Five Keys To Planning a Great Bachelorette Party
Bachelorette parties are seriously some of my favorite parties I go to – because they are all so different but everyone there to celebrate the bride and make sure she has the best time. There’s always so much laughter and I go home with a much fuller heart.
I had my bachelorette party 2 weekends ago and had my sisters 2 years ago with some of my friends mixed in between so I have decided to compile some of the things that are at each of these so if you’re in charge of planning the weekend, you can do it with ease!
I feel bad for my sister when I planned hers though, because I was freshly out of college and had no idea what I was doing. The only parties I had planned were college parties and by ‘plan’ I mean, I told people what time to show up to our house and to bring their own alcohol. So, this was a big project for me and I didn’t want to mess it up.
I furiously scavenged Amazon & Pinterest for all the decorations, games, and ideas to pull it together. Originally we were supposed to go to California and do Napa Valley, but COVID had other plans for us so we opted for a cabin weekend instead which ended up being perfect!
I decided to do mine the same way and spent mine at an AirBnb cabin in Northern Minnesota with my closest friends who could make it! There is simply nothing I love more than relaxing weekends, wine, and games. Oh, and the lake.
Which brings to my first key to success, have a great place to stay.
This doesn’t mean you need something luxurious or expensive, it could be a hotel, Airbnb, someone’s cabin/house, or even a condo! Make sure it is what the bride wants to do and find something within everyone’s budgets that has enough beds & amenities that you want. For me, it was really important that we were right on the water and close(ish) to some bars because I wanted to spend one afternoon at the bar. Other than that I didn’t care.
My sister on the other hand, was in the middle of COVID so we didn’t need to be close to any bars and just stayed at the cabin the whole time.
Have a theme :
There are a lot of themes that are overdone, or maybe the bride doesn’t want anything, but there has to be some cohesiveness when it comes to the decorations and other materials you’re going to be doing. It could be as simple as a color theme and go as far out as your imagination can go. There is no limit here.
I chose to do a ‘last hoe down’ theme for my own. I knew I wanted to wear cowgirl boots to the bar and so I told my sister and she did the rest of the decorations and balloons to match.
Some other cute themes I’ve seen : Mamma Mia, something to do with the last name, Space, rock & roll, retro, last fiesta, 90s, or even as simple as a flannel infused cabin weekend! The options are endless and you truly can’t go wrong.
Like I said, if you don’t having a big theme, then go with a color scheme or phrase and run with it!
DECORATE!!
If you’re in charge of the party, you have to decorate. I’m talking balloons, confetti, *fun* straws, head cut outs, picture spot, t-shirts, etc! I know everyone’s budgets are different so don’t be afraid to ask others coming along to pitch in for decorations. I compiled a whole bunch of things on my Amazon Storefront here that you can check out and shop easily.
This is going to be what everyone is looking at in all the pictures which is why I make it a big point. I am a picture person so I cared a lot about this at my own and with my sisters. The whole place doesn’t have to be decorated head to toe, but you need at least a spot for everyone to take pictures and maybe some things scattered around in other places that are smaller like straws or balloons. I am going to make a huge suggestion : bring a balloon pump when you go to set up!!! I put it on my Amazon list because we always forget and someone gets light headed.
Games :
No bachelorette is complete without the games. You can choose to have prize bags filled with things for the winners or just play for fun and bragging rights.
Common games : what did the groom say (ask the groom questions about the bride/their relationship), how well do you know the bride? Shoe game style questions bride vs groom. over / under, panty / langerie, and any board and card games you want to supplement with!
Last but not least, food, alcohol, and a tentative plan :
This is for sure not the sexy part of the party planning but it is necessary and probably the most important because without it you will be scrambling at the last minute.
I don’t love parties that are scheduled to a T on where you’re going, what you’re wearing, what you’re eating, etc. but you do need an outline of things so you can have an idea on what to pack and buy.
If you’re having a destination party, you’re going to want to make sure you have reservations in place for anywhere you’re going to eat / go because there’s nothing worse than waiting around for something or having to get a bunch of girls to decide something the day of.
I like having the dinners planned for each night and leaving more the breakfast / lunches up to people. Having things for snacks, sandwiches, appetizers, brunch, etc. can help make sure people are eating but it’s okay if one person is up at 7 and the other is at 10.
My bachelorette used the app ‘Splitwise’ and when my sister bought the food and alcohol, she just input everybody into the app and it automatically splits the bill and tells you who to pay and for how much without having to do the math yourself. It was such a brilliant idea.
Then it’s just deciding what you want to do for the weekend. I chose to hang out at the cabin for Friday and be on the water and play games that night. Then Saturday we were going to get ready & go out to the bars for appetizers and a drink in the afternoon and go back home for the rest of the night to hang out and have a wine tasting and charcuterie boards. We also did a canvas painting party where my sister just got stuff from dollar tree and we spent Saturday morning painting and drinking bloody mary’s or mimosas before heading out the bar.
For me, it was the perfect mixture of going out vs staying in.
Outside of that, remember it’s about the bride and help make it so special for her and do what she wants even if it’s not what you would plan for your own!
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