Americans consider ditching bachelor or bachelorette parties if nearlyweds don’t help pay for soaring costs in tough economic times

New research from Trustpilot airs financial grievances of Americans invited to bachelor or bachelorette parties and highlights the main pain points

June 20, 2023, NEW YORK, USA – More than 1 in 4 (26%) Americans describe bachelor and bachelorette parties as expensive, which rings true with $1,326 being the average cost Americans spent on attending a single bachelor/bachelorette party in the past five years. Leading online review platform Trustpilot reveals that Americans are turning a controversial bachelor/bachelorette culture stigma on its head, with nearly one-third (32%) admitting they would question attending a party if it meant helping pay for the bride and groom’s costs.

The nearlyweds need to pony up 

Data shows that in the next 12 months, $1,166 is the max any American is willing to spend to attend a bachelor/bachelorette party. That’s far less than the average they’ve been spending on each party in the past five years, so should the nearlyweds be helping out?

Americans say yes. 39% feel they should pay for activities they make a priority for guests, followed by contribution to lodging (38%), meals/food (37%), and alcoholic beverages (34%). Americans also felt they should pay for any outfits they require guests to wear (35%), gifts for their party attendees (32%), and flights/travel costs (30%). 70% also agree there is an expectation from the bride or groom to buy a wedding gift on top of what is spent on attending the bachelor/bachelorette party, increasing the overall ‘wedding’ cost per attendee. 

Bachelor(ette) parties are expensive 

65% of those surveyed agree that bachelor/bachelorette parties have become too excessive for the current economic climate we’re living in, and 74% say that in the past two years specifically, they have become too expensive. In fact, nearly 2 in 5 (38%) of Americans have been invited to one they couldn’t afford to go to.

“Historically, bachelor and bachelorette parties were a one-day affair, but today, there is an entire industry built around catering to lengthy parties that often require guests to dish out hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars,” said Dana Bodine, VP of Marketing U.S. at Trustpilot. “In the current economic climate, people have had to make tough choices around their spending, and in many cases, pivot to activities and ways of celebrating that fit everyone’s budget constraints. At Trustpilot, we want everyone to feel empowered to make the financial decisions that are best suited for them. In many cases, that requires having a resource to find trusted businesses that have been used—and approved—by millions of people. The nearlyweds will be happy, and attendees won’t break the bank.”

Even given the high cost, more than half (55%) of Americans don’t think money should be a concern for their bachelor/bachelorette party and feel their friends should want to join them regardless. That is easier said than done. Of those who attended a bachelor/bachelorette party in the past five years, 46% said the gift bags for the party attendees were more expensive than they expected them to be. This was followed by food and dining out (46%), travel and hotel/lodging (43%), entertainment (42%), and required outfits or accessories (39%). 

Cost plays a huge role in whether or not they decide to attend with more than 3 in 10 (31%) saying they would question whether or not to attend if the anticipated costs were not communicated before booking. Some even feel that they wouldn’t trust that the person who invited them would spend the same money for their bach party (27%), and that would play into the decision-making process.

Today’s bachelor/bachelorette woes 

While bachelor or bachelorette parties can be fun, not everyone is a fan. Nearly 3 in 10 (29%) said they dislike that people are required to attend every activity throughout the event, followed by excessive drinking (25%), purchasing required clothing/accessories (24%), feeling guilty for saying no to attending (21%), purchasing gifts for the bride/groom (21%), and excessive décor (20%). 

While 69% of Americans agree that what happens during a bachelor/bachelorette party stays at a bachelor/bachelorette party, 39% of respondents report that when they’ve attended one, something has gone wrong for them or someone attending. Of the folks who shared this, 29% lost a member of the party other than the bride or groom, someone ended up in the hospital (26%), there were unwanted tattoos (23%) and unwanted strippers (22%), there was a police arrest (22%), and even serious injuries such as broken bones (24%). 

-ends-

Notes to Editors:

Methodology

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from OnePoll. Total sample size was 2,000 U.S. adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between June 7–12, 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults age 18+. 

About Trustpilot

Trustpilot was founded in 2007 with a vision to create an independent currency of trust.

A digital platform that brings businesses and consumers together to foster trust and inspire collaboration. We are free to use, open to everybody, and built on transparency.

Trustpilot hosts reviews to help consumers shop with confidence and deliver rich insights to help businesses improve the experience they offer. The more consumers use our platform and share their own opinions, the richer the insights we offer businesses, and the more opportunities they have to earn the trust of consumers, from all around the world.

Over 213 million consumer reviews of businesses and products of over 893,000 domains have been posted on Trustpilot, and those numbers are growing by more than one review per second.  

Trustpilot has over 850 employees and is headquartered in Copenhagen, with operations in New York, Denver, London, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Berlin, Vilnius, Milan, and Amsterdam. 

For more information, please visit trustpilot.com.  

Media Contact: 

Diffusion PR for Trustpilot

trustpilot@diffusionpr.com