3 Top Bachelor Party Ideas for Every Budget

e first bachelor parties ever recorded were held in ancient Greece in the 5th century. These gatherings were held by people that would later be recognized for their fortitude and loyalty: the Spartans.

They would prepare a lavish dinner for their betrothed brother-in-arms the night before he was to wed and pay tribute to the groom through feast and drink. Though Sparta would eventually fall, the tradition of the bachelor party spread far and wide as other cultures adopted and revised it.

These days, a common tradition for most bachelor parties is for the groom’s best man to be largely responsible for the planning of it. Planning a bachelor party can be a daunting ordeal. For those tasked with organizing a buddy’s last night on earth as a single man, here are a few suggestions, ranging from inexpensive to extravagant, for giving the groom a memorable bachelor party.

1. Go Camping

For a bachelor party on a budget, camping with friends will likely give you the most bang for your buck. Plus, gifting the groom with time away from wedding preparations like cake sampling, dry cleaning, invitation writing and suit fitting will also help him recharge.

Another great thing about a camping bachelor party is that the planning and preparations can be distributed to all guests, and best of all, each camper is responsible for bringing his own accommodations. Also, it’s likely several guests will already own camping equipment, and any necessities not accounted for could be rented instead of having to purchase it.

The only real expense would be food and beverages — lots of beverages. Out in the open air, with the people who are truly happy for the man of the hour, cooking over an open campfire, reminiscing about old times, anticipating those times to come and drinking beer is sure to provide a great time and plenty of memories. This relaxing and inexpensive bachelor party is sure to provide an authentic and truly rewarding experience.

2. Plan for a Game Night

Depending on the kind of games your male wedding crew is into, this option could come in at a low to medium cost and offers loads of creative potential. Consider turning a children’s game into a grown-up version just for the amusement of it.

A bachelor party scavenger hunt could follow, along a staged pub crawl, and involve obtaining items of a more mature content. To make this option even easier, there are apps available to create mobile scavenger hunts. Simply make your to-find lists and the app will track each group’s process.

If a scavenger hunt just isn’t your groom’s cup of whiskey, going old school with games has potential. Bowling, paintball and laser tag could all have potential.

3. Take a Cruise

Instead of trying to cram all the groom’s friends, cousins, acquaintances and co-workers into a single room for the night, consider the space, freedom and adventure that an Alaskan cruise would provide.

Though cruises may seem exceedingly expensive, planning in advance, researching Alaska cruise vacations and seeking out group discounts can yield reasonably priced trip opportunities. You can find great cruise options like the Voyage of the Glaciers cruise, nights touring Alaska by land, plus visits to Denali and Glacier Bay national parks on every itinerary, exclusive Princess Alaska rail service, and Princess Wilderness Lodges.

Sure, an evening in a hotel room with tequila shooters and exotic dancers might have been all the rage in the past, but the modern groom-to-be deserves something more sophisticated. After all, the modern man is an evolved species (no offense intended to the Spartans).

The best man and groomsmen would do best to remember that the point of a bachelor party is to honor the groom-to-be. Just be there and help him reflect on where he has been and to celebrate the new chapter in life that is about to begin. Then, no matter if the group is camping in the woods, playing games, or enjoying a cruise, the stag night will be a stupendous success.