We all want to impress our best friend when her big day finally happens. The only problem is impressing someone we care about often comes with a huge price, especially when we know what she’s expecting out of a last blow out. Planning a bachelorette party can be a whole lot of stress, so don’t let your finances get in the way of the festivities. This party should become a way to show your best friend that her last night single will be the last party night she’ll ever need. So, step away from the high priced ideas and take a look at these cost effective and fun ideas to make her last shindig the best night of her life.
1. Throw Back Parties
If you grew up with the bride to be then chances are you had a whole lot of slumber party fun when you were kids. So, why not bring that party attitude back for her big night of fun. Make sure everyone brings a sleeping back and shows up in their favorite pair of pajamas. You can spend the time dancing to your favorite teen songs, having pillow fights or telling spooky stories about dates from the past. This will leave the bride to be feeling loved and will give a nice nostalgic mood to the night. You can also create you party around a specific theme. Ask your guest to dress up accordingly and throw a fashion show that details all of the costume dos and don’ts. If you don’t want to spend the night in the home then try to book a party at a skating rink. This will allow everyone to have some good quality fun that won’t cost you a lot. If all else fails there is always the go to pizza party that will make everyone happy.
2. Homemade Food
Being appointed the maid of honor means a lot, but it doesn’t mean that you have to spend hundreds of dollars to take everyone out for food and alcohol. If you’re planning on having food at your party,and let’s face it it’s not really a party without food, then try to make it yourself. Try to figure out what the bride’s favorite foods are and tackle them in your own kitchen. The less expensive the food is the better so try to choose items that are cheap to make in bulk. If you’re having trouble with cooking then try to get the entire bridal party together to cook the food. This will make it more of a treat for the bride and will ensure everyone gets to take part in the cooking party. If you don’t want to bear off of the burden on yourself then try to ask everyone to come in for a pot luck. This will allow a wide variety of food for the party without forcing you to pay for it or cook it all yourself. If you really want to make it special then ask the guest to bring the first meal they shared with the bride, or a food that represents their relationship.
3. Make the Accessories
One thing a bachelorette party can’t be without is accessories. From the bridal sash to the gag gifts, accessories make an awesome treat for brides and the rest of the guests. Many people tend to go out and buy a lot of accessories to make the party what it is, but when it comes to sticking to a budget you can do a lot of amazing things for less. Making your own accessories can be one of the best aspects of planning the party. For starters, the bride is typically presented with a sash to wear throughout the night. This can be easily made with a small amount of fabric and a little fabric paint. If you want to get really into detail then you can embroider the sash yourself. You can also make t-shirts for the group fairly inexpensively. Usually you can get a great deal on bulk t-shirts when you shop at a craft store, but try to look for a color that is going to match the wedding colors or simply draw out attention. Next, add a little fabric paint to a sponge for a custom look your guest won’t forget. If you’re feeling particularly crafty then you can create a tiara, wand or other princess props for your best girl.
4. Alcohol
It’s pretty hard to avoid the whole alcohol issue when it comes to a bachelorette party. Most brides are going to want a few drinks at her final party, but don’t stress out over it. One cheap and easy way to get drinks for the party is to introduce a wine tasting concept. This will allow you to purchase many different types of wine for guest to explore. Try to keep each bottle under $5 though, as this will really help keep the budget as low as possible. If you want to serve hard liquor at the party then try to not buy any new bottles. Instead, work with the items you already have at home and asks guest to bring a few of their own. Chances are you aren’t going to go through everything you have in the home, especially if you decide to make mixed drinks. These drinks can be easily made with juices you have around the house already, but if you do end up having to do some shopping then try to get generic brands as often as possible.
5. Groupons
If you really have to go out for the party then try to utilize groupons as much as possible. These special coupons on discounts for group outings that can really make your budget stretch really far. Try to keep an eye out for groupon deals in your area a few months prior to the actual party. This will allow you to find an event your probably didn’t think about so the party can be a total surprise for your bride to be. If you’re still a bit worried about money then ask the guests attending to pay a percentage of the deal. This will take some of the burden off of you while providing the bride with an outing that will take her stress away. When it comes to traditional bachelorette party outings you might want to look into pole dancing classes for the girls. This is a great way to add the adult theme to the party while giving guest something fun and new to try. If you mention you’re planning a bachelorette party with the studio you can typically get a pretty good discount, so make sure to bring up the topic while you’re talking about rates.
6. Stay Local
A lot of women feel like they need to plan a huge weekend trip to satisfy the bride to be’s needs. This is often a huge mistake though as most brides are content with one night out with good friends. So, instead of planning that weekend trip to somewhere out of the way look around for something you can do locally. Planning a trip out of town can actually add to the stress of the bride. With the traveling, packing and waiting there’s a good chance you’ll only get to spend a little bit of time with one another. The goal of the bachelorette party is to relax the bride and take her mind off the stress of the wedding. So, look around for something that won’t just be fun, but will allow everyone to unwind before the wedding day.
7. Ask for Discounts
When you’re planning your big party make sure to let everyone know you’re planning a bachelorette party. Many businesses, like hotels, restaurants and limos will actually offer you a discount as they would with couple on their honeymoon. You’ll love to find out how many people are actually willing to help you make your bride to be’s party dreams a reality. So, when you call to make your party reservations make sure to slip in that you’re planning a bachelorette party and the goals you hope to accomplish. A lot of businesses will actually work around your needs and give you some pointers to help you on the right track in your party planning. You have to make sure to ask about the discounts though!
8. Book Early
When it comes to party planning booking things early is really going to make your job a lot easier and a whole lot cheaper. Yes, it might be hard getting everyone that is going to confirm in time, but if you can get a general count of the people going you’ll be on your way to saving a whole lot of money. Try to get things booked at least three months early so you will know your plans are confirmed. You might also try to plan a trip for the off season months, even if it is well before the actual wedding date. Off season bookings are a lot more cost effective and will give you more money to work with when it comes to other aspects of the party.
9. Utilize Freebies
One great thing about using other facilities for a party is there are often a good number of freebies you can take advantage of. For instance, staying at a hotel often means you’ll have free access to a gym and pool. This is perfect for any bride and bridal party that might be worried about final looks. The pool will offer hours of entertainment and will even help everyone get a nice natural tan before the big day. With the pool and gym taking up a lot of the excess time then you might find there is no reason to plan a whole lot other pricey activities. You might also look into the spa at the hotel, or at least a spa located around the hotel. A lot of the time hotels will offer spa freebies to guest or will give out a discount voucher so guest can enjoy some relaxation at a neighboring spa. You might also find out if your hotel serves breakfast for free as this is a good time to get the ladies filled up for free so you can wait longer to go out to eat again.
10. Games
There is nothing quite as important as a fun game to make your party go by faster. There are numerous games you can transform into bridal party games that will cost you next to nothing. While you’re planning out the party festivities try to make a checklist of the games you actually own. This will allow you to look up different ways to transform them into bridal games. Older games you might have played in highschool, such as secret admirer based games, are perfect for entertaining a group of ladies ready to have some fun. You might also look online for crafty games you can create with old clothes, paper or other items. If you are really feeling ambitious then you can create a fun scavenger hunt that has guests looking for bridal items around the home. If all else fails you can break out the trusty truth or dare game for fun that could last all night.
A bachelorette party could be incredibly hard to plan if you’re keeping your budget in mind the entire time. Instead of working out how much money you can spend these tips will allow you to figure out how much you can actually save on party events you’ve always dreamed of going to. Now, you and your best friend will have a party that you’ll want to talk about for decades to come.
