Destination bachelorette parties fun, but expensive

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Destination weddings have been popular for decades, and destination bachelorette parties are also starting to be the norm.  Some go out of state, and some go across the border. Expenses can add up, but many say it's worth it. 

Just before her wedding, Stephanie Kaminoff went to Mexico with her girlfriends to celebrate her last days of singlehood.

"We got some awesome tank tops that said 'Stephanie's last sail before the veil.' We got some fun little coozies," said Kaminoff.

This was not your mother's bachelorette party.

"My mom was like, 'What? All of your friends are going to go on a trip? You're going to do what?' I said, 'Yeah mom, we all want to go out, have an adventure,'" Kaminoff recalled. "In the past, you used to just go out with your friends to the bar or restaurant."

Wedding planner Tammy Waterman said bachelorette bashes nowadays are a lot more involved than they were since her bachelorette party more than a decade ago.

"All of our friends got together. We did the male review at a club," said Waterman.

But today, a lot of brides, like Stephanie, are trading Magic Mike for Mexico.

"I would say it's a millennial thing but it's a good millennial thing," said Kaminoff.

But the expenses can add up. Especially if you're a bridesmaid in back-to-back weddings.

"One year I was in five weddings total," said Candace Headrick.

Headrick said she's been a bridesmaid 12 times. That has meant a lot of travel for wedding excursions and budgeting for expenses.

"I flew to Nashville for a bachelorette party. My flight alone was $550," she explained.

Kaminoff, who works at a travel agency, has become so familiar with planning bachelorette trips, her coworkers call her the Bachelorette Specialist. She said more is not only merrier on these vacations, it can also help drive down costs.

"We did eight people in our suite, so that helped the price," she explained.

The priceless memories oftentimes outweigh the expense of these trips, before the bride's trip down the aisle.

"I think it's worth it in the girls' eyes because they're creating that last adventure that they may or may not have time for later in life," said Waterman.

"It's such an honor to take part in someone's special day like that," said Headrick.

"The inside jokes that we have from my bachelorette cruise are things that we'll never forget," added Kaminoff.