How To Plan An Unforgettable Bachelorette Weekend For Cheap
You’ve been chosen as your BFF’s maid of honor or bridesmaid. That’s so fun! But now the responsibilities begin. One of your biggest tasks is planning the bachelorette party of a lifetime to see your friend off into married life. But what if you’re on a budget? If you plan it right, though, you can pull off an unforgettable bachelorette weekend that your girls will never forget!
Not everyone has the money to jet set to an exotic beach, rent a mansion, and drink enough fancy champagne to fill a swimming pool. When money is tight, you have to get creative! Steering away from the bachelorette party trends you see all over Pinterest and Instagram not only can save you tons of cash but will make the celebration more unique and memorable, too.
Read on to learn how you can plan an unforgettable bachelorette weekend for cheap!
BYOB (and Groceries)
Let’s get real.
One of the most expensive parts of traveling is buying food out for every meal. Even if you get fast food the whole time (which probably wouldn’t be wise for an entire weekend), it will still cost you a pretty penny! To save tons of cash, rent a hotel suite or vacation home with a kitchen so you can cook for yourselves.
Even if you and your gal pals aren’t great at cooking, the money you’ll save by not eating out for every meal is worth it. Even grabbing things like frozen burgers or chicken nuggets will be cheaper! Cooking your own meals also allows you to eat a little healthier if that’s important to the group. Fresh fruits for breakfast and salads with dinner will help revive you after the inevitable heavy drinking.
Don’t forget to bring your own booze, too! Every bar marks up their drinks, but fancy cocktail bars and swanky clubs really crank up the prices. It’s fun to go out to a place like that once during the weekend, but the rest of the time you can drink in your hotel for way cheaper!
When you do your big grocery run after arriving at your destination, be sure to pick up some mixers too. Juices, sodas, and tonic water are essentials! Then, hit the liquor store. Even if you just use this for “pre-drinks,” you’ll save so much money!
Save Money On Your Stay
For any getaway, the accommodations take up one of the biggest chunks of your budget. So if you’re trying to plan a cheap bachelorette party, you have to figure out ways to find nice digs for less.
One easy tip is to rent a vacation home on a platform like HomeAway. Here you can usually find gorgeous homes for way cheaper than a hotel of the same caliber. Find a nice house where you can all stay together and you can plan the whole trip around it! Inappropriate yet bachelorette games, snacks, music, drinks. It’s like your favorite sleepover but at a swanky place!
Not booking your stay from Friday to Sunday can also help you stay on budget. Weekend getaways are common, so these nights often cost more than weeknights. If your group can hack it, consider doing Thursday to Saturday or Saturday to Monday instead. This hack might also save you money on your flights, transportation, and even meals out!
If you have the time, searching for the best price on your hotel rooms is another awesome way to slash the price of your stay. If you find the room for a better price on a third-party website than on the hotel’s own site, call them up and haggle. Chances are they will match or even beat the other website’s price to ensure you book directly with them.
Hack Your Airfare
Buying plane tickets can drain your bank account in seconds. Don’t let that happen! Save yourself (and your girls) some money by getting the best possible deals on your bachelorette weekend flights.
First, make sure to buy the tickets well in advance of the trip. As the big day draws closer, prices usually go up. You should also shop around between airlines to find the best deal. If you’re going to a major city, there are definitely multiple ways to get there, all of which will come at different price points.
An even easier way to hack your airfare, though, is to use Airfarewatchdog. This site is amazing! All you have to do is put in your travel details (home airport, destination, dates) and they’ll keep an eye out for fare changes. You can search the site for tickets just like every other travel website, but you can also sign up for alerts when they find an awesome deal on that specific trip.
We’re all busy and have too much going on to keep track of fare changes all day long. With this service, though, they make sure you don’t get ripped off by airlines and can travel for as cheap as possible. Start getting alerts for your bachelorette getaway a few months ahead of time to ensure you save even more money!
Keep your eye out for deals using Airfarewatchdog here!
Head To A More Low-Key Destination
Thanks to social media, some cities have become synonymous with bachelorette getaways. From Miami to Las Vegas, these places are obviously super fun but also crazy expensive. Between airfare, accommodations, and the cost of any activities you do, everyone’s bank account will be drained!
If you want to save some money and plan a more unique bachelorette trip, consider traveling to a more low-key city. Just because a place doesn’t have a “party” reputation doesn’t mean it is boring! In fact, discovering hidden gems in a new place is sure to make the celebration extra memorable.
Need some destination ideas for your cheap bachelorette party? Check out the list below.
- Washington, D.C. With tons of free monuments and museums to explore, you’ll fill your days with culture without spending a single penny.
- San Francisco. Because it’s a hub for budget-friendly Virgin Airlines, you can fly there for next to nothing. Plus it’s such a beautiful city, you can spend the whole weekend just walking around exploring different neighborhoods!
- Quebec City, Canada. Its old-world European charm will make you feel like you flew across the pond to Paris but for half the cost! If you stay outside the city walls, it’s even easier on your wallet.
- Any National Park. Outdoorsy babes can be in their element and save money by doing a girls’ camping trip. Getting away from it all in a cabin or tents is frugal and fun!
Do Free Activities
Who says that you have to drop tons of money on the fun once you get to your destination? Free activities can be just as awesome! Nix the usual expensive experiences (like wine tasting or a booze cruise) and use your creativity to find free fun.
For instance, if you go to a seaside town, spend a lot of your time at the beach! It won’t cost any money, makes for great photos, and is the main draw of the place anyway. Hiking, sightseeing on foot, and goofy photo shoots are also good bets.
One of the most fun bachelorette activities that won’t cost you a dime is a scavenger hunt. Split the girls into smaller groups, then send everyone off to find hilarious items or do silly dares around town. This could be everything from “a giant ice cream cone” to “get a guy’s phone number.” Make sure everyone logs photo evidence!
If totally free experiences just won’t cut it, stay within your budget by creating your own versions of the usual bachelorette activities. Buy a bunch of wine and host your own tasting. Grab some art supplies and do a sip and craft. Stock up on face masks, nail polish, and other beauty supplies for a less expensive spa day. Use your imagination!
Tell Everyone About the Occasion
Do you know that saying “It doesn’t hurt to ask”? Well, it applies perfectly to bachelorette parties. Let your hotel concierge, bartender, waiter, or even flight attendant know about the occasion and see what doors open up for you. The worst possible response you could get is a half-hearted “Congratulations.”
On the other hand, you and your pals could be in for some free swag! Drinks or food on the house, champagne waiting in your hotel room, the best table in the house, you name it. People are usually pretty generous when they know you’re having a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Not every vendor will do something special for the party, so you definitely shouldn’t expect anything. But it’s fun when they do!
It gets better.
Lots of bachelorette parties love to wear things that set them apart when they go out. Temporary tattoos, necklaces, buttons, t-shirts, the list goes on. Announcing yourselves will definitely get your attention, but can also get you some stuff, too! Other patrons might send a round of drinks your way along with a kind message. Don’t be obnoxious about it, but let everyone know you’re there to celebrate!
Keep It Local
One of the most tried-and-true ways to ensure your bachelorette party doesn’t break the bank is to keep it local. Traveling costs money: that’s just facts! Planning a party where you don’t have to pay for plane tickets and accommodations really slashes the price.
A bachelorette celebration is a perfect time to try out new things in your own city (or the next one over). Hop on one of those goofy double-decker tourist buses, explore a new neighborhood, or delve into the craft beer scene. You never know what you might find to do right down the street!
Another perk of keeping the celebration local is connections. When you party in another city, you don’t know anyone there and aren’t familiar with the culture. On the other hand, in your own town, you have the inside scoop about which restaurants are good, which bars to avoid, and which neighborhoods are cool. Someone in the group might even have a hookup for cheap drinks, food, or activities!
What’s the bottom line?
An Insta-worthy destination is not the most important part of a hen party. The whole point is to have fun with your friends and to celebrate the bride before she gets married. Having a backyard BBQ or a good old-fashioned slumber party can be just as fun and memorable as a luxurious getaway when you’re with your besties!
Want Even More Ideas For Your Cheap Bachelorette Party?
If you’re still scrambling for ideas on how to plan a budget bachelorette party, never fear! The video below has some fun ideas on activities you and your girls can do that don’t cost a lot of money. There’s something there for every bride, from the yogi to the budding chef. Check it out!
One of the most fun parts of adulthood is getting to celebrate weddings with friends. Bachelorette parties are a huge part of that! Who doesn’t love a good girls’ weekend? However, these fun getaways can cost a lot of money if you’re not a careful planner.
Luckily, with the tips above, you can pull off the bachelorette party of the century without sending yourself to the poorhouse. All it takes is some flexibility, creativity, and carefully planning! After all, the most important part of the celebration isn’t hitting the most spots for your Instagram feed; it’s spending quality time with your gal pals!
What are your favorite tips for planning a cheap bachelorette weekend? Did you pull off a hen party on a budget? What’s your favorite bachelorette memory? We’d love to hear your comments down below!
Resources
HomeAway
Best Budget Bachelorette Destinations
How to Throw a Cheap Bachelorette Party –10 Budget Bachelorette Ideas
