How to Plan a Fall Bachelorette Party That Won’t Strain Your Bridesmaids’ Budgets

There’s no question that the bachelorette is a must-do wedding event. Unfortunately, it’s also often a source of stress for the bridal party. After the dress, shoes, plane ticket, hotel, and gifts, being a bridesmaid can cost over $1,000. That’s more than pocket change for most women. Add an expensive bachelorette party on top of it, and you could have bridesmaids wondering if they should cancel their RSVP.

Of course, a bachelorette party doesn’t have to be extravagant to be memorable. Just make sure you take some of the stress out of the planning process for all involved by taking on a business-like approach to setting your goals (click here to learn more about how the hierarchy of goals to see how they can help you throughout the planning process).

Whether you’re celebrating locally or far away, these tips from Melissa Miley Photography will help you plan a budget-friendly bachelorette party so everyone can join in.

Getting There

Keep it local-ish

Local doesn’t have to mean staying home. Whether you want a night in the town or a backyard barbecue, booking a vacation rental house makes the occasion feel special. It also ensures everyone has space to sleep without going separate ways or kicking kids and significant others out of their beds. Choose a rental close to nightlife so it’s a cheap cab ride back to your lodging, and sneak over before the festivities to decorate with inexpensive décor.

Or choose a budget-friendly destination

If you live in a town where “nightlife” ends at 8 p.m., skip the local affair and plan a destination bachelorette party. Destination events get a bad rap, but getting out of town doesn’t have to mean going over budget. Choose a destination you can drive to and carpool in a friend’s minivan, or rent a larger vehicle if no one’s car is big enough.

If your budget is a little higher, shop for cheap flights and keep your destination flexible. If you live near a major airport, odds are there are a few places you can fly to for under $100 one way.

Getting Ready

Pack your beauty must-haves

A bachelorette party is a perfect occasion to glam it up. Skip the salon and instead, put together a playlist and mix cocktails for a fun getting-ready session at the hotel. Ask the girls to bring blow dryers, curling irons, and other must-have hair tools to avoid a bottleneck in the bathroom. This is also the time to whip out the glitter, glitzy hair accessories, and eyelash extensions. Just be careful on that last one — cheap lash extensions are rarely worth the money and could even cause irritation or damage your natural lashes.

Shop each other’s closets

Tired of everything in your closet but don’t want to splurge on a new outfit? Instead of turning to your old reliable going-out outfit, get some much-needed wardrobe inspiration by borrowing from your friends’ closets instead. This works best if most attendees are around the same size, but even in a diverse group of friends, you can swap shoes and accessories.

Bring the entertainment with you

Sometimes, you and your friends may decide that it’s best to stay in for an evening and just chill out. Or, the weather may not cooperate, forcing you to lounge around inside the hotel and order room service. While having a hot meal delivered to your room is definitely worth the hefty price tag, consider bringing your own entertainment, be it music, TV shows, or movies. Pick up an affordable streaming stick that’s compatible with most TVs and offers thousands of hours of content via an assortment of apps and channels. This can easily help you avoid the price of an expensive in-room movie. To make things even more entertaining, bring in a photobooth so that no one person in your group has to man the camera for selfies! 

Going Out

Plan affordable excursions

Typical bachelorette party events can get expensive. You don’t want attendees stressing over money when trying to enjoy a fun day out, so opt for free or low-cost activities instead. Rather than hiring a pub bike, plan a hike and enjoy some Halloween-related fun. Or, instead of renting a boat, enjoy a laid-back day on the beach complete with beach games and kites.

Skip the bottle service

Bottle service and high-end cocktails are great for feeling fancy. Unfortunately, they’re also great for spending your entire paycheck on a night out. Instead of buying high-priced drinks at bars and restaurants, sip on cocktails at your hotel or vacation rental before going out, then opt for cheaper drinks at the bar.

There’s no better way to kick off your best friend’s wedding than a celebration with all of her closest friends. However, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune planning it. With these tips, you ensure everyone remembers the party for how much fun they had, not how much money they spent.