You have been invited to a bachelorette party for a close friend of yours who is marrying the love of her life next month. Surely one thing crosses your mind: finally, some girl time! You are already picking outfits in your head, matching shoes and accessories, thinking about hairstyle, and make-up options until a question pops into your head! Who actually pays for the bachelorette party?
Who is supposed to pay for the bachelor party expenses — the organization, decoration, entertainment, food, and drinks? And most importantly — do you need to participate in splitting the bill?
According to tradition, this is covered by the maid of honor together with the bridesmaids and all expenses as well as obligations are divided equally. The bride almost never spends a penny on this party.
Here’s a detailed explanation of how the bachelorette party expenses are supposed to be covered.
Maid of honor, bridesmaids, and sister’s part
Most often, the maid of honor is the one who will organize the whole event and think about all the details like who to invite, the bachelorette party theme , the decor, dinner, and everything else. However, sometimes the sister can take that role. Or both of them can share the responsibilities around the organization with all the bridesmaids.
All of this actually depends on the size of the group. If the planner wants a big bash and invites lots of guests, the expenses are often covered by the closest people only. The other invitees are just there for the fun.
On the other hand, if the bride prefers a more intimate gathering of her closest siblings and friends (usually bridesmaids), everyone should take an equal part in the total cost. The expenses for location, entertainment, gadgets, and any dinner will therefore be divided among the entire group of participants.
And don’t forget to include a bachelorette party gift, so the set budget must also include a present for the bride if you decide to give one as a whole group.
Exceptions
In short, the bachelorette party rules require expenses to be divided equally, but as you know, every rule has its exceptions. It may happen that one or more people, particularly close to the bride, want to give life to the party that goes beyond the budget indicated and initially established. In this case, it will be at their discretion to put a higher sum than the rest of the group.
For instance, if the bride’s sister insists on throwing a gastronomic bachelorette party which will raise the costs higher than the budget unanimously established by the group of friends, she will simply settle the difference herself.
Does the bride pay for bachelorette party?
If you are wondering whether the bride pays for the bachelorette party, the standard scenario is never! Her only role is to have fun and enjoy the event as much as possible. It is clear that these types of celebrations, at least normally, are surprise parties organized by the people closest to the bride and the standard bachelorette party rule is: whoever organizes it — pays!
The exception to the rule might be destination bachelorette parties. These will cost a lot more and the bride must know the plan for the trip. In such a case, she can participate in the expenses regarding travel and lodging, while the rest of the details like entertainment, decoration, meals, and drinks should be covered by the entire group of friends. That is, the total amount is divided equally among all participants.
The only money the bride should spend related to her bachelorette party is the gifts for her invitees. Yes, indeed — the bride does give gifts at the bachelorette party, she doesn’t only receive them. Small tokens of appreciation are expected of her, just to show her girl squad how lucky she is for having them in her life.
Conclusion
That was everything you needed to know about the bachelorette party etiquette regarding who pays what. We hope we managed to resolve any of your doubts that you’ve had on who pays for bachelorette party. After all, it doesn’t matter if the party will cost a ton of money or not. It’s the atmosphere that all of you girls will be willing to make and to create a night to remember for the lucky bride-to-be.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What’s the destination bachelorette party etiquette regarding payment?
The bride can cover her part in travel and lodging costs, but everything else should be paid by the rest of the group.
What’s the average cost of a bachelorette party per person?
The average per person for a one-day bachelorette party is around $300.
Who does the guest list for the bachelorette party?
The one who organizes the party does the guest list as well, usually the maid of honor or the bride’s closest friend or female relative.
Who plans the bachelorette party?
Everyone can participate in the plan-making process, although one person must take the lead who is almost always the maid of honor or the bride’s sister.
Does the maid of honor cover a greater part of the bachelorette party expenses than the rest of the group?
Only if she wants to, but according to bachelorette party rules, she should take equal part regarding expenses sharing.
