Plan the Ultimate Budget-Friendly Bachelorette Bash
The bachelorette party is one wedding expense that’s totally worth it, but if you aren’t careful, it can be a strain on everyone involved. However, there are plenty of ways to keep costs down and still have the time of your lives. These strategies take the worry out of planning and ensure you get the most mileage out of your party budget.
The Location
The first big decision is whether to have a destination party or stay local. If the bride’s best pals live all over the country, you may want to meet up for a destination party because some will have to travel anyway. Keep in mind that you can have a less expensive getaway by opting for a more affordable destination. On the other hand, if everyone lives relatively close together, you may opt to save money by staying local.
If you go for a getaway, one of the best budget-friendly strategies is to plan early. As soon as you nail down a location, guests should start booking flights. Booking early usually means lower airfare, plus it gives everyone time to save up for other expenses. Along with paying for the big expenses early, you can rent a house rather than staying in a hotel. With so many options for home rentals online, it’s easy to share your top choices with the group, plus you will save a ton compared to hotel rates.
Besides saving on major costs, don’t underestimate the advantage of saving on the smaller expenses, too. Everything from meals and drinks to entertainment really adds up, so it pays to think outside the box and find ways of minimizing these costs. If your group loves music and movies, a simple way to save on entertainment is to bring a streaming device. Inexpensive and small enough that it takes up barely any space in your luggage, a portable model lets you easily access your favorite TV and music services if you have a wifi connection. This way, you can skip the club and have your own dance party in your rental or hotel room. Or choose from thousands of TV shows and movies rather than having to pay extra for premium channels.
The Theme
Even if you aren’t big on themes, a loose theme is a great way to find fun ideas that won’t break the bank. One theme idea is to have a scaled-down getaway. If the bride loves the surf and sand, instead of flying to a faraway island, consider a roadtrip to a closer beach or a cruise instead. Or if a destination party isn’t in the budget, can you recreate the bride’s dream trip somewhere nearby? If she dreams of going to Napa, maybe you could visit a closer winery or throw a wine-tasting party at a local wine bar or someone’s home.
If the bride is outdoorsy, we love the glamping trend as a getaway alternative that is less expensive than splurging for a hotel or a house rental. Another fun idea to save money is to have a backyard campout at someone’s home. This idea harkens back to summer camp days spent chatting about boys in your bunks.
The Details
Most of the details tend to fall into place once you have a theme and location. If you go glamping, there are lots of low-cost activities you can plan (think hiking and swimming during the day, then campfire stories, s’mores, and drinks at night). Or if you have a backyard campout, you could set up a cozy outdoor movie theater.
The key to making it all come together is to throw in some creativity and keep it tailored to the bride’s interests. Remember that what matters most is the adventure, not how much you spend. Planning early and being diligent about saving strategies will guarantee your bash is one for the books!
Photo credit: Pixabay
