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Home / World

Maid of honour asked to pay $250 to sleep on air mattress in Airbnb rented for wedding

NZ Herald
19 May, 2026 10:44 PM2 mins to read

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Morning Headlines | Fear we’ll lose more talent in public service cuts and New Zealand sees renewed growth in international education | Wednesday, May 20, 2026

A maid of honour is questioning a close friendship after learning she would be expected to sleep on an air mattress on the wedding night – despite paying a $250 fee to attend.

The woman shared her situation on Reddit after receiving an unusual wedding invitation that included a financial request.

“We reserved an Airbnb so all our loved ones could spend the entire time together,” read the invitation, the New York Post reported.

The invitation explained the property had been booked so hotel rooms were unnecessary. The $250 fee would cover accommodation, food and drink for the stay and serve as the guest’s RSVP, with the couple asking attendees to arrive the Sunday before the Monday wedding and leave on Wednesday.

“You pay the $250 regardless of when you come or leave,” the woman posted on Reddit, according to the Daily Mail.

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“Did I mention I’m supposed to be the ‘maid of honour’? I use the term loosely because upon telling me she was engaged and getting married, they could only afford a small wedding and would only be inviting immediate family.”

The invitation asking people to pay $250 to attend the wedding. Photo / littlemamabel
The invitation asking people to pay $250 to attend the wedding. Photo / littlemamabel

Eventually, she was invited and given the role of maid of honour, reported the New York Post. Still, the woman said she and her partner would be assigned an air mattress in a shared room while other guests would use bunk beds.

The woman added she knew of five other bedrooms with queen beds, “none of which are reserved for me”.

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The invitation also asked attendees to contribute to the couple’s honeymoon fund rather than bring gifts.

Commenters on the post were taken aback by the wedding fee.

“It’s so tacky to expect guests to subsidise your wedding, which is clearly what’s happening here,” one person wrote.

“$250 is crazy for an air mattress in a shared room. I’d decline and just stay somewhere else. If they have a problem with that, I wouldn’t go,” said another.

A third pointed out for two people the bill would be $500 to stay on an air mattress, which was “beyond tacky and just insane”.

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