DEAR ABBY: I'm getting married next year, and in my excitement, I asked four of my good friends to be my bridesmaids. As the date grows closer, I am realizing just how much a wedding really costs. Would it be wrong for me to change my mind about having bridesmaids? The girls haven't paid for anything yet or wasted any time during the planning process.
Please help me. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I can't afford to have a wedding party. -- SOUTHERN BELLE
DEAR SOUTHERN BELLE: Contact your good friends individually and explain the situation just as you have explained it to me. Once they understand that financial constraints prevent you from having the wedding you fantasized about, none of them should feel slighted that you need to scale back. Frankly, I commend you on your good judgment in recognizing this now.