Destination Bachelorette Party: Is it right for you?

As maid of honor (or sometimes as a bridesmaid), it is your duty to plan a bachelorette party that the bride will brag about for years to come. While there are tons of great choices for bachelorette party activities and locations, some maids of honor choose to bring it to the next level and take the party on the road!

Before jumping the gun and booking tickets to Vegas, however, it's first a good idea to step back and think about whether or not a destination bachelorette party is really right for you. This is a decision that the bride and maid of honor should make together as it's crucial that both understand what they're getting themselves into (the good, the bad and the intoxicated!). The first thing to ask yourself is...

Is a destination bachelorette party right for you?

For one thing, the maid of honor might want to remind the bride that there are in fact some advantages to a local bachelorette party. Most likely more of the guests will actually be able to attend if the event is local. Furthermore, it can sometimes be more memorable if the bachelorette party takes place at local places that hold some meaning for the bride. Perhaps you could visit the bar where the bride and groom first met, your old college hangout or begin the evening at the bride's favorite restaurant. It's important for the maid of honor to talk to the bride to determine if a destination bachelorette party is really the best choice. And if it is, it's time to consider...

Can you afford it?

A destination bachelorette party is not cheap and it's important to consider who's going to pay for what and whether everyone concerned can afford it. The best way to start answering this question is by figuring out the tentative cost of the trip. Will you need plane, train, or bus tickets? How about hotel rooms, food and drinks, and club cover fees? And don't forget about local transportation costs (cabs, limos, subway) and having enough money left over for all that crazy bachelorette gear (boas, sashes, tiaras, the works!).

Then, the maid of honor, bridesmaids and bride should sit down and decide who is going to pay for what. For a local bachelorette party, the bride typically pays nothing. The maid of honor, bridesmaids and guests split the cost of transportation (ie. limo) and the bride's food and drinks. For a destination bachelorette party, however, it's reasonable to expect the bride to pay for her own plane ticket and hotel room (at the very least). If the maid of honor is extremely generous, she can cover these costs, but that is totally unnecessary! The guests and bridesmaids are of course expected to cover all their own costs (and ideally chip in for some of the bride's costs).

Do you have time to plan a destination bachelorette party?

Often the maid of honor and bridesmaids forget this little detail! A destination bachelorette party takes a lot more time to plan. It requires both more of the maid of honor's free time as well as more time leading up to the event. Planning a last minute trip of this magnitude often ends in disaster! Plus, the further ahead you invite the guests, the more likely they'll be able to go. Make sure you have plenty of time to do all the party planning.

Where should you go?

Finally, the fun part! If you do decide to plan a destination bachelorette party, where exactly should you go? Las Vegas is the obvious (and certainly super exciting and entertaining!) choice, but there are other fabulous possibilities out there. What about gathering all the girls and heading for the nearest city, whether New York, San Francisco, Chicago or Hartford? Some imaginative maids of honor have planned bachelorette party spa weekends or even skiing, sailing or other adventure trips. There are many fun possibilities out there. Go ahead and get planning!