How To Have A Budget-Friendly Bachelorette Weekend Staycation Bash

Unsplash/Chris Murray

So your bestie’s getting married? Amazing! Congrats to the happy bride-to-be. And heads up — you’re in for some major spending. Let’s toss out any bridesmaid/maid of honor potential right now and focus on a hidden wallet drainer you’ll definitely be experiencing: the bachelorette party.

With more and more bachelorette parties becoming mini (or full-on) vacations, things get pricey fast. In fact, according to Brides.com, costs really add up. The survey found the average bachelorette attendee spent $265 on travel, $137 on food and a whopping $116 on alcohol. That’s already more than $500, and we haven’t even talked about hotels… So what’s a pal to do when faced with a bachelorette bash while on a tight budget? We say staycation! Here’s how to pull it off with plenty of pre-marital pizazz.

Unsplash/Gift Habeshaw

Book shared accommodations.

Most hotel rooms can only sleep a maximum of four people, so if you’ve got a group of eight, opt for booking two hotel rooms and get cuddly with your squad (we’d estimate costs starting around $40 per person, depending on your hotel choice). If you have a bigger group, odd numbers or special requirements for sleeping arrangements, look for an Airbnb (you can probably get as low as $30 per person, depending on the location). Everyone can chip in for a place to hang without worrying about extensive travel costs. This also means all party participants need to get back to the same destination at the end of the night. Hello, shared rides!

Choose an activity.

Whether your soon-to-be-married friend is into hiking, Zumba or macramé, consider doing an activity during the first day of the bachelorette weekend. Burn some energy, make some memories and enjoy some quality time getting to know each other before the stereotypical bachelorette shenanigans begin.

Mix the traditional games with drinks and snacks.

We suggest starting the party at home with store-bought liquor and some snacks (cupcakes scream love). That way, you can break out any crazy themed party games in privacy — we’re looking at all of you who have guessing games planned!

Unsplash/Kelsey Chance

Plan a bar crawl.

The best part about staying local is that you know where to find the fun. But we don’t mean you should stick you your regular local Friday night spot. We say start with a bang at a snazzy cocktail bar, get one expensive drink and then move the party somewhere a little on the cheaper side. Can anyone say karaoke and dancing? Then end the night with some tipsy eats at your favorite late-night diner.

Cook brunch.

You’ve had your bar-hopping fun, so why not whip up some boozy brunch at home? Champagne plus orange juice equals the perfect morning cocktail (hair of the dog?). We suggest putting together a make-ahead dish the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven. Our favorites? French toast casserole or crustless quiche.

Make it a spa day.

Grab all the face masks, incense and essential oils from the drug store, and get to pampering. There’s nothing like a day of sipping some iced tea and letting your body recover from a wild outing with your crew. We’re biased, but after you’re done rejuvenating, we vote for avocado toast for the final meal, followed by some chocolate treats.

Unsplash/Elevate

The bride is absolutely dead-set on getting out of town? Make it a road trip. Splitting the costs of gas and a hotel is much less expensive than choosing a destination that everyone has to fly to reach.

And if you’re the lucky one getting married to the love of your life, make sure to have a real, no-holds-barred chat with any of the friends you’re inviting to your party. Yes, it’s your special day and, of course, you want your people there, but they also have to pay their rent and make it to your actual wedding. Be open to hearing that a pal might not be able to make it if you’re jet-setting.

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