'She Wants Us To Wear Matching Jewelry Too?!' Local Bridesmaid's GoFundMe Raises $42

DURHAM, NC—Here's a startling statistic: four out of five young women will declare bankruptcy after agreeing to participate in a wedding party.

It is the duty of every best friend, sister, cousin, sister-in-law, second cousin, and co-worker named Jessica from H.R. An invitation to be in a bridal party is not just an honor and privilege, it is a confirmation of a treasured friendship between bridesmaid and bride-to-be. When a young woman accepts such an invitation, she is saying “yes” to an opportunity to support and celebrate a friend, to assist her on a journey to true love, and to create memories that will last a lifetime. And, let’s face it, saying “no” comes off as poor. 

That’s why 28-year-old Ally Meadows was over the moon when she was asked by her long-time friend, Kaylee Holmes, to be part of her special day.

Meadows wasn’t surprised by the engagement. She had been expecting it, telling us: “When Kaylee didn’t leave Dan after his third DUI, I knew there was nothing that could separate them! I always thought it was true love that she has to drive him around everywhere."

She also wasn’t surprised by the invitation to be in the bridal party. She and Holmes have been friends for more than a decade. They met in 9th grade P.E. when they both faked menstrual cramps to get out of an activity. Meadows says she always knew the friendship would last a long time. 

Unfortunately, Meadows’ enthusiasm for Holmes and her wedding has been deteriorating. With the bachelorette party still ten months away, Meadows has been included in eight group chats, two private Facebook groups, and an email chain—all spearheaded by the Maid of Honor: Holmes' "chaotic" cousin, Bethany Crew.

Crew could not be reached for comment and was super weird about it.

Meadows says things started spiraling when Crew suggested Vegas for the bachelorette party. The proposed plan was a four-day trip to “Sin City,” a reservation at Caesar’s Palace, and bottomless brunch every day. 

Fierce negotiations took place in the third group chat, with various private digressions in the 4th, 5th, and 7th group chats (the sixth group chat was mostly memes). The group was able to talk the Maid of Honor down to a Hilton with a continental breakfast option

“I mean, she’s getting married. She’s not terminally ill,” Meadows commented while scrolling Spirit Airlines flights. "Maybe I can save money by not bringing any luggage."

Even so, suggestions for the bachelorette party were relentless and became costlier by the minute. When Meadows suggested the group buy tickets for Carrot Top’s one-man show rather than Magic Mike (a savings of about $300 since Carrot Top's show is free with one drink purchase), a fellow bridesmaid asked if she was kidding, and Crew asked if she was “okay” in front of the entire group chat. Embarrassing.

The down payment for the trip, including travel expenses, came to $1,700. That’s when Meadows knew she was in financial trouble.

“They know I can’t afford this," said Meadows as she researched plasma donation. "I’m a teacher—and a bad one at that."

Millennial weddings are more expensive than one might expect. Bridesmaids these days are required to pay for the bachelorette party, the bridal shower, the bridal shower gift, the wedding gift, the bridesmaid dress, shoes, hair, makeup, and the cleanup fee for when the bride inevitably pukes from too many shots. Meadows’ decision to create a GoFundMe became necessary after the purchase and tailoring of her dress.

“After I spent $400 on that blue satin dress that looks absolutely horrible on me, I learned that Kaylee wanted us to wear matching jewelry as well.” 

Meadows stated that the announcement led to some camaraderie amongst the bridesmaids, as they created a ninth group chat, excluding the maid of honor. In that chat, some of the other bridesmaids revealed that they had maxed out their credit cards and were behind on car payments. Some have turned to selling Oxy on street corners.

You can read more about Meadows' story here: www.gofundme.com/bridesmaidatrisk 

The campaign has raised $42 so far out of the $5,000 goal. Meadows wants to thank her existing donors (five anonymous, bankrupt, former bridesmaids) for their support and wants to warn young women about the financial risks associated with being at a wedding party. 

Meadows would also like to give a shout-out to her b.f.f. Holmes: “I love you, girlie! I can’t wait for the big day!”