Bachelorette Party Do's and Don'ts

Wedding ring? Check.

Date? Check.

Venue? Check.

The wedding day gets a lot of fanfare and hurrah, but we all know that no pre-wedding checklist is complete without...a bachelorette party! 

In fact, some bride-to-be’s have admitted at times they have almost been more excited for the bachelorette party than the actual wedding day itself—just almost, though.

The opportunity to connect with your closest friends to celebrate the closing of one chapter and the opening of a next? Priceless. But before you start ordering sashes and champagne or looking into “entertainment,” we want to dig into the ground rules for making this party memorable and fun for everyone involved.

Do’s…

Be open.

The purpose of the bachelorette party is to celebrate the bride. While the Vegas Strip has seen its fair share of bachelorette parties, hitting the club isn’t everyone’s definition of fun. The party’s activities should reflect what the bride wants—this could be a group fitness class at SoulCycle, a wine-and-paint session, or a wine tasting outing. Remember, the definition of a “crazy night” depends on the group—it could totally just involve wine, junk food, and a good, old chick flick binge.

Plan in advance.

While the maid of honor is primarily in charge of organizing the bachelorette party, it’s important that the brides and all attendees are looped in on the itinerary. Make sure you confirm on paying as well. While it is appropriate the party attendees to split costs and cover for the bride, it really depends on the scenario. For example, if you go the destination route with travel and lodging, it’s definitely reasonable to ask the bride to pay her share.

On timing, this may go without saying, but try not to plan the party too close to the wedding date. You might want to leave some time to recover from that sunburn (or hangover...) before the squad walks down the aisle. Of course, this isn’t as relevant when extensive travel is necessary for attendees—then, it’s okay to lump the festivities together to save the flying back and forth.

Have fun!

The wedding planning process has been stressful. The bachelorette party is an opportunity for the bride to take a break from the whirlwind of planning and logistics to unwind and just let loose with the girls. Remember, this should not be an additional source of stress on top of everything else going on. You’ll be fine as long as you keep the bride’s best interests at heart!

Don’ts….

Micromanage.

Throughout the planning process, make sure the bride is on board. After all, it is a day about her. If she’s not game for over-the-top outfits or NSFW party favors, cut them out. Similarly, for attendees, it might be fun to get everyone to coordinate and dress per a specific theme, but try not to force everyone to wear crazy or difficult outfits that they may be uncomfortable with or don’t want to spend too much money on securing. If your bachelorette party spans more than one day or night, remember not to cram the agenda with activities. Leave some time buffers in between, so the group’s not rushing from place to place. It also allows for some spontaneity—the best memories come from unexpected moments!

Exclude people in the group.

The invite group for bachelorette parties are usually up to the bride. She may want to extend invites to her fiancée’s family members or other close friends who aren’t in the bridal party. This means it’s important everyone feels included the whole time, not just the bridesmaids and bride. Be thoughtful of the guest list. Try to save the inside jokes or stories from way back then for another time, and make sure to be aware of everyone’s comfort zones and willingness levels to participate in certain activities or games.

Forget about the groom

While the fiancée is definitely not allowed to attend the festivities (sorry, rule #1 in the bachelorette party handbook!), consider incorporating the bride’s partner in spirit. This can go in the form of asking the groom to send something nice to the bride at the party (a love note, bottle of champagne, or box of chocolates never hurts), or recording a video message to be played at the beginning of the festivities. Alternatively, you can also coordinate a game for both bride and groom to write answers to a series of fun questions on how well they really know each other. These small ways will remind the bride why everyone’s there: to celebrate the next chapter of her life with her partner.