Some brides may choose to spare their friends the hassle and plan their own bachelorette party, in which case it is important to consider these basics.
There are a lot of moving pieces involved with throwing a wedding. These days, it is normal for a bride to pass some pressing duties off to the groom, family members, or her bridesmaids. In fact, events like the bachelorette party are traditionally handled by members of the bridal party. Many couples, however, don’t like making such intense demands of their friends. If you decided to plan your bachelorette party on your own, you may need a bit of guidance to help you cover all of your bases. Look over this checklist to feel more prepared.
Pick a Bachelorette Party Location
The first step is to select a destination for the event. Do you want a local gathering or somewhere a bit farther away? In the past, it was typical for a bachelorette party to take place a few nights before the wedding and remain somewhat small. Now, some brides are extending the event into affairs that take up entire weekends and involve vineyard tours, karaoke bars, and drag-themed restaurants. Before moving forward, determine exactly what kind of experience you hope to get from your party and where you want to travel.
Create a Guest List
After deciding on the location, it is time to create a guest list. You’re probably already sick and tired of guest lists from your wedding planning experience, but this list will be much shorter and easier to manage. As a rule, you should definitely invite all of the women in your bridal party and any immediate family members like sisters. Beyond this, try only to invite friends or relatives who were invited to your actual wedding. While many bachelorette parties are exclusively “for the women,” there’s no reason for you to turn away any of your close male friends.
Budget Discussion
In many cases, the bridal party will cover the costs related to a bachelorette party. However, handling the event on your own means many people might assume you are footing the bill. Since you have an entire wedding to pay for already, you might want to be realistic about your bachelorette party budget. Ask the friends you invite what they can afford to do and work from there. It doesn’t make sense to plan a trip to Naples for a “women’s weekend” when half of your friends can’t afford the flight.
Invites
Unlike a bridal shower or the wedding itself, you don’t need to be very formal about the way you invite people to your bachelorette event. In fact, informal might be the way to go. Send out a group text to the people you want to invite and tell everyone to get back to you ASAP about whether or not they can attend. If you want to be more thorough about the task, consider using a website or app designed for group activities. A simple Facebook event page, for example, can keep everyone informed and updated throughout the process.
Consider the Logistics
Finally, think about the logistics of the trip. If you plan on going away for the weekend, you’ll want to arrange in advance for accommodations and food. Book your hotel or Airbnb in advance to guarantee everyone has a place to sleep. You may also want to book a reservation at a restaurant if you are traveling with a larger group. When you travel by plane, you will also need to think about transportation. Whether you rent a car or simply use Uber the whole time, you want to have it all planned out in advance.
The decision to plan your own bachelorette party can be a rewarding one. Give yourself plenty of time to coordinate the details and put together a fantastic celebratory event that you can take pride in.
