Who should you invite to your Bachelor Party?

While it's usually the best man's responsibility to organize and plan the bachelor party, you, as the groom, obviously will have some preferences. One of the most important, of course, is who you want to invite to the party. Still, the question of the guest list can be challenging: who should you invite, and who shouldn’t you invite? 

At Stag Pack, we provide tips, tricks, and helpful information to Grooms, Groomsmen, and guys on all things wedding-related. Your wedding shouldn’t be overwhelming, so let us make it as painless as possible by guiding you through picking your guest list!

Ask Yourself: What type of Bachelor Party are you having?

The style and vibes of the bachelor party are going to determine your guest list heavily. The size and location of the venue are also limiting factors. The only people that 100% will make it on your guest list are your best man and all of your groomsmen, who you should have selected well before you plan your party.

Read more on how to pick groomsmen for your wedding

Other guests are less concrete, and you should consider what activities you will be doing, where you will be doing them, and the dynamic of the group when deciding who specifically to invite.

THE VIP’S of your Guest List

We already discussed that your groomsmen are basically an automatic must, but other people you will almost certainly want to invite will be

• Siblings and cousins that you are close to

• Your close friends

• The guys who matter most to you

• Your future brother-in-law(s)

The guest list above is the traditional core of the bachelor party; generally, it's men, roughly around the groom's age, who are usually willing to participate in most bachelor party experiences. Below are additional guests whom you may want to invite to your bachelor party, but these are all situational, depending on your venue and the activities of the bachelor party

• Your father and even your soon-to-be father-in-law

• Uncles, cousins, and other family members

• Old friends who used to be important in your life (bachelor parties are always a great way to rekindle a friendship)

• Your fiancés friends who aren’t already attending her bachelorette party 

• Roomates

• Co-workers

Now you could invite a lot more people to your party than this or many fewer, but there are some factors to consider when determining the total size of your bachelor party.

Local Party, or Destination Event

Many bachelor parties are hosted at a single venue, in which case it can be easy to have large groups of guests. Other bachelor parties are hosted at a single destination or more. If your bachelor party involves going to 3 bars, 3 clubs, and a casino, it will be a challenge to travel with a large group of guys. So if you are going to a destination rather than a venue, it's usually best to keep the party smaller.

Are you having a Stag Party or a Bachelor Party?

Now your bachelor party could be a fundraising Stag Party where you are raffling off Prizes to raise money for the wedding. If that's the case, forget about the guest list; you should take the opportunity to invite as many guys as you are comfortable with. More guys at the party means more fundraising for your wedding. Don’t know what we are talking about? Check out the blog below. 

Read more on the differences between a Stag Party and a Bachelor Party

Can you invite women to your bachelor party?

Yes, of course you can! Just as your fiancé could invite men to her bachelorette party. Still, consider your group activities and fiancés oppinion before you are too hasty and invite every woman close to you; you probably don’t want to invite your sister to your bachelor party if you are bringing strippers. 

The choice is ultimately up to you, consider your group dynamic, and absolutely ask your fiancés opinion. Often, all the women that the groom is close to will go to the bachelorette party, and all the men that the bride is close to will go to the bachelor party, but it doesn't need to be that way.

Do I have to invite everyone who is attending my Bachelor Party to my Wedding?

Many believe that you do have to invite everyone who enjoys the festivities of your bachelor party to your actual wedding, but this is simply not the case, especially if you are having a larger bachelor party, such as a Stag Party. No one is going to be devastated that they were invited to the bachelor party and not the wedding. The drinking and the partying are usually more than enough to keep anyone from getting particularly upset about the invitation situation, and it's your wedding; at a certain point, you can do what you want.

Who should you not invite to your Bachelor Party?

There are a few people you do not want to invite to your bachelor party; obviously, people you don’t like shouldn’t come. Also, don’t feel obligated to bring someone just because they are on this list. The last thing you want is an argument or fight breaking out before your wedding. 

Also its no secret that there will almost certainly be a lot of drinking going on at your bachelor party, so inviting someone who is under 21 should pretty much be off the table.

Either way, the final guest list should be up to you. Once again, the only people you should 100% invite are your groomsmen, who, of course, you get to pick. And when you are asking an important guy in your life to be your groomsmen, it is customary to get them a high-quality groomsmen gift! 

At Stag Pack, we have so many different options of customizable gifts for your groomsmen to make wedding planning as easy as possible for you. Spend a few minutes browsing our Groomsmen Gifts, and a few minutes customizing your gifts, then you can either ship them directly to your groomsmen or all to you to hand out personally. Either way comes with free shipping, so don’t worry about inviting your groomsmen who live out of state!