It’s officially wedding season which means Bachelor/Bachelorette parties are happening every other weekend, and you’re wondering how you’re ever going to budget and plan all these parties. Dry your eyes, because today I have the secret formula to hosting the perfect party celebrating your soon-to-be-wed bestie!
Photo by Fernanda Prado on Unsplash
First things first, build out a plan with the following headings, then we’ll dive into the details:
- Pick a date/date range! (confirm with bride/groom)
- Create a budget plan
- Pick a location
- Send out preliminary email to guests
- Finalize numbers & book venue
- DIY decor
- Celebrate!
Pick a date / date range:
Securing a date is the very first thing you will want to consider when planning the most epic bachelor party. Most parties are celebrated a month or less before the big wedding day, so depending on when the wedding is, secure a date a few weeks before it. To decide the date, you will want to reach out to the soon-to-be bride/groom to see what date options work best for them. If they are free for an overnight stay, this will be your best option, because it’s a lovely balance of “getting out of town” while being mindful of budget.
Ask your friend for a list of people they’d love to be there and use this as a ballpark estimate for costs.
Create a budget plan:
With bachelorettes and bachelor parties getting ridiculously more expensive by the second and expectations to take time off work and spend thousands on a party are outrageous, it’s important to come back down to earth for a minute. Ask yourself, “how much can I, and the guests actually afford?”
Good news, if you’re planning a one-night stay, and have a party size of 10 +, you will most likely be able to pull this off for $150 per head (If your party size is bigger than 10, you may be able to shoot under this price). Let’s break it down shall we!
- Accommodation = $100
- Food & Beverage = $40
- Misc. (Gas/Transportation) = $10
Total = $150 per head.
Building out a pre-set menu is really important when accommodating big groups. Decide with your fellow organizers what meals you think should be provided to guests and stick to them.
Hot tip: To save yourself time, look into pre-ordering your grocery and booze list online through larger grocery stores. Many provide a store to door services which can make your life easier.
Photo by Casey Chae on Unsplash
Pick a location:
Scratch the idea of staying in a hotel altogether, and focus on booking an Airbnb or VRBO vacation rental! Hotels increase in price quickly due to the number of rooms needed to book a party of 10 +. A vacation rental will provide a much better space for larger parties. Once you have your eye on a couple of venues that suit your needs, calculate the cost of what it would be based on the number of approximate guests. Your guests want to know what they’re buying into before they agree to come – always provide a breakdown.
Hot tip: Most vacation rentals have a pretty good refund policy, if you can reserve or book the property in advance, I would.
Send out preliminary email to guests:
Email all the guests your friend indicated they’d love to have at their party and provide them with the cost breakdown. Make it known, if less or more people attend, the prices will fluctuate abit. They will expect this, but it’s always good to highlight early on so there are no surprises and last minute cancellations. To make your life easier, pick an RSVP deadline, if you don’t hear from guests by this date, let them know you will assume they’re not coming.
Finalize numbers & book venue:
Once everyone has RSVP’d, it’s time to finalize your head count and cost out everything. Give people a heads up that they will not be able to request a refund if they’re in the final head count. This way you cover the burden of losing money, should someone pull out last minute.
Once everything is booked, send over a friendly email to your guests to e-transfer their cost per head.
DIY decor:
Now that all the technicalities are ironed out comes the fun stuff – decorations! Before you buy anything, reach out to everyone you know to see if they have any decor from past parties they’ve hosted and ask if you can borrow their stash! This will save you a ton of time and money. I recommend avoiding sites that promote Bachelorette Boxes – they will set you back $$$. Always borrow where you can.
If you want to jazz up the party for your guests, goody bags add a nice touch! You can easily put together “hangover kits” for everyone at around $5 per head. I highly recommend checking out your local dollar store to see what goodies you can add to the bags.
If you don’t have time to put bags together for everyone, look into grabbing funky sipping glasses for everyone to use for the weekend. Simple gifts like this can go a long way.
Photo by Farica Yang on Unsplash
Celebrate:
Congratulations, you’re now able to enjoy everything you just planned! Creating a loose itinerary for the party is a great way to keep everyone engaged and excited. Plan a couple games to play with the guest of honor. If you’re lost on what games to play, you can check out some fun ones here.
To add a little something sentimental to the trip, bring a polaroid camera and add little notes from all the guests and present it to your bestie at the end of the trip!
At the end of the day, no matter how many hiccups you run into, as long as your bestie has a fabulous time, you nailed it!
