Planning Kate’s bachelorette party was supposed to be a blast. As her maid of honor, I was all about making it epic. We settled on this awesome beachside resort weekend. It was gonna cost $2,500 total, so about $312 each since there were eight of us. Everyone was on board, so I paid upfront, trusting the bridesmaids would pay me back.
A couple of weeks before the trip, I sent out a friendly reminder about the money. But the replies? Some said they needed more time, others promised they’d pay soon. But as the date got closer, it hit me that a few of them weren’t planning to pay at all.
I felt totally betrayed, but I wasn’t gonna let them get away with it. So, here’s what I did.
On the day of the trip, I hyped up the group chat, saying how excited I was for the event. I got to the resort early, checked in, and went all out with decorations and treats for Kate. Then, I pulled the staff aside and shared my plan to keep things running smoothly.
When the bridesmaids showed up, they were stunned to hear the news: I’d upgraded our plans! I booked a surprise private yacht trip for the first night, a fancy dinner for the next day, and a sunset beach party to wrap it all up. But here’s the kicker: I made sure to let them know that these upgrades came with additional costs.
“Oh my gosh, this is amazing!” Sarah gushed as she saw the yacht.
“I can’t believe you did this!” added Emily, clearly impressed.
“It’s all for Kate,” I said with a smile, “but since I covered the initial cost, the extra activities are up to each of us to chip in. It’s $200 each for the yacht and dinner, and $100 each for the beach party.”
Their faces fell. The ones who had already paid me back for the original cost looked relieved, but the others, the ones who hadn’t paid a cent, looked like they wanted to vanish.
“I didn’t bring that much extra money,” Laura mumbled.
“I thought everything was already paid for,” Tina said, looking nervous.
I kept my tone light but firm. “I covered the basics, but these are special surprises for Kate. If it’s too much, you can always skip the activities and just relax at the resort.”
Suddenly, they were scrambling. Laura and Tina pulled me aside, looking desperate.
“We really didn’t expect this. Can you help us out just this once?” Laura pleaded.
I shook my head. “I’ve already gone above and beyond. If you can’t cover your share, you’ll have to miss out on the extras. It’s only fair to those who paid.”
The reality hit them hard. They had to scramble, calling their parents or transferring funds last minute to cover their share. I could see the regret in their eyes, but I stood my ground. It wasn’t about punishing them; it was about teaching them responsibility.
In the end, everyone managed to pull together the money, albeit grudgingly. The weekend turned out to be incredible, and Kate had the time of her life. The yacht trip was a dream, the dinner was exquisite, and the beach party was unforgettable.
By the end of it, a few of the girls even came up to me and apologized for not taking their financial commitment seriously. It felt good to have them acknowledge the effort and money I had put into making the weekend special for Kate.
The experience taught everyone a valuable lesson about responsibility and fairness. As for me, I was just happy that Kate had an amazing time and that I had stood up for myself. It wasn’t just about the money—it was about respect and being treated fairly. And I knew from then on, I wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of my kindness again.
