I literally can’t believe that a year ago today, I was boarding a plane to Cabo for my Bachelorette Party and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t having all the feels about it.
My Bachelorette Party was hands down the best weekend of my life. I mean, maybe not as great as the actual wedding weekend (lol) but it was pretty darn close! We just had so much fun, there was little to no drama, everything worked out perfectly and we all just had a really good time.
Although, I do realize that not every Bachelorette situation is as easy going as mine was and that I am extremely fortunate enough to have the most amazing friends that were all on the same page in terms of my Bachelorette. Let’s just say that when it’s my turn, I’m going to have some major shoes to fill! But with that being said, since posting my Bachelorette Recap last year, I’ve gotten more emails with Bachelorette drama then you could believe!
Which is why I thought this post was so appropriate for today! I’ve talked to my girls and we have compiled a list that we think you guys will find helpful! From experiences, we went through, to ones they experienced at other parties.
While researching for the post, I found so many articles on Tips For Throwing Bachelorette Party and while they were all sweet and definitely helpful in terms of getting ideas – I wanted to be real with you all and give tips that I believe you are going to actually find helpful. Tips not only for the girls planning it, but for the Bride too.
Bachelorette Party Planning Tips
That You Will { Actually Find } Helpful
Start Planning Early
My advice is to start a group email (not a group text) with all of the girls invited. Get an idea of what all of the girls are thinking and have them send ideas! My advice is the earlier the better! Especially if you’re thinking about doing a destination party where the girls will have to fly! We started planning about 8 months in advance! Start brainstorming location ideas, available dates, and themes!
Decide Whether It’s Going To Be Destination or Local
One of the first things you should decide on is if you’re going to do a Destination Bachelorette or keep it Local. First things first, get a feel for the Bride and see what she is thinking. Then ask the girls to send in their recommendations and then narrow it down from there!
Center the Bachelorette Party Around The Brides Personality
If the Bride doesn’t really like to party or drink, then don’t put clubbing all night on the itinerary or make New Orleans the destination of choice. Maybe pick something like a Lake Weekend instead! If she is a more chill bride who loves her wine, then choose a destination like Napa/Sonoma!
At the same time though, if your Bride is a party girl, then give that girl the party of her life. If a few of the girls don’t love the club scene, then, of course, you can find a happy medium, but at the end of the day….it’s about the Bride. You want her to feel loved and to have the time of her life. It’s her party.
Be Up Front and Considerate About Prices
It’s important to get a feel for everyone’s pricepoints early on so that you can at least try to accommodate everybody. My MOH was really on top of the overall cost for the trip. When deciding on locations &/or hotels, she would send out emails to the group fully breaking down the cost.
You want this to be an amazing trip, not only for the Bride, but everyone involved. With that being said, be considerate about pricing! Would everyone love to stay in a 5-Star Hotel starting at $800 a night? Probably…but it’s not realistic!
Pricing Details To Remember
Flights & Stay (If Applicable), Decorations, Accessories, Food & Drink.
Also, decide early on what you’re going to pay for in terms of the Bride’s Portion. Whether it’s for dinner one night or for her drinks throughout the whole trip. Decide early on so that girls are not blindsided by this. Also, if one person is wanting to buy a bottle, that’s awesome (!!) but don’t expect everyone to pitch in, just because it’s what that one person wanted.
In terms of paying for a Brides hotel and airfare…..that’s up to your group. I personally did not have my girls (or even think to have them) pay for my flights or hotel because that’s ridiculous. Especially since I “technically” chose to have a destination, Bach. You can’t pick an expensive destination location and then just expect your girls to cover the costs. Unless all of the girls have decided that’s what they want to do and are offering!!! In that case, be graciously thankful and accept the offer…but don’t just expect it.
Be Black and White About The Invite List
Don’t stress so much about the list and invite who you want to invite. If you want to include girls who are not in Bridal Party – then go for it girlfriend! If someone can’t make it due to finances or personal obligations – then, of course, she will be missed (!!) but don’t dwell on it! Why put all of your energy on the one girl who can’t go, when you have so many friends that can!!
Do two girls not get along? That sucks, but this is about the Bride and if they can’t suck it up for one weekend then #girlbye.
Is there one girl that is complaining about everything while everyone else is on board? Adios Sista. Say “I love you and I want you there, but no one is forcing you to go and I understand if this is not the trip for you”.
This is a fun event and stressing about the list is the least of your worries. Unless none of your girls are going because if that’s the case…. then you need new friends….. or you need to reevaluate how you have been treating everyone.
Lastly, if there is someone in your party that’s underage, like my sister was (little 16 year-old cutie), I just think it’s best to have them skip this one and to plan on doing something separate with them on a different weekend! Odds are, you will be drinking at least once and underage drinking or having to deal with one person not being able to get into the bar is not something you want to worry about. It sucks, but it’s the easiest and most logical decision.
Try To Keep All The Girls Together
One thing that I loved about my Bachelorette is that all of the girls were able to stay together in one suite. I don’t think it would have been the same if we had a ton of different rooms. So whether you decide to get an Airbnb or get a suite that can fit all of the girls – it’s the best decision!
Give It A Theme & A Hashtag
Pardon my language but gone are the days of Bachelorette Parties being centered around penis straws (I mean, ew.) These days, there are so many better options that are a million times less degrading!
If you’re doing a Destination Bachelorette Party, dedicate the theme to revolve around the destination. For example: Since my Bachelorette was in Cabo, we made the theme #LaurensLastFiesta!
If you’re staying closer to home, you could still have fun with that similar fiesta theme! I’ve also seen a Barbie Themed Bachelorette Party recently and it was so cute (!!) (I love this whole Barbie clothing line). You could make it a Boho Themed Party For the Bohemian Bride, you could go wine tasting and center the theme around that… or a recent favorite of mine has been the #LastSailBeforeTheVeil theme !! This is perfect if the party plans to be on a boat at any time during the Bachelorette!
Order Bachelorette Accessories In Advance
My group learned this the hard way… Since most Bachelorette Party Accessories come from Etsy, really factor in the amount of time it’s going to take for it to arrive. I would suggest ordering at least two months in advance! Some of our items we ordered even a month out and still didn’t make it in time!
Have A Set Schedule { BUT } Don’t Over Schedule
You don’t want to get to a destination and have everyone sitting around asking “Well, what do you want to do?” or “Well, where do you want to go?”. This leads to way too many opinions. It’s much easier to go in ahead of time with reservations and a set plan. For mine, we made up a whole itinerary for the girls so that they would not only know what to expect but also what to pack!
With that being said….. leave some room for spontaneity and relaxation! Maybe even schedule that time in as well!! If you have too many things scheduled, it becomes overwhelming and exhausting for everyone.
Pick Matching Outfits Everyone Can Easily Do
Not everyone is into matching outfits…… which I don’t blame them for because some can be extremely tacky. So if your girls are not wanting to buy matching swimsuits or shirts that say “Bribe Tribe”, then do something fun like an “All White Night” where everyone dresses in white! Or you could have all the girls dress in one certain color (like black or hot pink) and just have the Bride in white! We personally had all the girls in white one night and it was so cute!
Coordinate Who Is Bringing What
How many girls are bringing hair dryers? Who’s bringing a curling iron and who is bringing a straightener? Who is bringing accessories for the Bride and who is bringing decorations? Delegate each of these accordingly and ahead of time! I think in our situation we definitely forgot to delegate a few things and ended up with five curling irons and like one hair dryer – lol!
Have a Back-Up Plan
Sometimes plans don’t work out, so you want a backup plan for “just-in-case” situations! In our case, we were originally supposed to go to Playa Del Carmen / Tulum, when a tropical storm hit the week of. Cabo was already our backup and since so many of us had already been before, it was an easy transition. If we wouldn’t have had that backup plan in order though, we probably would have gone into panic mode.
Pick One Big Group Activity
For us, our “big moment” was going on a boat excursion. The weekend doesn’t have to be filled with them, but you want at least one!
Wanting to do something adventurous? Try an Aerial Yoga Class! Does your Bride live at Soul Cycle? Try finding a cycling studio for the group to do together! I’ve seen Bachelorette Parties go hiking, snow skiing, do paint parties! The possibilities are endless!
Use Apps Like Venmo To Easily Split Costs
Hands down the easiest way to split costs throughout the whole trip. It helps to avoid one person getting stuck with everything and keeps that one friend who “always forgets her wallet” accountable.
Create A Drop Box For Weekend Photos
At the end of my Bachelorette, my MOH made a DropBox and shared it with the girls so that everyone could upload their photos from the weekend. This was super easy and was a great way for everyone to see all the pictures, as well as pick their favorites pictures from the bunch!
Bring Bachelorette Emergency Items
- Portable Clothing Steamer
- Tide-To-Go Pens
- Advil
- Zipp Fizz (our favorite for preventing and curing hangovers)
- Tums
- WATER
- Makeup Remover Wipes
- Safety Pins
Make Her Feel Loved
This is such an exciting and fun weekend! Shower Your girl with love and help her get excited for the big day!
Fun {Not} Tacky Bachelorette Party Accessories
I hope you all enjoyed this post and found it helpful!
xo,
Lauren