The Financial Obligations of Planning the Most Organized Bachelorette Party
If you’re anywhere near my age, you are in the midst of the seasons of love- brides & babies. Some of you are simply just in the season of booze, but most likely attending or beginning to attend lots of celebratory events for friends who are making major life changes.
I, for one, feel like I’m a professional wedding attendee. I will be an absolute expert by the time my own Big Day comes around.
I take pride in showcasing my knowledge on how to be a successful bridesmaid. Sometimes I wish I could just take the rains and plan everything all myself. I’m totally type A. Sometimes I need to be in constant reminder that I can’t always be in charge. Nevertheless, I decided to just put it all out there so that just in case someone who has a little SOS moment can stumble upon this & realize it simply just takes a bit of organization to host a stress free bach party.
Location, Location, Location
When the first one of your good friends gets engaged, you may be like “YAS let’s go to Cabo”. But by the 5th, 6th, 7th in a two year span, you’re praying for some place semi affordable. If you’re like me and most of your friends live out of state, it's not always easy to do. However, there are SO many underrated options. Think of where all the girls will be coming from, and then go from there. Research flights to a variety of spots and find out what is reasonable. If your bride-to-be bestie is set on Vegas or a flight + cruise getaway, talk about options to discuss saving or cutting back in other ways (Shout out to Lauren, I love you!).
Collecting the Finances
Once all the hard work of the initial planning is set in stone, it's time to consider the best way to ask the other ladies for the mula $$$. If you're the MOH, you should probably plan on making sure you have a nice credit card ready to carry the front load. Trust me, nothing is more confusing then taking turns paying for things and playing the whole "who owes who" game. Also, asking for funds in increments can be confusing too, not to mention a huge hassle for you to figure out who has and hasn't paid for which portion. In my opinion, the best way to go about money is to ask for it in ONE lump sum. However, to do this right you need to give a realistic deadline. You also MUST send out a breakdown of where exactly the money is going and how the total came about. In addition, if flights are needed, make sure every single attendee has purchased theirs before dividing up the cost. The last thing you want is for someone to drop out and then having to ask the other girls for more money.
Example:
Lodging - $150
T-shirts - $12
Bride's Flight - $40
Bride's Spending Money - $30
Peddle Crawl/Dance Class - $60
Decorations - $10
Please bring - Favorite drink & mixer, snack to share (enough for 10 people)
Total: $302 due by ______
Bridal Spending Money
There is really no right or wrong way to go about this anymore. I have seen various ways to handle this. For example, sometimes when having a destination bachelorette party, I have seen where the bride pays for her own flight or own spending money, and other times the bridal party has been able to cover the majority of it. If you are the MOH, make sure the bridesmaids are aware of the financial obligations before they commit to attending & you divide up the cost. An idea that has worked for us in the past and I would highly recommend, is for the Maid of Honor to collect $20-$30 (depending on the # of girls going) from each guest and keep in an envelope at all times. When the bride's bill for food or drink comes, the MOH has the funds ready to go. If you prefer to take turns covering food and drinks, it can add up QUICK. This way, the Maid of Honor can tell the bride "We have x amount of dollars for your spending money". This way everything is clear and up front for all involved.
Planning a party for your best friend comes with a lot of expectations and pressure, but staying organized is the key to making sure it runs smoothly and that all involved have a grand ole' time. Good luck & happy planning!
xo,
Jenn