Because the bachelorette party is seen as the ultimate Girls Night In or Girls Night Out, the stress is real! We know it’s not easy to plan a bash for your favorite bachelorette. But if you’ve been tasked with the challenge, we’ve provided the top 8 tips to guarantee a memorable bachelorette party that no one will forget for years to come.
If you want to know more about how the bachelorette party came to be and the etiquette on who to invite, who’s paying, you can read more HERE.
- 8 Steps for Planning
- Step 1 – Involve the bride in the planning process
- Step 2 – Decide on who the core planning team will be
- Step 3 – Figure out who will be invited
- Step 4 – Figure out where you're going
- Step 5 – Figure out when the bachelorette party will be happening
- Step 6 – Book the accommodations / venue
- Step 7 – Work out the itinerary ahead of time.
- Step 8 – Personalize the event
- Bachelorette Party Ideas
- Top 10 Destinations for Bachelorette Parties
8 Steps for Planning
Step 1 – Involve the bride in the planning process
Bachelorette parties can be an exciting, fun or stressful event depending on how much thought you put into planning them. Whether your goal is to keep things low key, throw a super wild bash, or invite everyone you know, you should start engaging the bride-to-be about the details early on to make sure you’re keeping her preferences in mind.
Step 2 – Decide on who the core planning team will be
As the main planner for the upcoming bachelorette party, be sure to include only a handful of individuals who are willing to help out. If you have too many helpers, there’s likely to be a lot of back-and-forth between everyone involved, which could result in confusion and even conflict among the guests. Keep the core planning team to only one or two people.
Making sure everyone is on the exact same page before you start planning the bachelorette party is a good idea. It gives the organizers a chance to get gather all the feedback and then plan and execute a well-organized event.
Step 3 – Figure out who will be invited
Obviously, the bridal party will all be invited to join the bachelorette party. But who else should make the guest list? This may be another opportunity to ask the groom’s fiance for her thoughts. She might suggest including old high school buddies or current co-workers. Or maybe she wants to invite a couple of her closest girlfriends. Perhaps one of them would like to bring along her parents. And if any of these people happen to be related to the groom, they can also be included. Also consider whether the bride’s mom or future mother-in-law should be included too.
A bachelorette party could be as small as two to three people or as large as 20+. Each bride-to-be has a different comfort level – some would prefer a more intimate party while others will enjoy large gatherings with close friends.
The bottom line is that it doesn’t really matter whether the number of guests is larger or smaller; the most important thing is that the bride-to-be’s favorite people will be there to mark the occasion with her.
Step 4 – Figure out where you’re going
Once the guest list has been firmed up, the next big decision is where to have your bachelorette party. When deciding where to host the party, consider what kind of atmosphere the bride-to-be has in mind. Will she want to hit up nightclubs and bars, or will she want to relax poolside? What about hiking through the woods, or lounging around the house watching movies together? The kind of bachelorette party she’s envisioning will guide you towards selecting the appropriate place.
To keep things affordable guests who will be coming to the bachelorette party, consider where most of the guests live and try to book something there to avoid unnecessary travel costs for most of the group. Not everyone can afford to visit the same place every year, so try to pick destinations that will appeal to most people in the group. Another idea is to take advantage of discounts offered during the off-season months. For instance, lots of brides do hot destinations during the cooler months, but if you go in the non-peak times, your group can likely score a very good deal. If you can manage to keep costs reasonable, you’ll likely get a great guest turnout and everyone will have a memorable time together.
Step 5 – Figure out when the bachelorette party will be happening
When deciding on a date for the bachelorette party, choose at least three to four dates that work for the bride-to-be and then use sites like SurveyMonkey.com to efficiently gather feedback from each guest.
Although there are no set dates for a bachelorette party, it should fall sometime before the wedding day. Since some guests could be travelling long distances, try to plan the festivities with them in mind so that their travel plans are as convenient as possible. Work schedules are another thing to consider too – if you have a lot of friends in the hospitality industry, holidays, evenings and weekends are busy times for them and you may need to consider an off-season bachelorette party. And remember — everyone loves an excuse to celebrate! Try not to pick a weekend during school vacation season, and avoid holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Christmas.
At the end of the day though, when planning a large event such as a bachelorette/party, there will always be some sort of complication, so don’t get too hung up trying to please everybody, or else things will just get out of control. To manage and organize the process, send out email invites and encourage guests to RSVP.
Step 6 – Book the accommodations / venue
If you’re planning a local weekend getaway for the group, either ask a guest if their home has enough space to accommodate everybody or make sure the destination venue has tons of space for everyone. If you’re booking a hotel, ask if they can offer a room block so that the entire group can be on the same floor or relatively close to each other. Otherwise, consider booking an Airbnb or other vacation rental properties. If none of these options work out, you can also look into renting a private block of rooms at a local resort instead. Be sure to let your guests know upfront what the cost will be, so no one feels excluded or pressured to attend.
Step 7 – Work out the itinerary ahead of time.
To keep everyone occupied on a big trip, make sure there are plenty of scheduled events. Also ensure that everyone has enough time to shower and dress before heading out to each activity. Additionally, plan for some down time so that when you’re just hanging out together, everyone can relax and enjoy themselves.
One of the most common mistakes when planning a bachelorette party is to not think carefully enough about the guest list. While there might be some women who want to go wild on the night before the wedding, there might also be women who just want to relax by the pool, go shopping or enjoy themselves with other activities. Planning an event that has something for everybody and facilitates a good social atmosphere is important.
And it’s normal to want to cram as much as possible into one trip, especially if you’re visiting a new place for the first time. But having enough down time, transport time, and time to rest in between the main activities is crucial.
Step 8 – Personalize the event
The bachelorette party are all about celebrating the bride-to-be! So, think of fun ways to celebrate her special day, including fun decorations, special games, and other fun activities.
Bachelorette Party Ideas
Themed Bachelorette Parties
- 90’s roller skating
- Cowgirl
- Disco
- Music festival
- Summer pool party
- Fancy slumber party
- Naughty lingerie party
- Tropical
- Animal print
- Princess theme
- LBD night
- Makeover night
- Old Hollywood
- Costume party
- Disney
- Burlesque
- College
- Spice Girls
- Alice in Wonderland
Group Activity Parties
- Private cooking class
- Pasta making
- Pole dancing
- Group art / pottery
- Foodie tour
- Spa day
- Distillery / wine tour
- High tea
- Murder mystery
- Cruise
- Cocktail making
- Karaoke
- Psychic / medium
- Casino night
- Bowling
- Boating
- Craft night
- Private spin class
- Jewelry making
Active / Outdoor Parties
- Relay / mini triathlon
- Hiking / camping
- Meditation / yoga retreat
- Flower farm
- Desert getaway
- Sailing
- Beach party
- Farm weekend
- Amusement park
- Skydiving
Top 10 Destinations for Bachelorette Parties
Top US Destinations
- New York City, New York
- Miami, Florida
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Los Angeles, California
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chicago, Illinois
- Dallas, Texas
- Houston, Texas
- Austin, Texas
Top Jet Setting Destinations
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
- Tulum, Mexico
- Cartagena, Colombia
- Paris, France
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Nosara, Costa Rica
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Vancouver, Canada
