Wedding question

[Freyalright]

I don't have any experience of weddings. What is reasonable or 'the norm' regarding ushers and bridesmaids outfits. Are they (bridesmaids and ushers) expected to pay for them (either rent a suit or dress/buy) or is it normal for whomever is paying for the wedding to pay for the outfits?

I've been a bridesmaid 4 times, and paid for every dress. Not a problem because that way I got a say when choosing the dress. Choose dresses which also are suitable for balls, formal do's etc and have had wear out of all, plus have lent them to others. On one occasion bride paid for dh and I to stay at the venue overnight so we didn't have to rush home to dt's who were 8 months which was huge treat!

We paid for suit hire for our fathers, ushers and best men. Paid for bridesmaid dress, hair and makeup. BM wore her own shoes and I let her choose her dress.

In what way is this an 'AIBU' ?

IME it is the norm for the B&G to pay. Exceptions can be made if it is less "styled" and they allow the bridesmaids / ushers to wear what they want to. If they want them in matching stuff then that is part of the cost of the wedding so should be picked up by whoever is paying for the wedding.

Bride pays for bridesmaids normally. I bought shoes and hair bits when DDs were flowers girls.

DD2 was spoilt total rotten by my cousins bride, dress, high heels, hair makeup and flip flops for dancing just like the adults. I kept offering to pay, but she wouldn't hear of it.

We bought bridesmaids dresses (well fabric, flower girls mum made hers and my aunt made wedding and adult bridesmaids dress as my gift).

Ushers, groom, my DDad etc. wore their own suits. Hiring stuff was out of budget, the logistics of collecting and getting stuff back were awful and DH needed a suit for job interviews.

Despite that, he kept telling me his awful polyester teen boys suit would do. He was 25 not 19, he was dragged protesting to M&S.

Bride and groom always pay. Always. How on earth can you ask someone to do something for you and expect them to pay? I've been bridesmaid 3 times and would never have paid for my dress and when I got married I kitted out my bridesmaids out of the wedding budget. I honestly can't imagine being so brass necked as to expect a bridesmaid, best man or usher to pay for their own dress or suit!