Bride sends best friend a Venmo request for $300 dollars—to attend the wedding: ‘Are you going to get refunded if they get divorced?’

A woman agrees to be a bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding. Then she receives a $350 Venmo request and is told it was her “wedding fee”.

Hunter (@hunter0327) shared the story in a viral video that has received more than 1.3 million views. It sparked a debate over whether wedding guests should be expected to contribute toward the cost of the celebration.

Why was she charged $350 to attend the wedding?

According to Hunter, she received a Venmo request from her best friend for $350. Confused by the unexpected charge, she contacted the bride to ask what it was for.

The bride reportedly explained that wedding expenses were “getting crazy” and said the $350 would be the woman's portion of the costs, including the venue, decorations, and band.

Hunter questioned why she was being asked to pay an additional $350 after already agreeing to be part of the bridal party.

She claimed her expenses included a bridesmaid dress, hair and makeup, a hotel room, and taking time off from work to attend the wedding.

Was the $350 also the wedding gift?

According to Hunter, the conversation took another turn when she pointed out that she had not yet purchased a wedding gift.

She said the bride responded that the $350 fee would essentially cover her wedding gift as well.

The creator was then left wondering whether the charge applied only to members of the wedding party or to everyone attending.

When she asked, she claimed the bride told her that every guest attending the wedding would be charged the same fee.

That did not change her mind.

Hunter argued that the people attending were invited guests and questioned why they should have to pay a fee to attend the wedding.

She ultimately announced that she would no longer be attending.

Viewers debate the ‘wedding fee'

Many viewers sided with the woman and questioned the idea of charging invited guests a mandatory fee.

“That's not an invite. That's selling tickets to a wedding,” Carrie commented.

A commenter questioned the reasoning behind the fee, writing, “Fee for decoration??? It's not a group project! What's wrong with people!”

Another suggested that the woman should calculate all of the money she had already spent.

“I would Venmo her back for the hotel and everything else you paid for plus your time off work. I bet it's more than $350,” she wrote.

The creator agreed, revealing that her expenses had reportedly totaled around 10 times the $350 fee.

Not everyone agreed

While many commenters criticized the fee, others felt the creator was focusing too much on the money.

One commenter offered a different perspective.

“You need some correction for your perspective. You should go regardless of what she's asking for. Wedding doesn't happen often. Money comes and go,” they wrote.

For this bride and her best friend, the disagreement over $350 appears to have turned into something much bigger than a Venmo request.

How much does a wedding cost these days?

The $350 request comes as couples continue to spend tens of thousands of dollars on their weddings.

 According to The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study, 10,000 U.S. couples married in 2025 spent an average of $34,200 on their weddings. 

Other recent estimates put the figure slightly higher. Zola reported an average 2025 wedding cost of $36,000, compared with $33,000 in 2024. 

The largest expenses can include the venue, catering, entertainment, photography, decorations and other vendors. The Knot puts the average wedding venue alone at approximately $12,900.

With weddings becoming increasingly expensive, some couples are looking for creative ways to cover the cost of their celebrations. 

Are wedding tickets becoming a trend?

The idea of charging guests to attend a wedding may sound unusual, but the concept has appeared in other viral wedding stories.

Last year, another couple reportedly sold tickets to their wedding with multiple pricing tiers. The least expensive option was around $57 and covered admission to the wedding and reception.

At the other end of the scale, VIP tickets reportedly cost around $1,000 and came with additional perks, including access to events such as the rehearsal dinner and brunch.

The couple reportedly brought in approximately $100,000 through ticket sales.

Unlike a traditional wedding where guests may give a gift or contribute voluntarily, the ticket or fee model turns attendance into a set expense. 

The growing visibility of these arrangements has prompted questions about couples finding new ways to offset the rising cost of weddings. 

@hunter0327

For Hunter, it may cost her the opportunity to see her best friend get married.

Subplot News reached out to Hunter via TikTok direct message for comment.

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