Saving money can be difficult, especially all while trying to plan a wedding and essentially having to fund one of the most expensive milestone in life. Read our 6 tips on ways to save money on your bachelorette party! We promise, they aren't going to be a party killer either!
The average one spends on a bachelorette party is $547. But those who fly to a destination actually spend upwards from $1,000! Yikes, that doesn't even include spending money while you're there, the bridesmaid dress, shoes, hair, nails, etc. It can be daunting to accept an invitation to attend a bachelorette party, but the LAST thing you want to do is complain. The bride does not want to hear complaints during her time of celebration. It's her last whoo-rah and the mistake you don't want to make is make it your last whoo-rah as a guest on her trip. Being a bridesmaid IS EXPENSIVE, but so is being a bride paying for a wedding. Just be a little careful what you say and how you express yourself if you're concerned about the bachelorette plans and cost. It is worth telling the Maid of Honor or bachelorette planner if you have a serious limit or financial situation. I personally covered more than my fair share for the airbnb since it was pricey. I felt bad asking girls to fly halfway across the country for a weekend party, so I paid for a portion to lower their cost. Miami is expensive, so I felt it was necessary. Our place was a block or so from Ocean Drive and it was one of the nicest places I have stayed at. Hearing complaints during the weekend really isn't what a bride needs to hear. Having fun and enjoying the time together is what's most important. My trip was during a hurricane too, so many of our plans were scratched, the sun was no longer in our favor, and travel plans were disrupted, but the upside was that we all made it. Sure it wasn't what I had planned, but spending the extra money on a nicer airbnb really was a positive considering our situation. During my bachelorette planning with my Maid of Honor, we held onto some "rule" in order to maintain lower costs. Read my tips below:
Book Your Hotel or Airbnb Early Out or During an Off Season
Booking in advanced has some benefits. It is stressful since you literally need to decide on a hotel/airbnb ASAP. Especially if you aren't sure what exact location you want to stay in. Typically booking months out is cheaper. Be communicative at the beginning with your group to understand what dates they are available so you can start planning immediately! Booking during the off season is another way to save some extra bucks! My maid of honor and I booked our Airbnb in the first week of January while my bachelorette party was in early June. I did a lot of research on South Beach, Miami beforehand, so I was very comfortable with the location we were staying at as well as discovering nearby bars, restaurants, and activities. Another tip is our Airbnb was a Sextant Stay, so booking directly through the Sextant Stays website saved us around $200 or roughly $33 per person.
Start by Shopping for Decor and Gifts Ahead of Time to Benefit from Sales
If you're anything like me, I love to create vision / inspiration boards on Pinterest and Etsy by pinning or favoriting any ideas or products I want. BUT I do not have patience to wait for months to order- I want it now! However, as time goes by, you understand what you can maybe live without as well as benefiting from sales and coupons. Many Etsy shops offer a discount when favoriting their item or buying from them in the past. Waiting until closer to the date or buying the majority all at once allows less shipping fees too. I wish this was something I focused more on as I ordered frequently from the same Etsy shop- if I had waited for one big order, I could have saved around $50 in shipping fees. It doesn't seem like a lot, but hey, that's like 2-3 drinks in Miami!
Skip the Games That Includes a Gift for the Winner(s)
Some bachelorette parties have games and offer a prize gift for the one who answers the questions correctly. I personally skipped the games and prizes. I already bought the girls a handful of gifts and party favors, so I felt like gifting more was unnecessary. If anyone gets a gift, it should be the bride! I asked for a lingerie party as this is a fun way to spend an hour or so back at the airbnb. Lingerie isn't always expensive either, so it allows for some to spend more if they want while others can find cheaper options online. It's a great ice breaker too that automatically creates a fun atmosphere for all the girls. Make it more fun by doing a try on fashion show while guessing who bought what! Plus, you'll have some new lingerie for your honeymoon! ;)
Plan To Eat Breakfast At The Hotel or Airbnb.
This one especially goes for those renting an Airbnb or other spacious place. Buying a few things for breakfast such as granola bars, yogurt, bread, eggs, and bagels is an easy way to save your group some money. Sure, brunch and going out to breakfast sounds nice and all, but typically, you'll have some or all of you that are a bit slower in the mornings if you know what I mean! Spending time waiting at a busy restaurant for a bite to eat just makes the headache worse. You don't want any hangry girls! Unfortunately, I did not do this on my bachelorette. We did however plan a Target Grocery Order, but due to my maid of honor and I being delayed in our arrival time, the other girls were unable to "sign off" on our order since it was in my Maid of Honor's name. This was a major disappointment and actually made the mornings a pain since we had to last minute find places that weren't packed.
Don't Overload on Activities
Honestly, it isn't needed to book multiple activities every day. One activity will do! Some brides feel as if they need to go all out and have something fun for everyone to look forward to each day, but it isn't needed! Less is more sometimes and it would be a shame if your expensive boat cruise got canceled due to weather. Don't stress! The best times spent are often spontaneous! I had the honor of experiencing this- not necessarily by choice, because the weather caused our pool party activity to be cancelled. It wasn't a big bummer though since we didn't spend much on the tickets and we were able to have fun at the private pole dancing class. (Totally recommend BTW!) If you're planning a bachelorette party in a city like Miami, you don't need to plan much- just hit the town girl!
Pre-Game Before Going Out
It can feel like a lot asking for the girls to chip in an extra chunk of money for drinks ahead of time as some may feel as they won't drink as much as others. It is still likely that it will be cheaper in the long run as many cities charge anywhere from $10-$32 per drink. Due to our weather experience with not being able to deliver our groceries and snacks, the drinks also were impacted. Some of the girls went to a local grocery store to buy some alcohol which definitely saved us hundreds!
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