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The real cost of being a bridesmaid: $1,700 per wedding

First, your BFF calls with the happy news: She's getting married! And she wants you to be in the wedding!

BRIDESMAIDS, from left: Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, 2011. ph: Suzanne Hanover/©Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
BRIDESMAIDS, from left: Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, 2011. ph: Suzanne Hanover/©Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Then you have to buy an engagement gift. And help plan the bridal shower. Which, of course, you have to attend (don't forget the gift!). Next up: the bachelorette party, which you plan (and pay for) along with the other bridesmaids. Is it being held somewhere fun or exotic? Book your flight and hotel room early, and don't forget to arrange for a designated driver, which may mean hiring a limo.

Then there's the wedding itself. The bridesmaid dress (often picked to suit the bride's tastes, not necessarily your body type). The matching shoes. The jewelry and other accessories. The hair, nails, and make-up. The travel expenses. The gift.

It all adds up: According to Weddingchannel.com's calculations, many modern bridesmaids shell out $1,695 or more to cover the costs of being part of their best friend's big day.

"From the moment they announce the engagement, to the day your friend walks down the aisle, if that's a year and a half, you don't realize that you've spent $1,600," Amy Eisinger, associate editor of WeddingChannel.com, told CNN.

Here's how they break it down:

Engagement gift: $50

Travel to bridal shower: $300

Contribution to bridal shower: $50

Shower gift: $50

Travel to bachelorette party: $300

Contribution to bachelorette party: $60

Bridesmaid dress: $150

Alterations: $50

Lingerie: $50

Shoes: $75

Accessories: $60

Wedding gift: $100

Travel to wedding: $300

Hair, nails, make-up: $100

Notice that hotel rooms haven't been figured into their calculations, and that $150 for a bridesmaid's dress may be on the lower end of the scale. Add in a few non-wedding-related meals or drinks, and you've easily spent about $2,000 on a single wedding—one that wasn't even yours.

What do you think? Is $1,700 a crazy amount to spend as a bridesmaid, or is it's reasonable? How much have you spent in order to be in your BFF's wedding?