Bridesmaids pay for a lot of the wedding expenses. They pay for their own bridesmaids dress and for the bridal showers and bachelorette party. Do they really have to give a wedding gift too? Don’t those things count as a wedding gift?
When a bridesmaid signs on for the role, the expenses are part of the deal. Whether or not the bridesmaid has paid for her own dress or for the expenses of the bachelorette party, the wedding gift is a separate entity all on its own.
Now, having said that, the cost of the wedding gift need not be bank breaking. A sentimental gift would also suffice.