Bridesmaids spend a lot to be part of a wedding. The average bridesmaid spends, according to TheWeddingReport.com is $1,009! That’s a lot of cash…you have to really love the bride to shell out that much.

Which is why I wrote my book Bridesmaid on a Budget — Looking at the national averages of what bridesmaids are spending, and knowing that these can actually be low amounts in some parts of the country, I knew bridesmaids out there wanted their own book to help them save hundreds of dollars without the savings showing.

Here are just some of the average amounts spent in each category:

Bridesmaid dress: $178

Accessories: $52

Alterations: $56

Bachelorette party expenses: $152

Bridal Shower Gift: $72

Hotel (per night): $140

Plane Fare: $303

Wedding Gift: $117

And that national average doesn’t include what each bridesmaid spends on the bridal shower! I hear everything from $100 to $300 per bridesmaid for that pretty party!

Travel’s a big part of this…28% of bridesmaids live in a different state than where the wedding will take place, so that adds up a bunch of travel expenses to attend engagement parties, showers, dress-shopping trips and the wedding weekend, and if the wedding’s a destination one, that’s a big chunk of extra outlay.

So if your bridesmaids could use some help with affording the things you want for your wedding, get them this book! Give a copy to them when you invite them to be in the bridal party. Plan a bridesmaid luncheon early in the process, where everyone will talk about dress styles and other details, and that’s where they get the book in a swag bag. The gracious bride shows that she cares about her bridesmaids and what they’ll be spending…even if the wedding plans aren’t outrageous.

If your bridesmaids have questions, tell them they can write directly to me, or post their questions here in the Comments! Each month, I’ll pick a bridesmaid to win a prize: this month, it’s the Kodak one-time-use camera designed for bachelorette parties, and next month, it’s an Envirosax tote!