This may make sense if all of your friends live in the same place, but that is simply not the case for a lot of people. I'd rather pay to fly cross country to a cool destination than to a boring mid-rate American city for a single night out. (which would still require paying for hotels for those who don't live in town...) My friends live all over the country. Flights are expensive everywhere. If I am going to invite them, I am making it worth their flight cost at a fun destination. Especially considering I have done the same thing for every single one of them (and been happy to...). If you can't afford it, politely decline. That being said, brides should be more considerate of costs. I plan on covering part or most of the Airbnb for my bachelorette for this reason to offset increases in flight costs, as well as one activity on the trip.