I've said it before and I'll say it again: You shouldn't go into debt for your own wedding and you shouldn't go into debt to be in someone else's! If you've signed on to be a bridesmaid and you're worried it's going to affect, say, your retirement plan, grin and bear the financial burden. (Or live on Ramen noodles for two months to pay for a bridesmaid dress.) Instead, try one of these money-saving tricks. I don't know that any bride is obsessed with getting dress for her bridesmaids. Most pick a color and a general style (strapless or tea-length or whatever) and then look for something that matches those criteria. So if the bride sends around a $300 navy cocktail dress and the price tag makes you gag a little, instead of freaking out ("I QUIT!") see if she's open to some lower-priced alternatives. Rather than whining, "Can't you find anything cheeeeeaper?" which will just stress her out, let her know how much you love the original, then offer up some viable, less-expensive options. "I love the sweetheart neckline! What do you think of this super-similar one, which is $150 less?" Don't Sign On for Every Event Especially if You Live Far Away. s a bridesmaid, the only event you HAVE to attend is the wedding. It's awesome if you can make it to the local engagement party, a hometown bridal shower, the Vegas bachelorette plus, the rehearsal dinner & the wedding. But if attending every last event would bust your budget, be upfront with your friend: "I'd love to be there for everything, but I just can't afford to travel that much. Of course I'm going to help as much as I can from home—and I'm really looking forward to the main event!" If your friend gives you the boot for skipping her pricey bachelorette, then you probably just dodged a bullet, anyway. Whenever Possible Don't let a pushy maid of honor or the mother of the bride that the bridal shower be catered and include professional flower arrangements. Tell them how much you can afford to contribute for your share whether it's $50 or $250 then offer some money-saving alternatives to their super-spendy plans. For example, if they're trying to bully you into chipping in for a fancy $500 bakery cake, offer to make this ultra-pretty one with a B+E Cake Co. kit. (I'm going to try out the kit next weekend! I promise to report back!)
