Planning The Best Bachelor Party for Your Money

The bachelor party is probably the most controversial part of the wedding celebration. It's definitely the part that attracts the most suspicious attention.

There are basically two kinds of bachelor parties, just like there are two different kinds of grooms. There's the party where you and your groomsmen, best man and friends have a hell of a time and enjoy the whole night. There's also the kind of party where everything gets out of control and inhibitions and money fly out the window at equal pace.

You've made the decision and the commitment to get married, so what kind of bachelor party you have is up to you. You've got your best man to plan logistics and your guests to pay for it. There's also some guidelines to figure out - notice we said "guidelines" and not "rules" - before you head out for the last hurrah.

Set the date

The old tradition was that the bachelor party was held on the night before the wedding ceremony. This is still practiced, but only in setup-heavy television sitcoms: "I can't believe you (did some outrageous act)! We're supposed to get married tomorrow!" The smart play lies in setting the party at least a week or so before the event itself. Besides potentially sparing you an epic hangover on your wedding day, it gives you time to take care of last minute details - and beg the bride's forgiveness, if necessary.

Have some class

Yeah, the cliché bachelor party involves a nudie bar, vast rivers of booze, and an "exotic dancer" named "Candy Stripe." Everybody drinks like they drink on Mad Men and get poured into cabs at the end of the evening.

The raunchy night on the town is still an option, though in this day and age a lot of guys are planning something a lot classier and a lot less like freshman rush week. The hip destinations now include camping in the mountains, spending a weekend gambling at a casino, or enjoying cigars and martinis at a swank upscale saloon. Coordinate with your best man, so he can let all your guests know what's up.

Everybody that's not getting married gets to pay

The bachelor party's not a free night on the town for the guests, and it's not a time to mooch off friends. The best man should handle the expenses, dividing up expenses among the guests and receiving contributions to a "slush fund" well in advance of the party. This fund goes to pay for the food and drinks and also any tips the bartenders, waitresses, and shot girls get for their hard work. Incidentally, you're going to work those wait staff quite a bit, so don't get stingy when it's time to show your gratuity.

In the sense of fairness, there should also be a "no free rides" policy among the guests. If someone wants to teetotal, they don't have to contribute to the slush fund. On the other hand, it's only fair that they pay for their own beverages.

Everybody rides together

Parties have momentum, and hanging around outside a club or in the lobby of a hotel kills the swing of things for everybody that's not running late. Arrange to meet at a certain time at the beginning of the evening, and move en masse to your various destinations.

One solution for moving the group is renting a party coach. These don't have to be the big touring buses that rock bands use to travel - it could be something as relatively small as a courtesy shuttle coach. They're available for rental from most limousine companies, and have nightly rates for groups. They're more comfortable than cabs, and everyone's spared the boredom and sporadic confusion of waiting for the taxi caravan to arrive.

Bachelor values

Speaking of saving money, there's no reason you can't shave some bucks off the evening's motley collection of checks and final bills, too. If you're going club-hopping, check out which clubs have the best nightly specials, and if they'll cut your party a bulk rate because of the occasion. Bars make money by selling booze, and if it's a slow night - the middle of the week, say - they'll be more inclined to negotiate. Likewise, a guided excursion into the great outdoors probably offers group discounts.

At the end of the evening, when it's time to split, see if your guests can't share cabs or have the bus drop everyone off at the same hotel. A central place to crash lets the party continue long into the night, and makes sure everyone arrives home relatively safe and sound the next morning. And don't forget to visit My Wedding Favors to pick up some great groomsmen gifts or "hush-hush" gifts as you'll probably call them.