https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 19:24:35 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties/page/2#post-2213933 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 18:50:34 +0000 Corduroy 2213933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I had a tiny wedding so he didn't have a bachelor party and I only had a work bachelorette (terrible idea BTW). I get frustrated with how much time and money are devoted to bachelor parties. I would estimate at least $3k annually for the last 5 years. Way more than DH and I spend on vacations together. Now the ladies are starting to compete with their parties but I am not spending that kind of money to go to a party pregnant or pumping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties/page/2#post-2213865 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 17:21:22 +0000 DigAPony 2213865@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I find these kinds of parties insane. There's no way I'd spend a lot on a bachelorette. For mine a few friends hosted drinks and appetizers at one of their apartments, they gave me a sweet gift, and then we went out to a nice restaurant for more drinks and desserts. It was fun. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties/page/2#post-2213805 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:53:12 +0000 JenGirl 2213805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just got married Sept 2013 and I can't imagine my girls spent too much on my bachelorette. We did it the night before the rehearsal so the long distance gals didn't have to make an extra trip. We went to dinner at a local mexican place and the girls paid for their own dinners and I think a couple of them split mine and a couple others bought me a drink each. Then we went back to my hotel room (I rented the bridal suite for the whole weekend) and drank and played games and just hung out. There were streamers and cute cups and snacks and the alcohol that I assume was split among my bridesmaids. I'd say well under $50 per person, including dinner. </p> <p>That's about how it's gone for most bachelorettes that I've been to. I did throw a bachelorette for my best friend who wanted to rent a cabin for a night. It was driving distance and between the cabin (shared), gas (carpooled), meals (we shared her costs) and liquor and decor/snacks that we took to the cabin I think it was around $200-250 per person. But I made a very conscious effort to keep costs down and we slept 3 people in a king bed and 2 on the pull out couch!</p> <p>I also recently went to a bachelorette that was an overnight at a Great Wold Lodge. Sounds weird but it was actually awesome! We went to the water park early and had a ton of fun running around (they also have drinks!). Then got dressed. Went to the arcade while we waited for a table. Had dinner. Then went back to the room for drinks and games and fun. All with wolf ears on. I think that one was $130 per person.</p> <p>I figure people can plan whatever parties they want but I don't feel bad about not going to expensive ones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213804 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:52:29 +0000 Raindrop 2213804@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This has happened to me too! I actually forgo any parties that are far away because I don't want to leave the kids. If I didn't have kids I would probably go. :) It's nice that you have so many friends getting married and want you to be part of their celebrations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213801 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:46:55 +0000 looch 2213801@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I personally haven't been invited to many, but I will be honest, when I was in my 20s, it would have been hard for me to afford attending if it was destination and it was $1500. It would probably have been a choice between a weekend away and a share in a summer house at that point.</p> <p>Now, it's the time that is the problem. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213795 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:41:20 +0000 MrsSCB 2213795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did mine in the city where I lived. A few people came from out of town (mostly from the city where I grew up), but no one had to fly. I think they just took the bus, which is about $50 round-trip. Then the rest of the costs were a not-super-expensive dinner and drinks. I don't know an exact amount, but I don't think it was crazy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213784 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:35:56 +0000 daniellemybelle 2213784@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I got married in 2010 we were young and broke so we just went out to a club and that was that.</p> <p>Now we are planning a bachelorette for my dear friend and I think it is pretty modest though it is more traditional - there is a party beforehand and then we are hitting the town, and even though it is local for most of us we have hotel reservations. There is no fancy dinner planned (snacks at the party). However, some of the bridesmaids are acting like this is so extravagant and are annoyed to contribute the couple hundred bucks! :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213770 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:25:12 +0000 cat620 2213770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunny: @mrsjyw: I think it can be a lot of fun to do a destination bachelor/bachelorette party with a group of friends, especially when everyone is excited about the destination and has the funds and time to go. I think what turns me off to some parties is that it's typically all about the bride or groom, which makes sense, but the people who attend often don't get a say in what's going on. </p> <p>For example, this Vegas trip my DH is going to is not something he would have chosen to attend on his own. He doesn't like to gamble, isn't a big drinker, and would prefer to go somewhere closer to home. If this were just a normal guy trip, there would have been compromise and everyone would have had to agree on where they were going and the activities involved. Maybe your trips were more like that, but my DH's experience is that he doesn't get a say in it at all. And it's a lot of money to spend on something you might not enjoy as much as a different trip. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213756 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:15:15 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2213756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was married young, so all my friends were in college, or weird jobs. We didn't even get to go where I wanted to go because after I announced the restaurant, people started backing out! It wasn't even an expensive restaurant - entrees maybe $15/person? So we went to a family style restaurant, and then we did some games back at my sister's house. It was sooo low-key and friends hardly had to pay for anything. </p> <p>I definitely wouldn't be able to afford a $1500 bachelorette weekend - that's ridiculous. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213755 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:14:23 +0000 mrsjyw 2213755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was one of the first to get married in my circle of BFFs. They more than obliged and did my bachelorette in Vegas! We were all in our mid- to late- 20s and we still talk about it to this day as one of the best trips for us :). I'm grateful to have had a great getaway with my best friends.</p> <p>I've flown to one (because I lived states away), but the others have been local. There's one next month that I'm so sad to miss, but I will be 38 weeks pregnant :(. My BFF is not yet engaged, but I can't wait for her destination bachelorette! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213720 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 14:48:26 +0000 sunny 2213720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was one of the last in the group of friends to get married and we were all in our late 20s/early 30s with no kids yet. </p> <p>I had a destination bachelorette and DH had a destination bachelor party. We used it as an excuse to do a girls trip/guys trip and it was really fun. now that most of us have responsibilities (mortgage, kids, etc), a destination party is not going to happen if anyone else gets married. I think for all of the people who came to our parties, it was the only destination one they've done except for siblings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213699 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 14:26:31 +0000 deerylou 2213699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our wedding doesn't really apply, as we went a relatively nontraditional route. Just had a fun day/evening out with our friends, doing things we enjoyed. Easy, inexpensive, done.</p> <p>The money people expect others to spend on their weddings is pretty staggering, to me. I have zero qualms with, "I love you, and am so damn excited for you. Although I can't make your bachelorette, I would really like to treat you to a concert/festival/fancy dinner to celebrate your upcoming wedding!" </p> <p>I know people are prone to thinking if a person is a close friend or loved one, they'll make it happen. Eat ramen for a month, delay your vacation, cut off cable for the summer. But that's a whole lot of assumptions. When you're expecting your guests to shell out a month of rent for a drunken weekend, you've gotta realize some people simply aren't going to make it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213674 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 14:07:43 +0000 Bubbles 2213674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah I find it shocking how much people expect others to spend. My hen do was based in the city where I live, we went for dinner and then to a karaoke bar (love it) with my sisters, mum and MIL and old school friends. It cost each person about £50. DH just recently went on a stag do that was abroad and cost several hundred pounds - although that's still nothing compared to some of the amounts in this thread! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213660 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 13:52:29 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 2213660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was local and 2 nights before the wedding, so out of town guests didn't have to make 2 trips. We went to my sisters house for drinks and games, then my BIL drove us to a few bars. Guests paid for their drinks, hostesses probably spent $400 total (split between 3 hostesses) to rent the van and party supplies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213553 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 12:09:27 +0000 MrsADS 2213553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went out with a few friends (maybe 5) for dinner and dessert and they did a little lingerie shower. In our town so no one traveled or stayed overnight. DH didn't do anything. I would have felt horrible asking anyone to do anything more than that!! Certainly no travel! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213551 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 12:07:06 +0000 ChelseaRose 2213551@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We eloped and did not do bachelor/bachelorette parties. It seems like for my girls friends we tend to keep things more low key like wine tasting or a spa day or something similar. The guys always end up going to Vegas (a 4-6 hour drive from LA) and doing expensive stuff, like golfing, staying in suites at super fancy hotels, pricey dinners (like $100+ per person), cabana by the pool for drinks/food, etc. The last two times my husband and I decided that he should pick one of the nights to go and would fly home the next day to keep costs down. Even a $100 plane ticket home is usually much less expensive than whatever the guys had planned and another night in a hotel. Most of the wives in the group have been less than thrilled with the costs and plans. There's not too many more to get married, thankfully. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213525 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 11:45:27 +0000 Keybee 2213525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A destination bachelor/ette party seems very extravagant to me! I would definitely decline an invite.<br /> We married young, for my party we went to dinner and then back to a friends apartment for raunchy games and lingere gifting and dessert. It was a really fun night! My married friends all did something similar. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213517 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 11:39:34 +0000 JoJoGirl 2213517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was the last of my friends to get married. I got to a point where I boycotted all out of town parties because most of my friends also got married out of town. I decided to skip one altogether because other people's annoyed me so much :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213455 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:50:00 +0000 winter_wonder 2213455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did mine on a really small scale. It was just more of a girls night. We spent the night in a hotel and just went to a few bars. Nothing too wild and crazy!</p> <p>I haven't been to a bachelorette party recently, but it seems crazy that they're so elaborate and expensive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213438 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:37:07 +0000 birdofafeather 2213438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've only done one in town bachelorette, one flying and then the others are usually around a 2-3 hour drive. It's getting harder to do but I pull it together for friends who have done the same for me because I want to celebrate them and their time like they did for me. I would not/could not do a flying to Mexico or somewhere that cost $1000. No way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213393 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:08:01 +0000 cat620 2213393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I agree that having a family makes these type of parties harder to attend. In addition to taking time off from work in some cases, you have to be away from your family, and use funds that could have been put toward a family trip or something you need like a house repair. There are so many more responsibilities as you get older! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213392 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:07:57 +0000 psw27 2213392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was in a small city north of where we live (1 hour drive) and we stayed in a hotel and just did dinner and drinks for 2 nights. It was nothing crazy. </p> <p>My DH's was in Miami but they didn't do a lot of activities except drinking (and the strip club...). </p> <p>I've skipped the few destination ones I've been invited but DH has gone to Vegas and Miami and NYC recently. I think guys make a bigger deal about them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213386 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:05:58 +0000 cat620 2213386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@TrailRunner: I agree, it is a time commitment! Plus, in addition to all the weekends, sometimes you're expected to take time off work for things like the bachelor/bachelorette party or even the wedding if it's on a weekday. My BIL is getting married on a Friday, so that's a normal workday for people. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213379 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:03:08 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2213379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine cost $75 per person! Plus drinks at the bar. It was awesome. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213373 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 09:59:46 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2213373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a joint bachelorette party with my BFF/MOH because she was getting married 2 weeks before me. We got t-shirts made and went to a Phillies game (we're both big fans). Afterwards, we just went to the bar. So the cost of the t-shirt, the Phillies ticket and whatever drinks you wanted at the bar...maybe $50 total/person? </p> <p>We had a good amount of people get married after us, and they ranged from a night out locally to a full weekend in Atlantic City. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213312 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 09:35:13 +0000 autumnlove 2213312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was local for me so they didn't spend too much but they all drove to see me... 1-3 hours and they stayed with me.</p> <p>My husband went on a bachelor party trip last month and spent a lot....but it was for his bro so he didn't mind as much. :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213269 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 09:14:01 +0000 ms.line 2213269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I eloped and didn't have a bachelorette party. At the last one I went to we just went out to a nice BYOB dinner and then barhopped locally - I spent around $100, and that included some drinks for the bride-to-be. It was great. One of the other women attending the party was lamenting that we should have gone away for a girl's weekend at some fancy-ass spa, and I was like, nope! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213185 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 08:45:27 +0000 LuLu Mom 2213185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours were all pretty local, the furthest was a 3 hour car drive to KC Power and Lights, usually it's just a hotel room and going out downtown for dinner and drinks or a party bus. So 200 or so dollars. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213173 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 08:38:51 +0000 catomd00 2213173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't have them. We think they're kind of ridiculous and unnecessary. You're already asking people to spend quite a bit to be in the bridal party. It didn't feel right to ask for even more. I just threw a bachelorette party for my bff. We had a low key mobile spa day at our house and it still was about $500 per person. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-rising-cost-of-bachelorbachelorette-parties#post-2213154 Fri, 19 Jun 2015 08:31:45 +0000 Anagram 2213154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was maybe $125 per person. Just my closest girl friends rented a lake condo through AirBnb (it was a really good deal) for a weekend and all we did was lounge around the lake/pool and drink margaritas. We didn't even go out, which was my preference. Everyone was local.</p> <p>My husband's friends insisted on a destination bach party, and they went to PR and each guy paid for an activity--they went deep sea fishing, rock climbing and rapelling, etc. It was a little overboard, and of course since that, every guy that's gotten married has had a similar trip.</p> <p>Blah. </p>