How to Plan the Best Bachelorette Party
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So one of your friends is tying the knot! It is a special time and you, as a good friend, want to send off her single days with a bang. With just a little preparation and foresight, you can smooth away potential wrinkles on the weekend of and dazzle everyone with your supreme bachelorette party planning skills.
If you’re not sure where to start, no stress! Here is your guide to pulling off the most memorable bachelorette party ever!
Bachelorette Party Planning: The Pre-Planning Stages
Here are a few elements to consider before you start planning any bachelorette party ideas and nitty-gritty specifics for the weekend!
What Are The Vibes and Theme of the Weekend?
Does the bride want to p-a-r-t-y, or does she want a relaxing weekend with her girls before the chaos of wedding planning? Some bachelorette party ideas include: renting a lake house or beach house, fun getaway cities (like Nashville or Austin!), camping trips, or Disney world. Use your imagination!
Set a Budget
Bachelorette parties are notoriously expensive if you allow it to slide that way. This in fact may prevent, or at least concern, a few of the attendees. Costs can very quickly add up, so it is best to be considerate when planning the budget. Keep in mind everyone has different financial situations and what some girls can afford to spend, other girls may not be able to! Budget could be a source of stress, so try to build a plan that could accommodate a wide variety of budgets.
Find a Location
This element kind of ties into budget, but are you going to stay local, in-state, cross-country, or go international? It is obviously more convenient, cheaper and quicker to stay closer to the majority of the attendees. You may want to take a poll to see if expensive travel or distance will prevent many girls from attending.
Plan the Size of The Group
Just the bridal party or open it up to more friends? It can be a great bonding experience for the bridesmaids to come together. Or, you could invite more friends of the bride who maybe she couldn’t fit into the bridal party, but that are still important to her.
Strategize a Timeline
Start preparing in advance! The more time you have, the more certain it is that most people can come because they will set aside that weekend. Flights will also be cheaper, as you have a longer time to hunt down deals and discounts. Overall, you will have less to freak out about closer to the date.
Bachelorette Itinerary: The To-Do List for Party Planning
Figure Out the Guest List
Consult the bride, invite her favorite girls, and set a RSVP date so that you will be able to know the numbers when going forward with planning. Not knowing how many people are coming can mess with budget, dates of travel, transportation, accommodation, and many other factors!
Send Out Invitations
We recommend creating a cute and easy invite using Canva. The creative process on this website is free and simple and they have lovely pre-made templates to simply insert your specific information into.
Book your Accommodations
Research the area of interest and book in advance! Also, book other venues, activities, or restaurants you want to go to as a group.
Plan Bachelorette Party Games
Bachelorette games are a super fun way to get to know the couple better. Get the bride talking about (and making a little fun of) her hubby-to-be and everyone will be laughing. See below for a list of game ideas! They can serve as ice breakers if it is a larger group or they can be turned into drinking (or mocktail!) games!
Dirty Jenga:
Jenga gone a little wild! Write fun truths or dares on each Jenga block that each party member must answer or do as they pull the blocks out one by one.
Bachelorette Olympics:
A super fun way to get people up, moving, and screaming. Set up a series of cute competitions, such as “Pin the Kiss on the Groom,” to get some friendly competition and laughter into the party.
Loose Lips:
Select a few words that have an alcohol-involved consequence if they pass your lips during the evening! For example, if anyone utters the groom’s name, have them take a jello shot!Bachelorette Bingo:
A fun competition if you are planning to have a rowdy girls night out on the town! Bizarre things may follow. Check out an example here.Queen’s Cup:
A rendition of the traditional “King’s Cup” that is tailored for the ladies! Follow the link here for the suggested rules.Bachelorette Scavenger Hunt:
Another fun and friendly competition where you could either split the entire party into two teams, or alternatively, surprise the bride with the game and follow her around as she hunts for clues solo!Bride and Groom Trivia Contest:
The more competitive, the better. Come up with a list of true/false or trivia questions about both the bride and groom, and see who knows the couple best! The bride will have to sit by and laugh at this one.Prosecco Pong:
That’s right, beer pong can be classy too! Grab prosecco and plastic champagne glasses for this fun game.Bachelorette Balderdash:
See who best knows the lovely bride-to-be, and get super creative with it! You can have all sorts of comical answers in this game. Follow this link for a sample.Plan Meals for the Entire Weekend
Sit down and plan out meals. It is best to be prepared because ten hangry girls do not make for a fun party. Most likely, you won’t go out to eat every single meal, so plan on bringing some groceries. Consider doing some meal prep beforehand, making sure your hotel or rental has a kitchen, or maybe plan on going out for dinners, but having a homemade lunch at the hotel.
Pick a Theme
Head to Target or Party City and get a little crazy (within budget, of course) with the fun decorations and bachelorette party favors. Fun wall decor can make for great photo ops!
Make a Schedule Outline
It is best to sketch an outline to follow for the weekend. That way you can utilize your time best and get to do and see the things you really want to.
Tips n’ Tricks for the Best Bachelorette Party Weekend
The Weekend Is For the Bride
Always, always plan with the bride’s interest in mind. Keep her in the loop and ask her about her preferences, but you don’t have to run every single little detail by her. Follow bachelorette party etiquette: this weekend is about her! (No Bridezillas allowed, though). It is not necessarily a necessity, but it is common gesture on the part of the bridesmaids to chip in and cover the bride’s expenses for the trip. It makes sense if you think about all of the wedding-related expenses she will have to cover!
Plan, But Then Relax
Plan ahead, but take it easy during the weekend. If you push everyone to adhere to a strictly scheduled timeline, it can backfire on you. In the planning process, you usually forget to account for unexpected delays, tiredness, or necessary down time.
Ask For Help Planning
If you are the one planning the entire weekend, don’t feel bad asking others to help out. Ask everyone to bring a dish or their favorite type of drink. There can be a lot that goes into planning and it can be easily overwhelming!
Don’t Neglect the Checklists
Checklists are your friend! Keep making a list, or two, or a bajillion, because there can be a lot going on and you are bound to forget things if you don’t write them down.
Bring Supplies
Bring backup supplies: tampons, first aid kit , razor, sunscreen, hair curler, whatever communal needs you feel will be present during the weekend. You know someone is going to forget something they wish they had brought.
Communication is Key
Communication is crucial when planning a big social event with so many people that are potentially traveling a distance to be there! Make sure everyone is informed and on the same page. Check in with everyone before the trip to answer any questions and to make sure everyone is ready to go and have a great time!
With these tips and tricks, your bachelorette party weekend is sure to be a blast!