A woman says the bridesmaid who replaced her paid her $230 for her dress, and now her sister-in-law wants the money returned

One woman says a bridesmaid dress sparked a fight with her sister-in-law weeks before the wedding. According to a Reddit post by u/Green_Discussion_172 in r/AITApod, the bride reportedly wants the former bridesmaid to return the $230 that the replacement bridesmaid had paid for the dress. According to the woman, she claims she was cut from the wedding party less than a month before the Halloween weekend ceremony.

The poster said the bride told her she was “going in a different direction” so the bridal party would match the number of groomsmen in photos. The bride reportedly needed to make room for her fiancé’s sister. As a result, the original bridesmaid was apparently removed from the lineup, despite having bought her bridesmaid dress months earlier.

The bride allegedly contacted her the next day to ask for the burnt orange gown, as the shop could not order a new one in time. She reportedly assumed the dress should be handed over, as the original bridesmaid would no longer need it. When the poster asked for a $230 refund, the bride allegedly offered only $100.

The bride apparently thinks two fittings counted as wearing the dress

The bride reportedly argued that the former bridesmaid had “already gotten some use out of it” during fitting sessions. According to the poster, she only wore the bridesmaid dress twice, both times while standing on a box so the hem could be pinned. The offer would have left her roughly $130 short of what she originally paid.

The situation reportedly shifted later in the week when the fiancé’s sister reached out. She was apparently unaware that the original bridesmaid had paid for the dress herself, and she sent the full $230 before the poster could reply. The new bridesmaid then picked up the bridesmaid dress after work, which seemed to settle the matter.

The bride reportedly found out about the transaction and texted the former bridesmaid. She allegedly demanded that the $230 be sent back to her fiancé’s sister and promised to pay the poster back for the bridesmaid dress herself “after the honeymoon.” However, the former bridesmaid appears to doubt that the money would ever arrive once the wedding is over.

Commenters largely sided with the former bridesmaid, much as they have in other bridal party money disputes. One argued that standing on a box twice for hem pinning should not count as using the dress, and suggested the replacement bridesmaid had better manners than the bride. Another warned that the poster would likely never see the money if she waited.

As the replacement bridesmaid seemingly paid in full for a dress she now has, the exchange between the two women may already be settled. However, the bride’s demand could put the fiancé’s sister in an awkward position. Stories about brides who demand money from their bridal party tend to draw similar reactions, with many readers siding against the bride.

The wedding is reportedly set for Halloween weekend, and the bride has allegedly said she would repay the former bridesmaid only after she returns from her honeymoon, which could leave the dispute unresolved until well after the ceremony.