Aussie bridesmaid drops out over 227,000 baht wedding bill

Photo courtesy of Irina Lev (iStock)

An Australian woman named Grace recently shocked the public after revealing that a friend had attempted to charge her approximately 10,000 Australian dollars (227,858 baht) to participate in her wedding as a bridesmaid. The sum of this wedding bill, Grace revealed, was to cover every aspect of the celebratory pre-events, including the costs of a spa day, skincare treatments, a hen party, and major expenses for the wedding destination in Bali, Indonesia.

Grace expressed her bewilderment and ultimate disappointment at the hefty bill to participate in the wedding. She decided to gracefully exit her role in the ceremony because of the costs, deeming it too heavy a financial burden. The story unearthed the less often discussed financial burdens of participating in weddings, often an obligation for a close friend or family member that puts a strain on pocketbooks.

Grace elaborated that she and the bride weren’t even close friends but had casually liked each other’s posts on Instagram. The wedding invite was as surprising as the bridesmaid bill.

“Indeed, I am serious. I believe I was wrong in agreeing to be friends with this person. I didn’t anticipate her wedding invitation at all, let alone being asked to be a bridesmaid. Receiving her invitation made me realize that this woman might not have many friends.”

Grace further explained that they had met at a private, expensive school where Grace was a scholarship student. Her friend, on the other hand, came from an rich family. Given the affluence, she wasn’t surprised by the extravagant Bali wedding, but when she realized she couldn’t afford the bridesmaid bill, Grace decided to step back.

She managed to bow out of the wedding while maintaining her decency, ensuring she wouldn’t incur any bad feelings from her friend (unless the friend reads this viral news story).

During a radio interview, the presenter was taken aback by Grace’s tale and pondered how many people would be willing to pay such a huge bill for their friend’s wedding. The story left the audience wondering how the bride-to-be felt, knowing Grace had publicly shared this shocking tale.

Asia News

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Neill Fronde

Neill is a journalist from the United States with 10+ years broadcasting experience and national news and magazine publications. He graduated with a degree in journalism and communications from the University of California and has been living in Thailand since 2014.