Buzz
For nearly as long as men have been tying the knot, bachelor parties have existed. Hill Street Studios/Getty ImagesWith just a few lines, "The Hangover" masterfully depicted a pre-wedding celebration spiraling into chaos. For those unfamiliar with the 2009 hit, Bradley Cooper's character informs his friend's fiancée that her future husband is missing. His last known location? A Las Vegas bachelor party that resulted in a lost tooth, a tiger, and an unexpected baby. It’s a classic example of a pre-wedding disaster.
"The Hangover" became a massive success, earning over $277 million globally and spawning two follow-up films. While Zach Galifianakis's comedic genius played a significant role, audiences also resonated with the film's outrageous portrayal of a bachelor party gone awry. The movie took a familiar cultural ritual and exaggerated its potential for disaster, striking a chord with viewers.
How did the bachelor party tradition become so deeply rooted in cultures worldwide, and why do we find it so amusing to watch three men on screen desperately trying to fix the chaos their celebration unleashed?
A Time-honored Tradition
To begin with, what exactly is a bachelor party (or stag/buck party), and why do men reportedly shell out an average of $1,532 per event? "A true bachelor party is a rite of passage, focusing more on camaraderie and bonding with close friends and family than on machismo," explains Chris Easter, co-founder of The Man Registry, a platform offering wedding advice, tips, and gifts for grooms. "It's a key part of the wedding festivities, celebrating the groom's transition into a new life stage. While these friendships endure after the wedding, such gatherings become rarer as we age."
Though modern bachelor parties are often linked to wild behavior (one survey revealed that roughly 18 percent of men considered flirting, lap dances, and similar activities acceptable), the tradition originally began as a celebratory dinner.
"The tradition of bachelor parties dates back to the 5th century, when Spartans hosted dinners and toasts to celebrate the groom," Easter explains. "The modern version, featuring bar crawls, Vegas trips, and general mischief, gained popularity in the '60s and '70s."
However, bachelor parties were already notorious for excess long before the 20th century. As reported by TIME, circus legend P.T. Barnum's grandson, Herbert Barnum Seeley, threw a bachelor party in 1896 for his brother that "ended in a police raid following rumors of a nude performance by a famous belly dancer." Similarly, actor Jimmy Stewart's 1949 bachelor party famously featured two little people emerging from a serving dish, clad only in diapers.
While bachelor parties have long been seen as a wild farewell to single life, experts note a shift toward moderation. "Over the past decade, these events have become more low-key, with less emphasis on heavy drinking," Easter observes. "This change reflects couples marrying later in life, after their wilder days are over."
An Expert's Bachelor Party Checklist
Though there's no one-size-fits-all recipe for a perfect bachelor party, Easter highlights a few essential ingredients he believes guarantee a memorable event:
- Rules: "The organizer(s) should clearly understand the groom's boundaries beforehand," he advises. "This is his celebration, so avoid pressuring him into activities like downing 20 shots at a club if he prefers a relaxed dinner or a casual round of golf."
- A reasonable budget: "Guests may have varying financial capabilities," Easter notes. "Keep this in mind when planning the event. It's crucial to avoid putting a close friend in a financially stressful situation."
- Sufficient time before the wedding: "Contrary to movie portrayals, hosting the bachelor party just a night or two before the wedding is a terrible idea," he states. "I doubt this needs further explanation."
In a 2014 interview, "professional global adventurer" Lee Abbamonte shared with The Cut's Arianna Davis that he has organized bachelor parties costing $10,000 per person. One extravagant Vegas event he planned featured a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, racing Ferraris at 180 mph, machine gun shooting in the Mojave Desert, and BASE jumping from the Stratosphere Hotel.
