Why More Brides Are Opting for Solo Bachelorette Trips

Aja Dang-Puspos arrived to champagne and strawberries at her bachelorette celebration in July 2022 at the Civana Wellness Resort and Spa in Carefree, Ariz. Her meticulously planned itinerary for the week included spa treatments, healing work featuring a sound bath and reiki, and plenty of resort activities, such as water aerobics and pickleball.

Ms. Dang-Puspos, 36, a small-business owner and YouTube content creator based in Los Angeles, was excited about having a week of rest, self-care and indulgence. She had everything she wanted for her bachelorette, but it was missing one common element: guests. It was a solo bachelorette party.

“It was the most stress-free process,” Ms. Dang-Puspos said. “I didn’t want anyone to ask me questions about what to do, where to eat, where to go. I just wanted to be pampered.”

Ms. Dang-Puspos’s party is a departure from the stereotypical, more popular type of bachelorette celebrations — where groups of women wear matching T-shirts and go bar hopping through a city such as Nashville, for instance, or rent houses filled with party décor and animal-shaped pool floats in Scottsdale, Ariz. Nearly 80 percent of couples reported having a bachelorette party in 2022, according to The Knot, and the average number of attendees was 10 people; only 11 percent of people hosted a party with one to five guests.

“Bach parties are a time-honored tradition, but just like weddings, these have become hugely personalized,” Lauren Kay, the executive editor of The Knot, said. “Can you get married without one or by taking a solo trip? Absolutely.”

Wrangling nearly a dozen guests for a party isn’t enticing for every bride — and not all attendees want to spend $1,500 to $2,000, or more, to attend a bachelorette party. Instead of turning it up, some women prefer dialing it down, swapping shots of Fireball with those of wheatgrass juice. Solo bachelorettes offer the opportunity to unwind from the stress of planning a wedding and everyday life.

For Ms. Dang-Puspos, there was also a benefit of self-improvement. The alone time allowed her to reflect on her sense of self and how her identity would change after the wedding, she said.

Monica Daniels, 26, also found her solo bachelorette getaway to be healing. Ms. Daniels, a financial advisory consultant in Dallas, opted for a trip the week of her wedding in December 2022. She spent two days at the Phoenician, a resort in Scottsdale, where she was “catered to for every whim.” She…