Just engaged? Or have a best friend, sister or sister-in-law-to-be that’s soon-to-be-wed? Then get ready. You’re about to learn a whole heck of a lot about weddings, brides, bridesmaids and bachelorettes in the near future.
Here’s the deal: bachelorettes are the BEST. They are a great way to celebrate the bride and have a silly and memorable weekend with your besties, and can help set a fun and festive tone for all the wedding festivities that follow. But planning a bachelorette is not always a walk in the park. Lucky for you, there’s a handy dandy site aptly called The Bach that’s here to save the day, from sending invites and itineraries to finding location and theme inspo from fellow brides and more.
We teamed up with The Bach to help MOHs, brides, sisters and friends to plan the best bachelorette party ever. Read on and get ready to party.
<b>Find the Ultimate Online Planning Tool</b>
Any perfectly planned party starts with the perfect party planning tool. The Bach is an online resource that provides tons of bachelorette ideas, curated venue and activity suggestions and the tools you need to plan an awesome weekend. On this fully loaded website, you can browse venue lists (think restaurants and bars), read user reviews and easily share location and venue ideas with the bride and fellow bachelorette-goers. Once you share options, you can even let guests vote for their favorite choices, giving everyone a chance to feel involved in the planning process. It’s as easy as click, click, click, and you’re halfway done planning the party!
<b>Pick the Perfect Place</b>
There are lots of factors to consider when choosing where to have a bachelorette party. If you’re working with a group that all live in the same area, it’s best to choose something within driving distance so more people can make the trip. If you’re a crew who’s scattered all around the country, go for a crazier destination since most people will have to fly anyway. The Bach has tons of recommendations for restaurants, bars and activities in almost 100 cities across the country. You can even read stories from bachelorette parties in the archive to get inspired!
3. Choose a Crazy and Creative Theme: So you’ve picked a date and a place — now it’s time to go all out. First, think about the bride. What was her favorite Halloween costume? What party did you guys go to in college where she just went for it in terms of her costume? Now, is the answer to either of those questions something than can easily translate into a party theme? You want to pick something that everyone can participate in. While clever themes get points, the ones that are easy to pull off actually make for a better time.
<b>Make a Pimped Out Playlist</b>
Actually, you’re going to need a few different playlists. Make one for the first night where you just bust out ALL the classics. Then make another one for daytime recovery, but make sure it doesn’t get so mellow that people forget they’re at a bachelorette party. Finally, make the ultimate playlist that’s designed to be shuffled because you know your girls are going to skip around when they HAVE to hear that one song they love so much. You can use Spotify to make the playlist and invite other guests to collaborate and add songs they know they want to hear.
<b>Get (Temporarily) Tatted Up</b>
Temporary tattoos have quickly become a must for bachelorette parties (and weddings as well), now that they’ve been given a modern makeover by companies like Tattly. In fact, we’ve got a whole bunch of gold, floral and friendship bracelet tattoos in the B+C Shop. Check ’em all out and pick a whole bunch to bring to your next bachelorette.
<b>Pre-Mix Bottled Cocktails</b>
Whether you go for a resort, hotel, vacation home or camping option, there’s one thing you’re definitely going to need: cocktails! Create a signature cocktail for the weekend and mix ’em up in bottled cocktails ahead of time. Keep them in a cooler if you’re road tripping (only available to ladies who are NOT behind the wheel, of course) and make sure the fridge stays stocked up all weekend long. We created this batch of cocktails for Valentine’s Day last year and added a glitter dip for a little extra glitz.
7. Put Together Goodie (aka Bachelorette Survival) Bags: Here’s what needs to be on your list, no matter where your bachelorette party might be: sunglasses, beer koozy, ear plugs, sleeping mask, Advil, hair elastics, mini nail polish, backup smartphone batteries (if you’ve got some extra funds to spare), a robe or kimono and sequined headbands. Yes. Those are a must.
8. Choreograph a Surprise Dance Break: Channel your inner Britney, Beyoncé or Robyn and bust a move. Surprise the bride with a choreographed dance to her favorite pop song and she will love you forever and ever and ever. At my bachelorette party, my girlfriends knocked my socks off when they busted out a choreographed routine to old school hip hop classic “The Humpty Dance,” complete with outfits inspired by Humpty himself. Honestly, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen 16 of your best friends drop it like it’s hot while wearing a fake nose and furry top hat ;)
9. Set Up a Photo Booth, Duh: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Photo booths are a MUST for any and every party. Planning a low-key bachelorette where you just get cocktails with three ladies? Bring photo props and take that photo booth on the road! Take tons of selfies with the bride and make sure to make a bunch of super silly props.
