Couldn’t afford to be my friend’s bridesmaid

I’m not sure if this is the right subreddit to post this in here, but I’m curious what the wedding costs are when a bride/groom books a destination wedding at a resort and expects guests to pay for the rooms? Is it normal to require guests to book a resort that costs over $1k with a minimum stay of 5 nights?

For context: I recently dropped out of a wedding and was planning on going as a bridesmaid, but after calculating the costs for everything, it was getting too overwhelming. I was expected to pay for hair/makeup (makeup was required), bridesmaids outfit, flights to destination country, resort rooms, and all other travel costs. The rough estimate of the wedding costs alone were at least $2k, and the bachelorette party would’ve been another $1k to attend. At the time I said yes, I was unaware of the costs, thinking it would be less expensive. I’ve never been in a wedding before, so I didn’t know how things usually go with what bridesmaids pay for. I feel bad for letting my friend down, but I think her expectations are a bit entitled. All the bridesmaids are in our 20’s, and I’m not as wealthy as she is. So spending thousands on a short trip isn’t doable for me.

I already dropped out because these expenses are too high for me, but I wanted to ask… if guests are paying for their own rooms at a resort, then how much do the bride and groom actually pay for the wedding venue? I read somewhere that the bride and groom get a huge discount on the venue, bonuses, and free honeymoon suites while the guests end up subsidizing the wedding costs by paying for expensive rooms. Is it normal to have guests finance a wedding if it’s a destination wedding? If so, why is this entitlement becoming so normal?