A bride-to-be has sent the internet into a frenzy after arguing that bridesmaids shouldn't have to pay if they want to be involved in a wedding.
Now, being a bridesmaid is not a job for the faint-hearted.
From being at the bride's beck and call up until the big day to providing assistance when she's on the brink of a meltdown, bridesmaids have an incredibly tough job throughout the entire process. As well as the mental stress, there's also a pretty hefty financial burden that comes with the territory and soon-to-be-bride Claudia - also known by her TikTok handle, @partygirlclauds - explained that in a recent video.
"I’m getting married in August, and I don’t expect my bridesmaids to pay for a single thing including the hen's [bachelorette] party," she said. "Your wedding is not your bridesmaids' financial responsibility."
Watch the video below:She suggested that by asking bridesmaids to pay for their hair, dresses, make up and whatever else for the event, you are "essentially asking them to pay for your financial responsibilities."
"It may not be in their budget at all," Claudia continued, before adding: "To those brides who think ‘it’s a privilege to be my bridesmaid’, I would implore you to think again.
"Your bridesmaids are donating their time, physical and mental energy for the ways you expect them to show up for, so asking them to pay on top of that when weddings aren’t cheap."
She said she herself wouldn’t be comfortable paying $1000 to be a bridesmaid, so why would she expect her friends to?
The video has since gained over 280,000 views with hundreds of comments discussing the issue.
"Short answer. No. I had 4. I asked them, I pay," wrote one user, while another agreed, saying: "Nope. I asked them I pay. Don’t have bridesmaids if you can’t afford it."
A third added: "I thought it was normal for the bride to pay for everything i was gobsmacked when i heard some have to pay for their own dresses."
However, others disagreed with the stance, stating that bridesmaids have the option to say no if they wanted to.
One wrote: "Bridesmaids have the option to say NO you are an adult."
Another commented saying: "As a bridesmaid, I paid and it felt right. I would’ve paid anyways as a guest so it made no difference for me to pay as a part of the bridal party."
And this user questioned if it was a cultural thing, writing: "Where do you live? In the US not only do bridesmaids pay for themselves but sometimes front the bride too (but each girl gets their turn so it works?)"
What do you think?
