Women in the UK Are Saying No to Being Bridesmaids — Here’s Why

Being asked to join a bridal party is traditionally presented as an honour that should receive an immediate and enthusiastic yes. Yet more women in the UK are questioning whether friendship should require months of unpaid work, expensive travel and financial sacrifice.

The change is not a rejection of weddings or close friends. It reflects growing resistance to a role that can now involve several events, complicated planning and costs far beyond what many women expected when they accepted.