If you had $2000 to spend on a vacation, where would you go and what would you do? 

Most people would never dream of spending that kind of money on someone else’s dream vacation, yet when this young woman refused to pay thousands for her close friend’s destination bachelorette party, everyone scoffed at her. Heckled by the other girls, she was pressured to put money on a credit card, but she stood her ground and refused to pay for a vacation she could not afford. 

In my humble opinion, the bachelorette party scene has gotten out of control. 

Truthfully, every friend wants to celebrate their homie’s eminent wedding, but there’s a difference between celebrating a lovely, fruitful, rewarding marriage and dropping thousands of dollars on a selfish, chauvinistic «Me Party.» Unless a bride is willing to front the costs of a big trip like that, they shouldn’t expect or demand participants. Not everyone can afford to go into debt over raunchy little drinks, sparklers, and matching, pink, «I’m with the bride» t-shirts.  

And it’s not even particularly friendly to pressure your friends to do that anyway. If all of your buddies live in the same city, why are you celebrating a bachelorette party somewhere else? Why force everyone to feel obligated to participate in a vacation they don’t necessarily want and might not even be able to fit on their calendar? Friends are taking out PTO days, buying flights, and spending money on accommodations, all for a regular ol’ girls’ weekend. Do brides realize you can do that at home? 

Opting for a mature response to her friend’s bachelorette party announcement, this young, frugal woman refused up front. She offered to participate in other, more affordable ways, but she let them know months in advance that she couldn’t spend that kind of money on a bach weekend. Offended and petty, this mature response was met with contempt and put the modern bachelorette expectations in question. How much should brides really expect from their friends? 

There is a line that has been crossed in recent years where every bride wants the Tumblr wedding experience, but they’re living in a fantasyland if they believe that every one of their friends should have to bankroll that vision board.