Recovering Shared Costs In Small Claims Court

I am trying to determine whether I have any legal grounds to pursue a former friend in small claims court for unpaid expenses related to my wedding events.

Issue 1: Bachelorette party expenses

I planned a bachelorette party that included shared costs such as an Airbnb and pre-booked activities (spa appointments, etc.). This friend explicitly agreed to attend the bachelorette party, stay in the Airbnb, and participate in the planned activities. These plans were made in advance with the understanding that each attendee would pay an equal share.

Shortly before the event, she notified me that her arrival dates might change due to work, which I agreed was fine. However, she ultimately did not attend at all and did not notify me that she would not be coming. Since the event, she has not contacted me.

She also never joined the Venmo group created to collect each person’s share of the costs. Because these expenses were pre-booked and non-refundable, her portion still needs to be paid, and I (or the group) will be responsible for covering it if she does not pay.

Do text agreements to split shared event costs like this generally hold up in small claims court?

Issue 2: Wedding hair and makeup services

Separately, she repeatedly confirmed that she would be attending my wedding and requested to be included in professional hair and makeup services, knowing that she would be responsible for paying for those services herself.

Based on her confirmations, I included her in my signed contract with the hair and makeup vendors. Due to vendor scheduling requirements, I had to lock in the number of services well before RSVPs were due. These services are not easily cancelable without financial penalty.

She has still not RSVP’d for the wedding, has gone no-contact, and I am no longer confident that she will attend. If she does not attend and I am required to pay for the hair and makeup services she specifically requested, do I have any legal grounds to recover that cost in small claims court?

I can provide text messages showing her agreement to attend, to split costs, and to pay for hair and makeup if that matters. I do plan on reaching out to her regarding both matters and letting her know that she is responsible for paying for those costs still. Do I need to send a formal demand letter or anything?

Thank you for any guidance.

Location: Colorado, USA