Study: Groomsmen Spend More On Weddings Than Bridesmaids Do

Being a bride isn’t cheap — but then again, neither is being a bridesmaid. There’s a dress, gifts, travel...the list goes on. It’s easy to feel jealous of the groomsmen, who, we've always assumed, have fewer wedding-related expenses. But all is not as it seems. According to a new study conducted by GOBankingRates, groomsmen actually spend more, on average, than bridesmaids. In fact, the results showed that the dudes in the bridal party tend to shell out more across every category — even clothes. How? Well, although the average bridesmaid dress isn’t cheap (at around $214.58), it’s still $30 less than the average tuxedo, which runs $245.50. The price differential only gets wider for bachelor and bachelorette parties. Bridesmaids reportedly spend $437.31 on the occasion, whereas groomsmen spend significantly more, at $681. Meanwhile, the cost of being a maid of honor versus a best man is even more dramatic. A maid of honor can expect to shell out over $500, whereas the average best man spends nearly $1,000 — almost double what his female counterpart spends. When it comes to gifts, groomsmen once again spend more — yes, even despite the fact that bridesmaids may be expected to buy gifts for a bridal shower or other peripheral wedding events. Approximately a third of groomsmen say they will spend more than $200 on gifts; only one-fifth of bridesmaids plan to spend as much. Okay, so we have a bit more sympathy for our male counterparts at weddings now. But this spending discrepancy also feels like poetic justice for the wage gap. When we’re making the same as the groomsmen, dollar for dollar, maybe we’ll shell out more for wedding gifts, too.