2022 Bachelor(ette) Party Spending Report

The median cost to attend a bachelor or bachelorette party in 2022 is $1,500, but most people believe these events need to be toned down in light of recent rising costs.

As the pandemic winds down, weddings – and bachelorette parties – are back in full swing. After many marriages were rescheduled or canceled, fiances and their guests are ready to party. But now, as people gear up to celebrate together again, they face a new challenge: costs are rising due to inflation. And for many, that means big bachelor and bachelorette parties may be out of reach.

Between airfare, lodging, and associated costs, the costs of these pre-wedding parties are not for the faint of heart. So, how much money are people spending on their “bach" parties today? To find out, we conducted a study with 500 recent bachelor and bachelorette party attendees to see how much they spent, what the top activities were, and how they handled conflicts over cash.

Key Findings

• The median amount people spent attending bach parties in 2022 was $1,500, up from $1,400 in 2021. Those attending bachelor parties spent about 70 percent more than those attending bachelorette parties.
• Travel was by far the most significant expense. Two in three party guests flew to the most recent party they attended. People who flew internationally spent an average of $2,000 for their entire trip, compared to about $800 for those who did not travel by air.
• More than one in two attendees took on credit card debt to attend a bachelor or bachelorette party, and 15 percent were uncomfortable with the amount they shelled out to attend.
• Half of recent party guests agreed that couples should tone down these types of events due to rising costs, and a similar number believed that bachelor and bachelorette parties have become too extravagant.

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The (Real) Cost of Attending a Bachelor or Bachelorette Party

Bach parties are becoming more and more elaborate, thus more expensive. On Instagram, it’s not uncommon to see influencers and friends hosting lavish bach parties in places like Tulum, Las Vegas, or Miami.

Many celebrities and influencers are well-known for throwing extravagant parties to celebrate before their big day. Adam Levine took 50 of his closest friends to Las Vegas and stayed at the Palms Casino Resort’s Hardwood Suite for $20,000 per night. Even celebrity couples with joint parties don’t shy from spending on their prewedding celebrations. Paris Hilton and Carter Reum spent their last days in Las Vegas with close friends and family. The lavish celebration included private jets, Rolls Royces, and renting an entire club for the couple and friends to dance the night away.

Of course, for celebrities, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to celebrate with their friends is one thing – especially when they can take care of the tab.

And sure, social media may lead some to believe that everyone is pulling out all the stops to celebrate a beloved couple, but is this really the case?

How much are people spending on bachelor and bachelorette parties?

Median costs by type of party attended

Our study found that the median amount people spent attending prewedding festivities in 2022 was around $1,500 – up from $1,400 in 2021. To put this into perspective, the median weekly wage for the typical American worker is about $1,000.

Those attending bachelor parties tended to spend more than those attending bachelorette parties in basically every category. This could be because fewer people are invited to bachelor parties – which means fewer guests to split the costs. According to our research, bachelor party attendees are also more likely to fly to the party’s location, significantly raising the price tag. Lastly, bachelor parties tend to feature slightly more expensive activities than bachelorette bashes.

Interestingly, we found that people spent almost as much on their party outfits as their activities, food, and lodging. On average, people attending bachelor parties spent an average of $195 on their party clothes, and bachelorette guests spent around $100. While this happens for many reasons, getting a show-stopping outfit together for social media might be a significant factor. Plus, many party-goers choose to get personalized or matching outfits to celebrate the occasion.

Traveling Is By Far the Biggest Expense

Out of all the expenses associated with a bach party – lodging, gifts, activities, food and drinks, clothing – traveling is the most considerable expense. With more and more bachelor parties happening in trendy locations like New Orleans, Louisiana, Portland, Oregon, Nashville, Tennessee, and Miami, Florida, airfare is becoming a standard budget item.

Around two-thirds of bach party guests flew to the most recent party they attended. But, party-goers are now also facing rising airfare prices, which are up 33 percent in 2022 compared to last year. Those who flew to participate in parties spent more than twice as much as those who didn’t. For international destinations like Amsterdam, Mexico, and the Bahamas, traveling costs alone can easily exceed $2,000.

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Longer Parties Also Ramp Up Price Tags

Bach parties are not always a one-night event – many now span entire weekends. In fact, about one in three parties lasted three days, and one in five lasted four or more days. Of course, the party price tag increases as the length increases: parties lasting two days were almost twice as expensive as single-day celebrations. The median cost for a party lasting four or more days was over $1,800.

Bachelorette Parties Are More About Gift Giving While Bachelor Parties Prefer to Play Games

Though there were many differences in the most popular activities among bachelor and bachelorette guests, hanging by the pool or at the beach were popular with all types of party-goers. Guests also enjoyed playing games at their parties, which are often free and always fun, making them popular with party-goers of all stripes. We found that 40 percent of bachelor party-goers and 56 percent of bachelorette attendees gave gifts to the guest of honor, which also drives up the cost of attendance.

Most Popular Bach Activities

Percentage participating in activities at recent parties, by type attended

Bachelorette party itineraries were more likely to include gift-giving, brunching, club-hopping, and spa treatments. Those attending bachelor parties were slightly more likely to enjoy higher-cost activities, like golf and sporting events.

Bach Party Costs Can Lead to Conflict

When planning any type of group vacation, disagreements over costs can create uncomfortable tension between friends. There are many reasons why conflict arises when planning a party. For starters, about 43 percent of people don’t feel comfortable talking about money or financial status with their friends. The desire to avoid money conversations could have led 52 percent of respondents to take on credit card debt to attend a recent party. Another 39 percent opted out of some parts of the event due to high costs.

When you have multiple people involved in party planning – all with different financial situations – there is a lot of room for potential conflict. The lack of collaboration or transparency can be tricky to navigate for party-goers. Around 15 percent of respondents said they were uncomfortable with the amount they spent on their parties.

Not to mention, when there’s a lack of collaboration among guests, you might also get some people who don’t agree on how the party’s budget is spent, and it shows! Those who said there were never conflicts over cost spent almost half the amount on their celebrations as those who said there were often or always cost conflicts among the partygoers.

Planning a Conflict-Free Bachelorette or Bachelor Party

Of course, planning a conflict-free party comes with its challenges, particularly as you try to coordinate and find common ground among guests with various incomes. Nonetheless, there are ways to plan a peaceful and fun party that stays within everyone’s budget.

Related: Savings.com Home Budget Calculator

Fifty-five percent of recent party-goers felt that hosts should take polls of their guests to determine the party budget when planning. Whoever is hosting can create a short survey and recoup anonymous responses to get an idea of how much money guests are willing to spend. With one in two guests arguing that these parties have become too extravagant, having a survey at the start of planning could prevent some conflict around costs.

In addition, guests (unlike hosts) have to plan for another extra cost: the honored guests. More than half also agreed that guests should cover the guest of honor and split all costs evenly. While this is a common practice, it also means the cost for partygoers rises significantly.

So, if you’re planning a bachelor or bachelorette party and want to avoid conflict with your friends, there are a few ways to keep the peace and keep costs under control:

• Be mindful of your wedding attendants: Many of the people attending the bachelor or bachelorette party are also members of the wedding party, which means they’ll be shelling out for the wedding day too. These people will have to plan for the costs of hair and makeup, dresses, tuxedos, travel, and more on the big day. Couples should be mindful of the financial commitments of their closest family and friends when planning for their wedding celebrations. Offering a range of options for bach party activities and lodging is a kind way to make the celebration more inclusive.
• Be honest about financial limitations: Nearly-weds and their guests should not feel pressured to participate in parties that are beyond their budgets. Although it can be uncomfortable, participants should be honest with themselves and their friends about their financial limits and have open conversations about the costs associated with the bach party. Don’t take on debt to attend a party or wedding, and feel free to opt out of parts of the event that are beyond your budget.
• Plan a short, local celebration: According to our research, shorter celebrations that didn’t involve air travel tended to be lower in cost. Explore your hometown during a party that lasts a few hours or one night, and plan to head out to new restaurants or clubs you’ve never been to before.
• Go all-inclusive or off-peak: for those committed to traveling for the bach bash, consider an all-inclusive cruise or resort. Typically, all-inclusive trips cut down on surprise costs and are easier to budget for. Savings might also abound when traveling during off-peak times to destinations like Breckenridge, Colorado, the Florida Keys, or Montana.

Methodology

Savings.com conducted an online survey of 504 people in June 2022. All participants have attended a bachelor, bachelorette, or similar party since January 2021. They ranged in age from 18 to 70, with a median age of 34. 47% were female, and 53% were male. 24% made less than $50,000 per year, 33% made between $50,000 and $99,999, and 40% made more than $100,000 a year. 70% of participants were white, 13% were Black, 7% were Hispanic or Latino/a, 5% were Asian, and 6% were from another race or multiple races.