When does it cross over into expecting too much...?

jr1985

Warning: mini-rant

I have 8 weddings of fairly close friends that I have to go to so far in 2012, I'm in at least 2 of them, and at least 3 are out of town weddings (not far enough away to need to get a hotel, but about a 3 hr drive away, so will cost some gas money).

Don't get me wrong I love my friends and this is their day, not mine, I want them to have the day that they have always wanted... but weddings can get EXPENSIVE. I feel that especially for the weddings that you are in at least for a girl I feel like so much is expected out of you... You have to buy the dress, that you will never wear again, buy the shoes that hurt your feet, buy the jewelry to match the dress that you will never wear again, buy the happy couple a wedding shower gift, a bachelorette party gift, pay to go out with the girls for every every single dress fitting, bachelorette party, etc, and pay to get your hair/make up/nails done for the wedding... this can easily total $500 or more per wedding.

I get that the dress is just a necessary evil and am ok with paying for that and getting wedding gifts for the happy couple... But its all the little extras that I feel are just getting out of hand... Like being expected to chip in $30 for hotel rooms at a bachelorette party that is in your own town, that you have no intentions of staying the night in, (and have offered to host the party at your house) because you are in the bridal party and they are expected to pay for everything... or being expected to get your hair/nails done, when you could easily just do it yourself. One of the brides of the wedding I'm in has even hinted that she wanted us all to go skydiving for her bachelorette party, and of course she wants us to pay for hers too... (for starters I have no intention of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane... more power too her if she wants to, but I can't afford to pay for her to go.)

Not sure if this is just me or not... but suggest at all that you want to save a little money on the extras like hair and nails etc. and the hormonal brides seem to go off the handle at you about how they are only going to get married once and they need everything to be just perfect!

I could not be more happy for my friends that are getting married, and I hope that they have a wonderful wedding day... but I don't even believe in going broke for my own wedding. (I'm not married but hypothetically) So I certainly don't plan on going broke for someone else's wedding...

What are your thoughts on this? How much is expecting too much out of your bridal party? Brides, what did you expect out of your bridesmaids? Or am I just being a cheapskate here?