Logical bridesmaids skip expensive bachelorette party — but then were ‘blindsided’ by what they were asked to do

She asked for what?
Nowadays, the cost of attending bachelorette parties has gotten a bit out of control — forcing many people to bow out of them.
A group of bridesmaids turned down being a part of the bride’s international festivities — yet was still asked by the maid-of-honor to pay.
One frustrated woman took to Reddit’s r/weddingdrama subreddit to describe the pickle she was in and ask for advice from the Reddit community.

“A few months ago, the maid of honor planned a bachelorette party in another country. From the very beginning, I let them know I wouldn’t be able to attend due to financial reasons — international travel and the associated costs just aren’t in my budget right now. Everyone was understanding at the time, or so I thought.”
The OP went about her business and the bride had her out of the country bachelorette party. It wasn’t until the group got back that things got weird.
“…days after the group got back to the States, the maid of honor sent a message in the group chat — specifically one that included only the bridal party members who did not attend the trip — asking each of us to send $300 so the bride wouldn’t have to pay her share of the trip.”
The original poster said she felt blindsided — as anyone in her shoes would feel.

“I never agreed to contribute financially to something I wasn’t attending, and at no point before or during the planning did anyone say anything about splitting the bride’s costs among people who weren’t going. If they had, I would’ve made it clear that I couldn’t afford that either,” she wrote.
The bridesmaid said she didn’t answer yet — or pay — and isn’t sure how to go about the situation.
Leave it to the Reddit community to have the OP’s back.
“If this were an expectation, this all should have been clearly communicated to all bridesmaids BEFORE the trip so people could adjust their budget or opt out in time. For those who didn’t attend, you all shouldn’t be expected to foot any part of the bill and anything you decide to gift (if at all) should be considered a kindness…” one commenter wrote.
Another person offered some advice for the OP: “Send a message stating that there’s been a misunderstanding and when you said you couldn’t financially afford to go on the trip, this also included paying for anyone else to go on the trip.”
I would not reply to the text. If later questioned, I would simply state I didn’t pay attention to it, as obviously it had nothing to do with me…There is no way I would feel guilty or uncomfortable due to lack of planning or communication from others. That’s her problem to solve,” wrote someone else.
This isn’t the first weird behavior from a member of a bridal party.
One bridesmaid decided to skip her friend’s destination wedding — but still go on the trip with her boyfriend, since the flights and hotel were comped.
After a girls’ trip gone wrong — the bridesmaid shared in a Reddit post, that she didn’t like how her firnd, who is the bride, handled the situation.
So as a result — and some spite — she decided to forgo the wedding altogether.