Project Wedding: Budgeting for weddings as the bridal party

Both asking your closest friends to be a part of your wedding party and accepting the proposal from a friend when it's their turn in the hot seat is really exciting. When I am in a wedding party I get really pumped with ideas, projects, hearing all about the details, how it happened and just generally being excited for my friend. The flip-side of this is the financial commitment that comes along with accepting the position.

As a bridesmaid or maid of honour, there are tasks you have to fulfil, dresses, jewellery and shoes you have to buy, parties you have to financial contribute to and trips you have to make out for celebrations. These things all seem small but can very quickly and easily add up. It's always good to keep this in mind when accepting the role and let your friend know of a financial situation if there is one, as quickly as possible. This will be a big help to them and let them know that you're not just skipping out on things, rather you are unable to attend or may need a different dress due to this.

According to a TD survey released this past summer, one in five people attending weddings this year say they are not well prepared for the associated costs and expect them to be a considerable drain on their household budget.

As a bride, I am really trying hard to ensure I make being a bridesmaid the easiest process for my wedding party. I made sure to consult them on a cost for their dresses and got the wedding clothes made while shopping in Pakistan. This was a pretty great way to get the best bang for their buck and also help hem spread out the spending. The dresses were ready by the first week of November and I took half the amount of their budget before I left so that I could put that towards the purchase and also have them spend money gradually. This way, although they will end up spending the same amount of money they would have done in the past for other weddings, they are able to spread it across a span of a few months to help alleviate the costs that can funnel down from weddings. 
TD Canada Trust has shared some useful stats that can give you a little bit of perspective when it comes to planning for the financial commitment of being part of a wedding party or simply being invited to a summer full of weddings

TD survey shows being in a wedding party may cost more than you expect

TD advises how to stay in love with your budget, even with wedding-related expenses 

Have any advice to share when it comes to spending while in a wedding party? I would love to hear it! Alternately, I would love to hear some horror stories you ay have had during your time in a wedding party!