01
Bachelorette party planners: the short answer
How planners charge, from published price guides.
- Hourly
- $100 to $135For a consultation or help with one part of the planning
- Flat package fee
- About $1,630National average, typically $829 to $3,200 depending on the services
- Percentage
- 10 to 20%Of the total party budget, for full service planning
- Worth it
- Big groupsOr a new destination, or an organizer with no time
02
Package, planner or concierge: the difference
Three kinds of bachelorette party planning services, and what each one does.
A party package
A set bundle from a venue or local company, such as a hotel stay with a club table, a boat party with drinks, or a spa day. You book it yourself and it covers one part of the trip.
A bachelorette party planner
A person or company that plans the weekend with you: the itinerary, bookings, reservations and sometimes decorations, for an hourly rate, a flat fee or a percentage of the budget.
A concierge service
Full service coordination in one destination, often with transportation, VIP entry, private chefs and someone on call during the trip. Some quote per person for the whole weekend including the trip itself.
Doing it yourself
The maid of honor and bridesmaids book everything directly. It costs nothing extra, and it takes the most time.
03
What a bachelorette party planner or package includes
Services vary, so ask for a written list before you book.
Itinerary
A day by day plan for the weekend, built around the bride's interests.
Bookings and reservations
Dinner reservations, a private chef, activities such as a boat, a spa or a class, and nightlife.
Transportation
A party bus, a driver for a winery day, or airport transfers.
Decorations
Setting up the Airbnb or hotel suite with balloons, a banner and custom touches before the group arrives.
Coordination on the trip
Someone to call if a booking goes wrong, and help keeping the group on schedule.
Extras
Custom favors, matching gifts, a photographer, or a welcome bag for each guest.
04
What a bachelorette party planner's flat fee works out to per person
The $1,630 national average flat package fee, divided by the number of guests. Real quotes vary with the city and the services.
$181
Nine guests
The flat fee split across nine, on top of each person's share of the trip.
$136
Twelve guests
The same fee across twelve.
$102
Sixteen guests
The same fee across sixteen, when the logistics are a bigger job.
$82
Twenty guests
The same fee across twenty.
$100+
Or pay by the hour
About $100 to $135 an hour for a consultation or help with one part, such as the itinerary.
Ask any planner for the total fee and what it includes, then divide it by your group size before you compare it with doing the planning yourselves.
05
Should you hire a planner, book a package, or plan it yourself?
Group size, the destination and the organizer's time decide it.
Hire a planner
For a large group, a destination nobody knows, a weekend with many vendors, or an organizer who does not have the time.
Book a package
When one part of the trip is the hard part, such as nightlife or a boat, and the rest is simple.
Pay for a consultation
When you want local advice on a new city but can handle the bookings yourselves.
Plan it yourself
For a small group, a destination someone already knows, or a tight budget.
06
How to book a bachelorette party planner without getting burned
Questions to ask before you pay a deposit.
Get the fee in writing
Hourly, flat or a percentage, and exactly what it includes.
Ask about extra guests and dropouts
What happens to the price if the group grows or shrinks.
Check the cancellation policy
For the planner fee and for every booking made on your behalf.
Ask who pays the vendors
Whether payments go through the planner or directly to each vendor, and ask for receipts.
Read recent reviews
From groups who used the same service in the same city.
Ask about local experience
How many bachelorette weekends they have planned in your destination, and for an example itinerary.
07
Hiring a bachelorette party planner
Destinations, bachelor parties, timing and splitting the fee.
A bachelorette party planner takes the planning off the maid of honor: the itinerary, bookings, transportation and decorations. Whether that is worth the fee depends on the size of the group, how well you know the destination, and how much time the organizer has.
Planners and packages by destination
Party destinations such as Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Scottsdale and New Orleans have local planning services and packages for club tables, pool parties, boats and party buses. In a city where nightlife access is the hard part, local contacts can be worth paying for. In a smaller or quieter destination, a group can often book directly.
Bachelor and bachelorette party planners
Many services plan bachelor parties too, and some handle a combined bach weekend. A wedding planner may not plan the bachelorette party, so ask whether it is included or charged as a separate event.
When to book and how to split the fee
Contact planners early, once the date and destination are set; see how far in advance to plan. The planner fee is a shared cost, split with the rest of the budget; see who pays for the bachelorette party.
Planning apps
If you are planning it yourselves, bachelorette party planning apps can help collect money, track RSVPs and share an itinerary.
Divide the fee by the group. Then decide.
The planner ruleHiring help
08
Bachelorette party planners, answered
The questions groups ask before hiring help.
How much does a bachelorette party planner cost?
About $100 to $135 an hour, a flat package fee averaging about $1,630, or 10 to 20 percent of the total budget, according to published price guides.
Quotes vary by city and services.
What does a bachelorette party planner do?
Builds the itinerary, makes bookings and reservations, arranges transportation and decorations, and helps coordinate the trip.
Ask for the list in writing.
Is a bachelorette party planner worth it?
For a large group, an unfamiliar destination, or an organizer without time, often yes. For a small group somewhere familiar, planning it yourselves can be enough.
Divide the fee by the number of guests first.
What is included in a bachelorette party package?
It depends on the package: often a hotel or rental, a club table, a boat or a spa day, and sometimes transportation and decorations.
Check what is not included.
Who pays for the bachelorette party planner?
The group, as part of the shared budget.
The bride's share is often covered.
Do you tip a bachelorette party planner?
Tipping is optional. A thank you note or a tip for great service is a kind gesture.
Ask whether gratuity is already included.
Can I hire a planner for just part of the weekend?
Yes. Many planners offer an hourly consultation or help with one part, such as the itinerary or nightlife.
It costs less than full service.
How far in advance should we book a planner?
As early as possible once the date and destination are set, especially for holiday weekends.
Allow extra time for holiday weekends.
09
What to read next
The free version of what a planner delivers, the money it sits inside, and the cities where local knowledge is worth the most.
10
Where these party planner prices come from
The fees are from two published price guides. The per person figures are simple division.
The fees
The hourly rate of about $100 to $135, the flat package fee averaging about $1,630 with a typical range of $829 to $3,200, and the 10 to 20 percent of budget model are from YourBachParty's guide to bachelor and bachelorette party packages and planning services.
The wider range of $500 to $4,000 or more for a party planner, and hourly rates of $50 to $250, are from Fash's party planner cost guide, which covers party planners in general rather than bachelorette planners.
What is ours
The per person table divides the flat fee by the group size. The advice on when a planner is worth it is Revelwick's editorial judgment. We have not hired or negotiated with any planner.
What we do not do
We do not name or rank planning companies, and nothing on this page is sponsored.