Things I Wish I Knew Before Planning My Bachelorette Party

The bachelorette party is arguably the most relaxed of all the wedding events. There’s no need to send out fancy invites, hand out favors, or buy the bride a gift. The bachelorette party really is all about relaxing and having fun, but planning it can still get complicated.

Many a maid of honor has planned and hosted a bachelorette party, only to realize there were things she wished she knew during the planning process.

Here are tips that go beyond general bachelorette party planning to ensure you are fully prepared for whatever the day—and night—brings.

Bride Toasting Bridesmaids at a Backyard Bachelorette Party: Dal’s Pictures

The Location Isn’t Everything

It’s totally normal if you automatically envision a weekend getaway to Las Vegas or pregaming in a luxurious hotel room. Although these locations can be fun for a bachelorette party, the location isn’t as important as you think.

What matters is that the bride gets to spend time with a small group of friends she’s close to. You don’t have to dish out thousands of dollars to travel to a far-flung destination or drain your bank account on a five start hotel. Staying in town and celebrating at a friend’s house can be just as meaningful and just as much fun.

Bride Standing in Front of a Disco-Themed Background: Bridal Shower 101

Plan a Theme the Bride Will Enjoy

Décor is important at any bachelorette party. It’s especially important if you are staying close to home, as decorations are what will make the party feel special. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to cover everything in private parts or bride balloons if you don’t want to.

It’s much better to plan a theme that the bride will enjoy. Whether she loves Disney princesses, Bridgerton, or Harry Potter, there are a million ways to decorate a bachelorette party that don’t involve penises.

Bachelorette Party Guests Painting Pictures: Style Me Pretty

You Don’t Have to Do Typical Bachelorette Party Things

You don’t have to use stereotypical bachelorette party decorations, and you don’t have to do typical bachelorette party things either.

There’s no rule that says you have to go out drinking or play cheesy games if you don’t want to. Instead, find something to do that the bride loves, but the guests will enjoy too. A few creative ideas include:

• Spend the day at a water park
• Charter a sailboat
• Go to adult summer camp
• Have a paint party
• Spend a day at the spa
• Have a fancy tea party

It Doesn’t Have to Be a Girls-Only Party

Bachelorette parties are traditionally for bridesmaids and girlfriends who are close to the bride, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow tradition. It’s totally okay for the bride to invite her brother or her best guy friend from high school to her bachelorette party.

Does the bride share a lot of the same friends with her spouse-to-be? Or maybe the couple would prefer to celebrate together? There’s nothing wrong with having a combined bachelor/bachelorette party!

Know What to Bring

It’s important to make a list of all the things you need to bring to the bachelorette party, but you have to know what to put on the list!

Some things you should bring that frequently get left behind include:

• A tripod so you can take pictures of the whole group
• Setup supplies, like scissors and tape
• Bluetooth speaker and charger
• Hangover supplies, like Tylenol, Gatorade, and makeup remover wipes

Bachelorette Party Guests Wearing Hats With Their Names: Baltimore Weddings

Consider Pictures When Planning Outfits

Wearing matching outfits can be a lot of fun, but don’t feel like you have to wear matching t-shirts if you don’t want to. It’s much more important to consider how everyone will feel in pictures with what they’re wearing.

For example, matching swimsuits might be fun, but are there guests who would prefer not to be photographed in a swimsuit? Matching t-shirts are simple and can say whatever you want, but would you rather look more glam in photos?

Choose a dress code that photographs well and your guests will thank you.

Make Room in the Itinerary for Down Time

It’s easy to plan a day and/or evening that’s jam-packed with fun activities, but don’t get too carried away. It’s much better to create an itinerary that includes plenty of downtime. You want to leave plenty of time for guests to chat, and you want to leave time for things like dance parties and gas station trips that are likely to arise spontaneously.

Be prepared with activities and games to play in case you need them, but be ready to go with the flow too so the party can unfold naturally.

Posed Photo of Guests in Bed the Morning After the Bachelorette Party: Utah Bride and Groom

Have a Social Media Plan

How does the bride feel about posting pictures of her bachelorette party on social media? What about other guests?

It’s important to come up with a social media plan that everyone is comfortable with so no one sees a picture or a video of themselves posted on the internet that they are embarrassed by.

A few ideas include:

• Not posting any pictures or videos at all
• Only posting pictures before a certain time in the evening, but not after
• Only posting pictures from one account
• Only posting posed photos
• Waiting until the day after to decide what to post

Bride-to-Be Kissing a Cardboard Cutout of the Groom’s Face: Haute Off the Rack

Find a Fun Way to Incorporate the Fiancé

The point of a bachelorette party isn’t to make the bride-to-be forget about her fiancé. It’s totally okay if you talk about her partner, and it’s okay if she gets overly emotional thinking about the upcoming wedding. It can actually be helpful to incorporate the fiancé into the festivities to make it easier.

Have them record a special message, let them stop by at the beginning of the evening to drop off flowers, and absolutely do not take away the bride’s phone. She should be allowed to call or text her partner whenever she wants. The fiancé should be a part of the celebration, whether they are there or not.

Looking for more tips? Discover all of the things you should know before planning your:

• Bridal Shower
• Wedding Ceremony
• Wedding Reception
• Wedding After Party