Bachelor Vs. Bachelorette Parties: Who Really Has More Fun?
It's exciting when a close friend gets engaged because they're finally ready to tie the knot with the love of their life. While they get busy planning the wedding, it's the responsibility of the best man and maid of honor to organize a bachelor or bachelorette party to enjoy their last days of singlehood.
The history of these parties dates back to the 5th century B.C. in Greece when the Spartans celebrated the future groom's last night of freedom, notes Redbook, and in those parties, they would have a huge feast where the groom would promise his loyalty to his mates (no mention of the bride here). The term bachelor didn't come from back then but was made popular due to George Chaucer's book "The Canterbury Tales," where it was used to describe an unmarried man. Bachelorette parties, on the other, had more to do with women's equality regarding the sexual revolution and workforce and wasn't coined till 1981.
The first mention of a bachelor party was in 1922, so way earlier than bachelorette parties, and Thomas Thurnell-Read, a sociologist at Loughborough University, told LiveScience, "you've got a young person going from one status to another," and it gives people a reason — and an excuse — to celebrate. Now it's a time for the bride and groom's closest friends and families to honor those individuals starting a new chapter. They're stereotypically different and usually involve different activities, but which one is more fun?
Bachelor parties cost more
The cost of celebrating the new groom and bride-to-be isn't cheap. A Savings.com survey of 500 bachelor and bachelorette parties revealed that people are spending about $1500 on the party, with the bachelor party guys spending 70% more than bachelorette party girls because they engage in more expensive activities like golf or sports games, which are costly. Another factor making bachelor parties more expensive is that they generally have fewer attendees, so the individual cost is more. Both parties spend the most on airfare as it's easily a couple of hundred dollars, and the flight prices have increased by 33% since 2021 (via Brides). While most of these parties are associated with a copious amount of alcohol and debauchery, some prefer to keep it chill and relaxed.
A 2019 WeddingWire bachelor and bachelorette study showed that the longer the event, the higher the cost, and bachelor parties still cost more, including travel, activities, lodging, and food. One day cost for a bachelor party is $813 versus $317 for a bachelorette party. Half the attendees at a bachelorette party spend on new outfits versus just 19% on bachelor parties. The top destination for both is Las Vegas, but does spending more mean more fun? Well, that depends if what you're spending is within your budget.
Bachelorettes party harder
Movies like "The Hangover" and "Bridesmaids" indicate how much fun you can have at those parties — even if they might have exaggerated a bit. Bachelor parties include the groom's best friends and family members, while bachelorette parties mainly consist of the bride's closest friends, per Tea Unboxed. Fun is subjective, meaning some bachelor parties stay tame with poker nights, fishing, or golf with some guy bonding time, while others may choose to get raunchy with strippers.
Many bachelorette parties go harder though, notes The American Guide, and include lots of drinking and dancing with running around bars, which may or may not involve strippers — or perhaps that's how Hollywood shows bachelorette parties. Usually, lots of shots and games are involved, and you'll probably notice bachelorette parties more than bachelor parties, as they can get loud.
In the end, when it comes to finding out who has more fun — well, it depends. You'll have more fun if the activities involve doing things you enjoy. If you prefer a relaxing weekend but have to run around bar hopping or vice versa, you might not have the best time, but it's all for the bride and the groom and what they want to do. You can only hope the best man and maid of honor organize it with events that the groom and bride enjoy the most.