u/Academic_Essay_5906

My friend (the bride) has two MOH’s. I know them both personally. The bachelorette trip is scheduled for 8 months from now in St. Maarten. I know St. Maarten is a premium destination and I never expected it to be a budget trip, but what happened next is pure insanity.

3 Months Ago: The bride mentioned to me that the MOHs got a quote for the trip that was around $2,700 per person. She asked how I felt about it and I was honest with her. I told the bride directly that $2,700 was a massive amount of money. The bride agreed with me and said she would see if the planners could bring the cost down.

The Last 3 Months: Total radio silence. No group chats were made. No updates were given. Crucially, neither of the MOHs ever asked the bridesmaids what our budgets were. They just planned in a complete silo.

Last week: Realizing the trip is 8 months out and we’ve heard nothing, I texted one of the MOHs for a casual update. She told me they were "done planning" and would be sending out the itinerary and costs shortly.

Today: They drop the bomb in the group chat. They didn't actually plan anything themselves—they outsourced the entire trip to a luxury travel agency ("Luxe Tribes") and passed the inflated bill directly to us.
The text read: "Hi ladies! ... The link attached includes a brief itinerary... We have been working with Luxe Tribes to make it all happen. The link includes a payment portal where you pay your deposit and set your payment plan. The deposit is $150 and must be made by August 21st (ONE WEEK FROM TODAY) to secure the villa. The remaining balance is split into 6 installments..."
The total cost? $2,800.
Not only did they completely ignore my budget warning from three months ago, but the price actually went UP. They kept us entirely in the dark, locked in a luxury package, and are now demanding a deposit on a single week's notice. $2,800 doesn't even include flights, drinks, or tips—this is easily a $4,000 trip when all is said and done.
I feel like they deliberately gatekept the information because they knew it was too expensive and didn't want anyone "ruining" their luxury aesthetic vision before it was locked in. It feels incredibly manipulative to present a done deal and try to corner us into financing a bachelorette party.
IAm I completely justified in being pissed off, or is this just how people plan bachelorettes now?

Edit 1 08/15/26:
I appreciate all of the replies. I didn’t expect this post to gain so much traction. I’ll answer a few questions and address some things I saw.

1.) This isn’t fake/AI, this is real life.

2.) I’m aware I don’t have to go. However, this is a bridesmaids sub and that’s what it’s for. To vent and ask questions. I’m allowed to express myself.

3.) I honestly don’t know if the bride’s portion is included in the $2800. I assume, but I’m NOT 100% sure. Last night was the first time they communicated with us about the trip.

4.) $2,800 includes:
4 nights' stay at a villa in St. Maarten

2x breakfast with a private chef at the villa

Private dinner at the villa (3-course meal), drinks not included

Private Boat trip to St. Barths with snacks and drinks

60 mins In-house massage at your villa

Round-trip transfers from and to the airport

Ground transportation for all scheduled activities

NOT including flight, gratuities, travel insurance, drinks.

5.) Since last night, I’ve been debating on whether I should go or not and I have decided to drop out. I have to admit that I feel guilty since I agreed to the bach trip. I even wonder if I’m overreacting. None of the bridesmaids have replied so I’m guessing they feel the same way. I don’t know them so I won’t ask them. This is someone I have been friends with since 2007, so she’s practically my sister. But I know I need to stand ten toes down. It’s not my job to please anyone. I will send a text to the group chat and give y’all an update later.

Edit 2 08/17/26:
The bride said she understood where I was coming from and was apologetic. I spoke to one of the MOHs today, and she apologized for not communicating and for not asking about a budget. She said, “It slipped their mind.” She agreed that it is expensive, especially since the cost doesn’t include the flight. She admitted that Luxe Tribes did all of the work (obviously).
I also asked if the bride’s portion was included in the $2,800, and she said no. The bride is paying her own way. Kind of strange to me since the bride is usually covered during bach parties/trips.
She said they all want me there, and they’re going to speak with the travel agent to see if the cost can be lowered. Truthfully, I don’t think it’s possible. But I did let her know that if it’s not possible, then it’s okay because I don’t want the bride’s experience to be watered down because of me. Although it’s very expensive, it’s her right to have the bach trip she wants.
It feels good knowing they didn’t give me any backlash about it. I do think it’s a lesson learned for everyone, including me. I don’t know how the other bridesmaids feel because they never replied in the chat. I asked the MOH if she knew, but she doesn’t know either. Thanks for all the feedback!

Anyone on this flight? We’ve been sitting on the apron for 50 minutes waiting for take off.

Hi!

After 4 years on my work permit, I’m going to be applying for a PR with my renewal application. How long did it take y’all to get a decision?

I’m non EU, “high skilled” working in a Big 4.

Thanks in advance 😊

Our little sucker just turned 5 months!

Honestly he is a fairly easy puppy. He sleeps through the night, he understands potty training (still has some pee accidents at home but he never pooped at home), very friendly and loves his dog sitters.

But just the complete lack of control over our lives was vey jarring. We were constantly going up and down taking him for pee breaks. Both me and my husband could work from home. But it felt like we were trying to do two jobs and not doing a great job at either. Definitely put a strain on our relationship as well due to lack of sleep and no energy to spend on each other.

But now, the pee breaks are down to 8 from 16. We don’t feel it like a personal failure if he has an accident (he’s a Havanese). He’s learn to settle into his naps by himself, so we can resume doing the normal things we did in the evening like going to the gym or cook, instead of being terrified of making a noise and waking him up from his enforced nap. Now that summer is here, it’s fun to plan outdoor activities and enjoy the good weather.

Don’t get me wrong, there are still hard days with biting and work to be put in with training and so on. But it finally feels like the puppy fog is lifting and we’re finally getting to enjoy the nice parts of dog ownership! 🐶

So to anyone else in the trenches right now, it does get better. ❤️‍🩹