For decades, wedding parties have been a financial trap disguised as an honor, and Gen Z is finally calling it out. Between expensive dresses, suit rentals, travel expenses, and all those endless pre-wedding events with all the time and money that goes into them, being in a wedding party feels more like an endless bill, and many young people no longer want to burden their friends and family with it.
That’s why, according to The Knot’s analysis of wedding trends, Gen Z brides and grooms are ditching bridal parties all together. And if you ask us — and the once-worn bridesmaid dress hanging in the back of the closet — it’s about dang time. Weddings should be about sharing love and commitment, not debt.
Who Needs Bridesmaids?
Weddings are expensive, and money is tight for everyone. Like most everything else, tariffs are making the total cost of a wedding go up, affecting everything from the imported flowers in your bouquets to the Champagne served at the reception. In order to defray those increases, young people are throwing out some traditions.
“I’ve seen a significant reduction in wedding parties [in 2025] and expect that trend to continue into 2026,” said Kendra Coons, the owner of wedding planning company Confetti and Co., to The Knot. “Many of my couples have opted to have no wedding party.”
Scrapping the wedding party saves money for both the newlyweds and the bridesmaids and groomsmen. It’s traditional for the couple to pay for things like hotel rooms and hair and makeup on the big day, plus many give personal gifts to their parties. (Does anyone actually use that monogrammed crystal vase or flask after they get it? We definitely haven’t.) If money is at all tight, the formal bridal party is an easy way to cut costs.
Benefits Beyond Savings
Beyond savings, there are other upsides that appeal to Zoomers — and, frankly, us too. Just think about it: Have you ever been part of a wedding party and actually enjoyed it? Sure, you might be honored by the gesture, but you were also probably stressed about all the time and planning that goes into being a bridesmaid or groomsman. Then the day of the wedding, you had so many duties that actually seeing your friends get married seemed like an afterthought.
That’s not how young people want their weddings to go, for themselves or their close friends and family. By forgoing the wedding party, couples get “less stress, fewer expenses and fewer people to corral throughout the day,” explains Coons. “You can still have your besties join you for getting ready without the commitment (or drama) of a formal wedding party.”
Another wedding expert agrees that there are benefits to this decision.
“I’ve been seeing this a lot with my couples for a few reasons,” said Amy Lynn, owner of Poppy + Lynn, a wedding planning company. “One, it draws your focus to the couple more and really makes it about them. Two, your friends probably don’t love standing for 30 minutes and being on display for everyone. Three, your wedding party actually gets to watch your ceremony.”
People who have had weddings without bridesmaids or groomsmen share similar feelings. “Not having a bridal party and it has been amazing and eliminated so much stress while planning,” shared one bride-to-be on Reddit. “There’s no coordinating of professional hair and makeup for a group, no dresses to decide on, no worries about how photos will be done and getting ready with a group by a time, no worries anyone will feel financial stress or upset they aren’t included, nothing.”
“I am a bridesmaid in a wedding a few weeks beforehand and the stress of it all – dress, mandatory bachelorette expectation, makeup and hair, etc – has validated my decision.”
