ASK THE EXPERT: Divvying Up the Shower Bill

 Question: I’m the maid-of-honor in my friend’s upcoming wedding, and all of us bridesmaids are hosting her bridal shower at a restaurant. One bridesmaid, however, can’t make it that day — should she still pay the same amount as the rest of us?
Answer: Attendance has nothing to do with divvying up the costs, says Gina Sole, a Center City wedding planner. “Accepting the role as a bridesmaid is a big undertaking these days,” she says. “Hopefully, all of the maids would be able to agree on a date in advance — but if one maid absolutely cannot make it, then she would still be responsible to pay for her share of the festivities.” The other bridesmaids could choose to help her out a little bit by maybe not having her chip in for the tiny things like the favors, she says. “But the big costs should be split equally regardless of who can make it to the event.”