10 Pros and Cons of Having a Destination Bachelorette Party

On the fence about having a destination bachelorette party? You should celebrate however you want to—but before making a decision, check out our 10 pros and cons to make sure traveling to celebrate is your best bet (and the best choice for you), as opposed to a local night out with your BFFs. Spoiler alert: They're both great options in their own way.

1. Pro: You'll have the best time drinking, eating and celebrating all weekend with your friends in a fun location.

Isn't this the whole point of a destination bachelorette party? This is the only time in your life when you can justify asking your closest group of friends from all corners of the globe to celebrate with you in the destination of your choosing. (And just to clarify, a destination bachelorette party has the same definition as a destination wedding—any location 200 miles or more from where you currently reside.)

2. Con: It'll cost your friends time and money.

There's no way to sugarcoat it: Destination bachelorette parties can be seriously expensive for your guests. By asking your friends to travel and celebrate with you, that means they'll spend hundreds (and even thousands) on flights, accomodations, attire, drinks, meals, activities, entertainment, party favors and other gifts—and will usually all chip in to pay for you too. In addition, if they have to take vacation days off work (which they already might be doing for your wedding) time and money can really add up. Treat your bridesmaids the way you'd want to be treated and be thoughtful with your choices, trying to save them money wherever possible. Also, if passports are needed and some of your friends are dealing with close to expired passports, don't have them, or have green card issues, this could mean they may not be able to go—or will need to spend more money to renew theirs or apply for one quickly.

3. Pro: You're excited to travel to that awesome city you've always wanted to go to.

There's a reason why places like Nashville, Austin, Savannah, Las Vegas, Miami, and others have reputations for being perfect for bachelorette parties. The laid-back vibes during the day, party atmosphere at night, plus renowned food, beverages, entertainment and scenery make up the perfect bash to send you into married life.

4. Con: There could be a ton of other bachelorette parties where you're headed.

If you don't want to compete for attention with your custom T-shirts, free shots and other spontaneous perks, you may be out of luck if you're headed to the aforementioned locations. While these cities are used to entertaining bachelorette groups, it can be a bummer to walk into a bar and see 10 other bachelorette parties getting drinks too.

5. Pro: The location can perfectly align with your hobbies or goals to make a theme.

If you're looking to get tan, going to the Hamptons and lying on the beach all weekend sounds glorious. If you're a ski nut, going to Colorado to spend a few days on the slopes is just the ticket. Love to sail? Nobody's going to be disappointed boating in Maine. If there's anything that makes your bachelorette party more fun, it's tailoring your personal interests to the location so a theme can naturally emerge. (Plus, it's easier for your friends to figure out what to put on your shirts, koozies and totes that way.)

6. Con: If your location is activity specific, there's a chance the weather could ruin your plans.

If your goal is just to hang out and eat and drink all weekend, no problem. But if your trip is centered around skiing, hiking, boating, beaching or other outdoor activities, do your research on the best times of the year to visit your destination and do your activity. You definitely don't want to be in Southern Florida trying to go to the beach during hurricane season, or in Vermont when it's not peak snow conditions. You may find that the best time of year to experience a certain activity at your desired location is also the most expensive or crowded, so you may need to make slight adjustments if you're on a budget.

7. Pro: You get to spend a long weekend with your absolute favorite people.

Did you ever think you'd have the chance to hang out with your favorite cousin and your college roommate who you never get to see—at the same time? This celebration isn't just about celebrating your future marriage—it's also about spending time and making memories with all of your closest friends. You know how hard putting together your wedding guest list was, especially if your future in-laws drove you crazy about it. Well, this trip's guest list solely rests in your hands, so if you want to invite your 20 closest friends to Vegas for the weekend, nobody's going to object. Isn't that a good feeling?

8. Con: Your friend group may not mesh.

If everyone on your bachelorette party guest list already knows and loves each other, fabulous! If you're inviting friends from all different stages of your life (we're talking childhood, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, graduate school, old work friends, current work friends, other social circle friends, plus family members) you may find yourself with a large hodgepodge of a guest list, which is totally fine. What you do have to know is they may not all mesh well. We're not saying your quiet, shy BFF from elementary school and your loud, opinionated friend from grad school will get into an argument or refuse to talk to each other all weekend. We're just saying they may barely talk at all due to a lack of shared interests or not having the same personality, or won't want to share a room, which is normal. This is where you may have to step in and strategically come up with who's sleeping in the same room ahead of time so everyone's comfortable. On the other hand, you may be shocked that your older, mature stepsister develops a close bond with your 22-year-old coworker. If your guest list is full of people who don't know each other, it can be a total grab bag—especially if you'll all be in close quarters for more than one day.

9. Pro: The thought of a destination bachelorette party is the perfect antidote to wedding stress.

If flower costs, matching linens and welcome bag options are stressing you out, thinking about how much fun your bachelorette party will be should calm you down and make you excited. When you're with all of your best friends with margaritas in hand and they're assuring you everything will be perfect, you'll realize you don't know how you could get to the altar without their support and the fun of the weekend.

10. Con: If you're type A and planning anything more than the wedding stresses you out, a destination bachelorette party may stress you out even more.

If your idea of the perfect bachelorette weekend involves you planning the whole thing (which plenty of brides insist on doing), yet the thought of coordinating a three-day weekend in Nashville for 10 people gives you nightmares, you could be on wedding planning overload. Type A brides want to oversee every small wedding planning detail for every event, but even that can take a toll on those who typically love to plan and host parties. If you don't trust anyone to plan your dream weekend but you, don't stress yourself out even more—it's perfectly okay to suggest a dinner and night out instead.