A bachelorette party is an important event that allows for the bride and her female friends to enjoy themselves and make the most of the last few days that the bride that is getting married is going to be single. Due to this, it can admittedly be a very stressful period for couples which can be further amplified by the costs of hosting such events and who should pay for this key event. In this article, we are going to be answering the very question of who pays for that?
Who pays for bachelorette party? As per tradition, the bachelorette party is organized and paying by the bridesmaids of the bride that the bachelorette party is for, with each of the attendees paying their equal share of the cost of the event with the bride paying nothing.
However over time this has changed with bachelorette parties becoming much more common there has been thousands of event planning businesses popping up that offer assorted options based on all budget sizes with the average bachelorette party now being a lot more extravagant with holiday trips to iconic foreign cities such as New York, Paris, and London as well as to sunkissed holiday destinations such as Spain and various Caribbean islands. Therefore, thanks to this spiraling costs as well as the fact that the tradition of bridesmaids of organizing bachelorette events with now brides taking over this role and footing a much larger part of the bill for organizing such a pre-wedding party.
The issue of who pays for bachelorette party is a very important issue as a bachelorette party is an event that will require a lot of planning and will require input from the bride herself as this party is ultimately for her and she should be approved and be happy of where it is located and what the party entails. Bachelorette parties are a fairly recent phenomenon that is the female equivalent of a ‘stag party’ which is where the groom parties with his friends a few days before he is about to get married, both of these events have been popularized in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
We hope that we managed to clear up some of the confusion around who is responsible for paying for the costs of bachelorette parties. Below we will add further information and answer the more related questions so feel free to read on.
How to split expenses for a bachelorette party?
A bachelorette party should not be an outright surprise to the bride, as it takes a lot of planning to materialize as for example, you do not want to plan and schedule this event only to find out that the bride is not able to attend it. The best solution to this is for the bride and all the people that she wants to invite to come together and decide on a date that works for all of them for when the bachelorette party can be held without any issues, it will also make sure that only people that the bride wants to attend will come to this event.
Furthermore, by holding this meeting or discussion with your bridesmaids you can also discuss how this event is going to be funded, whether the bride is going to pay for most of it, whether her family or groom is going to foot much of the bill more or whether the friends of the bride will pay the larger part as is the tradition. Moreover, you will be able to decide on a budget that works for you, some common arrangements include the bride and her family paying for the venue where the bachelorette party will be taking place and then the bridesmaids will pay for their outfits for the celebrations and also for the plane tickets for example if the bachelorette event is taking place in another country.
There is no right answer to the question of who is responsible for paying for this bachelorette party, it depends purely on the option that everyone involved agrees on.
Should bridesmaids always divide all the bachelorette party expenses equally?
The tradition is that bridesmaids should pay for the bride’s bachelorette party, but this is not a requirement if you are a bridesmaid you should discuss with the bride herself on how she feels about the situation and what she is comfortable with so you know how to proceed with the organization of this event.
Some brides will want and be able to pay for everything themselves as well as have the time to plan this event which can be very time-consuming if there is a large number of people in attendance when you have the consider where all the bridesmaids in attendance will be dining, staying while away from home and how they will be traveling back and forth. A good compromise will be for the bridesmaids to pay for the individual things that they are going to be using such as outfits and the food that they will be consuming.
When the bride should pay for the bachelorette party?
The person responsible for paying for a bachelorette party is ultimately the person that is going to be organizing this event, therefore if for example, the bridesmaids take it upon themselves to surprise the bride with organizing her a bachelorette party then it is up to them to pay for the event since they have been the decision-makers behind it and the cost of this pre-wedding party will ultimately be based on their decision making.
On the other hand, if it is the bride that wants a lavish extravagant event that will be held in five-star hotels during the most popular tourist times of the year such as the summer months of June, July, and August, as well as the Christmas period then the bridge, should not expect her closest friends and relatives to pay the majority of the money that will be needed to make such a caliber of a bachelorette party into a reality.
How much should a bachelorette party cost?
Research conducted in the United States shows that the cost for each day for every person that is in attendance of a bachelorette party is $150 per day that they attend, this includes the accommodation, the cuisine, and activities that all the attendees of the bachelorette party are going to be taking part in. It is important to keep in mind that this is just an average and the cost can be much lower or higher based on where you are hosting the bachelorette in question and what this celebration is going to consist of.
There is no right answer to how much a bachelorette party should cost, it all depends on how disposable money you and the other people funding it are willing to spend. You should never go into debt or spend money that you cannot lose while funding your bachelorette party.
What does maid of honor pay for?
The maid of honor is essentially the leading bridesmaid, there can be one or more of these, they have a key role as they help to organize the entire event and in most cases, they are responsible for planning the entire bachelorette party. The maid of honor will generally pay an equal amount like the other bridesmaids in attendance.
Some of the things that a maid of honor, as well as the other attendees, will be responsible for paying for including the food and drink that will be consumed during that night, the cost of the accommodation, travel, activity costs and also the clothing or costumes that are generally worn at such events although this should be discussed prior with the bride to know what she is and not paying for.
Other related questions
How to effectively predict the cost of a bachelorette party?
In order to effectively predict the cost of a major event such a bachelorette party, you need to first outline what the bachelorette party that you are planning will consist of which will include the location that it will be taking place and the activities that the attendees will be experiencing as well as the cost of items such as clothing, accessories, and food.
Once you have listed everything that you want to be included for the bachelorette party that you are planning, then you should look at the prices of your wish list with the best way to do this accurately is to to take a look at prices of the location where the party is taking place. You should also account for the currency exchange rates if they happen to apply.
How long in advance should I invite the attendees to my bachelorette party?
This really depends on when the engagement has occurred and the official date for the wedding has been announced, as the bachelorette and stag parties happen just before the actual wedding day. It is best to give the invitation long before the bachelorette party is going to take place to make sure that every one that is invited receives their notification in time to make it for the event in case they happen to be busy during the chosen time period and need to free up that time.
It is also very important to give the bridesmaids a notice that is well in advance so they are each able to come up with the funds that they all need to pool together so this once in a lifetime event for the bride can take place.
What is the cheapest time of the year to organize a bachelorette party?
The cheapest time in the year to organize a bachelorette party is essentially when the fewest other bridesmaids are holding their bachelorette parties. These times are generally throughout months in the year where the weather is not as good and also where the majority of people are not on holiday from work and will, therefore, need to request leave from your boss which you are not guaranteed to get.
There is a reason why some times of the year are far cheaper to organize a bachelorette party and that is because there is less demand due to the added difficulty of holding such events during those times. If you are running on a tight budget you should also consider where you are holding the bachelorette party, most of the time it is far cheaper to hold the event in your home town since most of the attendees will not have to pay for travel and accommodation. Additionally, you should scale back on non-necessary parts of the bachelorette event, at the end of the day the point of this type of party is for the bride and all her close friends to celebrate together her final days of not being married.
Header Photo © Levi Guzman / Unsplash
