Bachelorette parties are breaking the bank
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If you see a soon-to-be bride and her crew at a bar or restaurant, buy them a drink. Odds are they already spent a ton of money during the weekend.
By the numbers: The cost of a bachelorette party has skyrocketed to $10,800, an increase of 40% from an average of $7,700 in 2021, according to bachelorette party planning app Bach, which lets parties create itineraries, book activities and split expenses among attendees.
- Bach looked at data from more than 100,000 parties for 2023 planned through the app.
- Expenses included flights, accommodations, group experiences and discretionary spending for an average party size of nine people.
What they're saying: "It's not so much a night out anymore, but a weekend getaway with multiple day celebrations," Nicoletta Nadolski, a party coordinator at Rome, Ohio-based Lauren & Co. Events, tells Axios.
- "We're seeing people spending a lot more, whether it's to have friends come to town for a weekend out in Cleveland, traveling for a beach vacation or making a trip to Nashville."
Zoom out: Nashville reigns as the top bachelorette party destination in the United States, according to Bach's data, followed by Scottsdale, Arizona; Las Vegas; Miami, and Austin.
Zoom in: Nadolski says a weekend-long bachelorette party in Cleveland typically costs each attendee between $500 and $1,000.
- The most popular local activities include visiting theme bars like country saloons or arcade bars, boat rides and winery tours.
Meanwhile: Nadolski says bachelor party spending is also up — though, still less than bachelorette parties — thanks to golf trips to states like North Carolina, Florida and Georgia becoming more popular.
Axios Cleveland editor Lindsey's thought bubble: Apparently I got lucky earlier this year when I attended a bachelorette party — er, weekend — in Cincinnati. It cost me only $421, but I live within driving distance, so that could explain my cheap experience.