How To Plan A Bachelorette Party

Never planned a bachelorette party or don’t know where to start? Well, not to say I’m an expert but I have planned a few and been on about 20 & counting so maybe that does make me an expert lol?! I’m going to give you step by step instructions of how I would start planning a bach party - which is essentially a mini corporate event for your friends!

COLLECT INFO FROM THE BRIDE

I think the most important, and the very first thing - do some recon with the bride. Ask her things like: what time of year does she want to go, where does she want to go, what’s the vibe, who is going, etc. Have an indecisive bride? I like to give her some options. Throw out a few places, themes, Pinterest pins, TikTok’s or make a mood board - whatever is easiest for you. Then see which one she gets excited about. You also need to get a guest list from her, this is the most crucial part in planning along with the location. So ask for this ASAP. Numbers determine the house and reservations which essentially dictate the itinerary.

tip: start the planning at least 6-8 months before the bachelorette. Everyone has a busy schedule and a budget so I like to be respectful their time and financial situations to ensure people can attend and they aren’t being sprung with a bunch of costs at once.

PICK A DATE

Now that you have a potential location and a guest list. It’s time for the group text. I’ve also used evite before so it’s less text notifications (because those can be cluttering) and it counts the RSVPs for you. There’s two ways you can approach this. 1) clear the date with the bridal party first, then send out the date to the remainder of the group to collect RSVPs 2) take a poll on 2-3 dates and see what works everyone. Either way will help you finalize a date. Once that is decided, make sure you collect firm yes’s or no’s and make them locked in. This has been helpful as I have had so many people change their mind last minute so make it known when the RSVP is due by so you can book the accommodation.

BOOK THE HOUSE

Once you’ve picked the time and place, the first thing I do is book the house. Besides flights, this tends to be the most expensive part. So the earlier you book, the better. I like to give people 4-6 months notice and be transparent about the cost of the house as soon as possible, just because this is a lot of money and time people are spending. Once the house is booked time for the Venmo requests. Then I let everyone choose how they get there so they can control their own schedule.

START RESEARCHING

Research some bachelorette party ideas, specifically what to do’s in the city you are visiting. A few of mine are: hiring a chef to come cook at the house, renting a boat, dinner and drinks out on the town, a spa day, brunch, wine tasting, comedy or Magic Mike type of show, rent a party bus or trolley and bar hop. These are just a few of mine.

If you are looking for some more ideas, I wrote blogs on things to do in Asheville and what to do in Rosemary Beach.

BUILD OUT YOUR ITINERARY

Alright, now you have all the travel booked and some ideas brainstormed. Time to build an itinerary. Start booking dinner reservations and any activities you need to book in advanced. Then once you have all of that secured, organize it so you don’t forget. You can type it up and text it in the group, you can go above and beyond (like me lol) and make it on Canva, or you can purchase a template and fill it out - it’s now in your hands. If there are reservations at specific times, be sure to include those! And don’t forget to include the address of the house and any themed outfits you want people to wear.

I have built a few bachelorette itineraries if you are interested in checking them out here!