How to plan a bachelorette party

The bachelorette party. When I got married ten years ago the whole idea of a bachelorette party was a wild night out on the town with your closest girlfriends. These days the bachelorette party has evolved from a last night of freedom with the girls to so much more. It’s a great way for the bride to be to spend some time with her girlfriends celebrating her upcoming nuptials in a way that is unique and special for her.

Planning a bachelorette party is not for the bride to be – she has way too much on her mind planning for her upcoming wedding. Usually the maid or matron of honor or a very close female friend or relative of the bride to be will plan the event. Planning a bachelorette party is fun, but you don’t want to forget any of the important details that go into creating an unforgettable event. Here is a planning checklist you can use if you have the honor of planning a party for someone.

Determine a bachelorette party theme. As mentioned before, traditionally a bachelorette party was a wild night out on the town with some girlfriends. You can still do this, of course, if it is the type of party your bride to be would like. However, bachelorette parties have evolved over the years and now there are so many different party themes to choose from. Some ideas you can consider: a winery tour with wine tastings, a day at the spa being pampered, a weekend getaway to the beach or other fun location, or a simple dinner with friends and family.

Create a guest list. You don’t want to create the guest list for the bachelorette party until you have determined the theme for the party. A weekend getaway will involve fewer people than a night out at a comedy club, for example. Who should be included in the guest list? The wedding party, of course, and any other close female family members and friends of the bride to be. You don’t need to invite everyone that was invited to the bridal shower. You might want to consult with the bride to be on who should be invited to the bachelorette party so there are no hard feelings.

Set the date and send out invitations. You don’t want to pick a date for the bachelorette party that is too close to the wedding or too far away. The date you select also depends on the theme of the party. If the party is going to be a night out on the town dancing and drinking you don’t want to do this the day before the big event. Once you sent the date for the bachelorette party it’s time to invite the guests. You might want to do formal written invitations, informal email invitations, or simply call the guests with the party information and the RSVP date.

Formalize a budget. Who is going to be paying for the bachelorette party? Are all the guests going to pay their own way and put in for the bride to be, or will the girls in the bridal party be taking care of the expenses of the party? Formalizing the budget early in the process and clearly stating who will be paying for what will help avoid any hard feelings as the party approaches.

Determine the menu. The menu of the bachelorette party will depend first on the theme of the party. You’re not going to want to eat hot and spicy foods before a night out on the town drinking. The menu will also depend on any dietary considerations or restrictions of the guest. Some things to consider are low carbohydrate diets, vegetarian diets, diabetic diets, and gluten free diets. You can ask the guests when you invite them (or when they RSVP) if they have any special dietary needs.

The bachelorette party is a fun part of the wedding process. Planning a bachelorette party can go smoothly as long as you stay organized during the process.