much the engagement party, bachelorette, and bridesmaid dress is going to cost you – because we all know it’s not going to be cheap.
But if you thought that men had it easier when it comes to getting married, think again.
According to a recent survey by GOBankingRates, groomsmen spend more than bridesmaids on average – and the best man actually shells out twice as much as the maid of honour.
Men and women were asked what they spend on clothing, gifts, parties, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and other expenses related to their bridesmaid and groomsman duties.
502 women and 503 men were surveyed, where they were asked questions regarding the most recent wedding party they had been a part of.
While bridesmaids were found to be more likely to go over budget (32 per cent) than groomsmen who blew the budget for their best friend’s big day (28 per cent), in just about every other category it was the guys who were breaking the bank when it came to their wedding obligations.
And it can be broken down into these four categories:
Groomsmen spend more on clothing than bridesmaids. “You just buy one suit and then you get to wear it for the rest of your life” is the age old argument thrown in the face of men who challenge women on their spending habits. But it turns out that groomsmen are actually spending more on the average tuxedo ($245.50) than bridesmaids on a dress ($214.58). Plus, if it’s rented they won’t even get to keep it.
Bachelor party spending exceeds bachelorette. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – including your life savings. Groomsmen spent $445.92 on average on their most recent bachelor party, inclusive of travel, food, drinks and entertainment. Shockingly, the best man spent more than double that ($998.78). And the maid of honour? A comparatively thrifty $552.33.
Groomsmen spend more on wedding gifts. Groomsmen may not be involved in the bridal shower, but 31 per cent of them still reported spending $200 or more for the last wedding they were in, versus just 20 per cent of bridesmaids. A greater percentage of bridesmaids said they didn’t buy the couple any gifts and a larger per cent spent under $50 (16 per cent) than groomsmen (9 per cent). Generous? Perhaps just more likely to give cash than a toaster…
Miscellaneous costs add up. Both groomsmen and bridesmaids saw small costs here and there quickly add up. A whopping 75 per cent of groomsmen spend up to $400 on miscellaneous expenses, whereas the same percentage of bridesmaids spent up to $300.
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