Seven years ago, Allison Odhner was planning bachelorette parties for $300 to $500 a person.

Now, the most elaborate long weekends are "well over" $3,000 apiece — not including airfare and the group's $1,000 to $5,000 fee for her services, said Odhner, CEO and founder of Bach to Basic, a party-planning company based in Montgomery County.

Chartered yachts in Aruba. Catered picnics on the beach in Miami. ATV adventures and Jeep tours in Scottsdale. Snowmobile tours in Aspen. Pool parties at Airbnbs, complete with a DJ and bartenders.

For some brides and grooms, these are the must-haves for bachelor and bachelorette parties that span the continent, everywhere from Cabo San Lucas to Hawaii to the Bahamas. It's a far cry from the wedding-eve night at the local bar — a tradition that was common in past decades — and it's costing guests thousands.

Since 2016, Odhner said she has watched a "slow climb" in the demand for luxury experiences, with neither the pandemic nor inflation decreasing the appetite for lavish pre-wedding celebrations among her clients, most of whom are in their late 20s and early 30s.

"The clients that we're working with definitely value ... over-the-top experiences," such as yacht rentals and meals with a private chef, said Odhner, whose company has planned about 600 parties — mostly bachelorettes, but also a few bachelor parties — in more than 80 destinations.

The median cost to attend a bachelor, bachelorette, or similar pre-wedding party in 2022 was $1,500 per person, up 7% from 2021, according to a June Savings.com poll of 500 party attendees. (Interestingly, bachelor party attendees spent 70% more on average than bachelorette party attendees, according to the study. Odhner said she has found bachelor parties to be looser with their budgets, but the planning process can also be less rigid.)

The typical party guest is asked to shell out for flights, a share of a vacation rental, upscale dinners and drinks, lavish excursions, themed outfits, and decor. Often, the bride or groom's costs are also split among the attendees.

And with 2022 having been a record year for weddings, due in part to COVID postponements, some people paid thousands of dollars to attend multiple bachelor or bachelorette parties over the course of the year.

Rachael White, 29, has attended four bachelorette parties, including a recent trip that cost her about $1,300. She says she had fun — but worries about how she'll cover future costs of parties as her own expenses grow.

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