You’ve been besties for always, so you’ve always known you’d be maid of honor and that you’d stand with her at her wedding. You’re more than happy to take up the mantle of responsibility, but maybe hosting a party has you a little anxious? If money’s a little tight, that would give anyone anxiety. Fortunately, there are ways you can throw a great bachelorette bash without going broke — Cheers MT shares some tips below.
Coordinate with Guests
First, if you’re worried about spending money you don’t have, you’re probably not the only one. We live at a time with destination weddings, destination bachelorette weekends, and couples deciding whether to spend their savings on the wedding or the downpayment for a house.
Clever Cost-Cutters for Your Party
When it comes to money-saving tricks, there are lots of ways you can keep your party costs down, like keeping decorations to a minimum and pooling small contributions if you want to buy a gift. Think through things like skipping the alcohol or going with a BYO arrangement, or having a pitch-in for the food. If having guests bring food is too much, you can look for an under-the-radar caterer; lots of people do this as a sideline but have the skills and sensibilities to provide you with a stellar, memorable menu.
Host a Dinner Party
Meeting for dinner at your house is a good way to get everyone together in a comfortable atmosphere. If guests feel they want a more memorable experience and they want to go out, they can go out afterward. If you don’t have the chef skills, enlist a friend who does. Take them to the grocery store and get them to help you. Because you’re doing it for your mutual friend, they’ll be glad to help, and probably flattered that you recognize their culinary expertise.
You’re providing an intimate, subdued space to get together as an alternative to the bar scene. If your bride-to-be isn’t really into loud, crowded places, you’ll save money and tailor it to her tastes all at once. If people do want to go out, they’ll be glad everyone got together at your house first.
You may be anxious about hosting in your home. If this is the case, give yourself the time you’ll need for deep cleaning, or budget a cleaning service to give yourself a little relief. Since folks will be arriving before nightfall, you’ll want to spruce up the curb appeal as well. We remember to get the grass cut, but when was the last time the windows were washed? For a professional cleaning look for a residential window cleaner in your area. Your house will shine when everyone shows up, and the lighting inside will be brighter and more inviting.
Have a Sleepover
If there’s going to be drinking, this might be the easiest, safest way to get together. If you’ve known each other long enough, you probably did this in high school anyway, and it will be familiar and fun. A sleepover allows you to cut costs by sticking to the sleepover theme. Instead of fancy appetizers, order pizza.
This is your opportunity to relive all the sleepover classics. Stay up all night celebrating the bride-to-be with some serious nostalgia. In the morning, you can finish the party perfectly with a low-key brunch featuring pastries and yummy homemade mimosas.
Be Selective with Favors
Bachelorette parties often feature tons of little trinkets that are usually thrown away the next day. It’s fun, but mostly when under the influence. So, it’s no biggie to go easy on the favors. The easiest way to handle what to buy and what not to buy is to talk to the bride-to-be. Don’t give away everything you’ve planned, but get a sense of anything she’s sure she wants, and make those things a priority while the rest, whatever else comes together, is icing on the cake.
If you really want a little something special to unify the group, consider a low-cost favor you can hand out to everyone. By staying budget-focused, you can host a party that’s the perfect way to send off a single life for your friend, while keeping the guest’s (and your own) wallet from taking too much damage.
If you’re searching for the perfect venue for your wedding, be sure to start searching for ones throughout Montana by using Cheers MT!
Written by: Emily Graham