If you're here, that probably means you're one of the bride's besties who gets the fun honor of planning an amazing bachelorette weekend!
And you might be thinking, how hard can it be?
Depending on your bride and your squad, it can be a like the side hustle you never really asked for.
Coordinating everyone's PTO, budgets, the location, a hotel or Airbnb, restaurant reservations, party decor, etc... sometimes it can feel more like work than fun.
We're breaking it down for you so you can get back to focusing on the fun!
1.
Set the date and set the budget
Adult friendships are hard, ok? And the bigger the group, the more difficult it is to get everyone's schedules worked out. The first convo about your bride's bach bash should end with everyone agreeing on a date and how much everyone is willing to spend and how finances will be split.
Is everyone paying their own way? Are you all covering the bride for the weekend? Is the MoH paying for decor or will that be split?
Most importantly, BE HONEST. No one wants to be eating ramen noodles because they overspent on a bachelorette weekend. And no one wants to be the Debbie Downer hassling everyone to pay their fair share.
It can get a little awkward, but the most honesty and the more conversations that are had, the smoother things will go.
2.
Pick the location and get those accommodations/flights/etc... booked
Yay, you know your dates and your budget, now where are you going?
We'll be putting together a guide of some of the top spots for bachelorettes, but definitely research research research!
What is your bride all about? Does she want to hit the bars on Broadway in Nashville or lounge on the beach in Miami?
Airbnbs and hotels can go really fast or surge their pricing depending on holidays or peak seasons so the earlier you can book those big things, the better!
3.
Pick a theme
Now we're getting to the fun part! Your theme could come from your location (Vegas, the tropics, Nashville) or it could be something signature about your bride-- her favorite movie, a hobby, a meaningful song... tap into your creative side!
4.
Invite the crew and work up an itinerary
We know, it sounds so boring.
But even if it is tentative, knowing what you want to do while at your destination will help make sure you don't miss out on any of the fun! A general framework will help keep everyone on track and on the same page.
Remember, this is a vacation, so don't plan a super busy, rigid schedule unless everyone is down! Build in some time to relax and recharge as well.
This is a great time to introduce your theme with fun virtual or physical invitations and itineraries. (We love a physical invite for a keepsake!)
5.
Get to shopping!
The MOST fun part-- getting your party decorations, t-shirts, outfits, and party favors.
We've got tons of themes for you here on the website and are already planning more!
However, keep in mind your mode of travel. If you're flying, it's going to be trickier to bring tons of stuff than if you're driving. (And if you're driving, don't pull a move like we did and basically forget that people have to ride in the car too! It was a long ride to Nashville haha)
6.
Make reservations
If you're heading to a busy area, scope out some restaurants/activities you want to check out and go ahead and make reservations about a month in advance. It would be a bummer to miss out on the must-try place because you didn't plan ahead.
7.
Have fun!!
It's easy to get caught up in planning the perfect weekend, the perfect photos, the best activities and miss out on what it's all about--celebrating a huge milestone moment in your bestie's life!
We love a good party but we love a good late night belly laugh that doesn't end up on Insta even more.
We'll be popping in on the blog with more tips and ideas so let us know what you want to see more of!
Happy planning, loves
♥ CM