Bachelorette Parties usually take place about a month before the wedding and should not be prior to two weeks of her special day! This is to make sure there are no accidents to get in the way of her wedding day (falling and spraining ankle, etc). It's great to have it around a month prior to the wedding so the girls can share a closeness and remember all the inside jokes that come from partying together and build an excitement about the big Wedding day as well since that is the reason for the party to begin with!
4 Months Till Party
Have the Bachelorette give you a list of all the girls she wants to have go to the Bachelorette Party. Make sure she includes the email, phone number, and address of each girl.
Ask the Bride-To-Be if she wants to help plan or have you and the girls plan. Our Bride-To-Be, Amy, wanted us to plan the whole party and only wanted to help pick the place to have it (Vegas). I asked her if there were any girls that also wanted to help plan the party with me since there usually are a few girls that want to participate. It is important to check with a few of the Bachelorette's close friends on what general things they would like to do so the Bachelorette Party can be well received by the majority!
Think of where you want to go and what date seems to work out for most of the girls who are invited. You will never find a perfect date for everyone so pick the best date for the majority!
It is important to answer the following questions...Is the party going to be:
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1) Home or away?
2) How long?
3) Are people driving or do you need transportation?
4) Do any of the girls have special needs (allergies, handicap, etc)?
5) How are girls going to pay (many times an issue...are you going to ask them for money up-front or have the girls pay for themselves)?
6) How much are you going to pay or gifts and decorations?
7) Are you going to pay for the Bride-To-Be (which needs to be figured in to the cost)?
8) Does the Bachelorette want to have a conservative party or one that is
wild?
If you are traveling for the party, It is a great idea to call a hotel of choice as early as possible and get a group rate! Many hotels are willing to bargain since they need your business!
Party Planning Checklist
3 Months Till Party
Send out an initial invitation between 4 and 3 months before the Bachelorette Party. Let the girls know the scoop, including where the party will be, how much the basic cost will be, what girls will need (I.e., type of clothes, anything they need to bring, etc), travel arrangements if possible, and any other important information. It is very helpful to send a group email by CC'ing all the girls so they can share each-other's email and communicate to each other as a group! You may want to have some of the girls to give you any suggestions they still have on making the party more of a success but be careful since there are always those who want it their way only!
Make sure to have the girls RSVP to you or the person you appoint and stay on top of this since there are always the slackers who don't respond until you send them a few emails or calls. You may want the Bride to call those girls who don't get back to you after a few times (if you don't know them that well).
Let the guests know the final basic itinerary, including the reservations, transportation, places you will be eating, Bachelorette.com is the world's largest store for bachelorette party supplies. , and how money collection will be handled!
2 Months Till Party
About 2 1/2 months out, confirm with the girls who are going and make sure you follow up with them. Make sure everyone who is going knows all the information necessary and see if anyone still needs help with their planning, especially if you are going away and have reservations!
1 Month Till Party
The excitement should be building! Send out an email with the final plans. Make sure if you are purchasing tems/gifts for your party that you take care of it now. Confirm the following information:
- Hotel and Travel
- Transportation
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Food/Drink- Free drink recipes for a great girls night out
- Entertainment
- Who brings what
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Gifts/Games-Bachelorette.com has free bachelorette party games you can download and print.
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Make sure to delegate some responsibility to the other girls who want to help and that you know are more responsible so you don't have to take all the stress of planning on yourself (unless you enjoy all the planning). Bachelorette.com has free shipping on all orders over $75.00.
2 Weeks Till Party
Check in with all the girls again to make sure everything is set. By now you should have everything that you want to bring ready to go! If you are having the girls pay you back, let them know at this time again how much they owe you and when they need to pay you! It is important to receive the money before the party so you don't have to think about it when you are having a good time.
Many times, issue come up that cause one of the girls to not attend the party after RSVPing. Make sure you have a backup plan that includes how to cover the possible room assignment and additional fees for covering the Bachelorette (and anything else that may come up).
1 Week Till Party
Send out an email to all the girls to increase the spirit and excitement for the party. It is always good to go over all the basics one more time for those who are a little party-challenged. You are about to experience a memorable time. Make sure the Bride-To-Be is always pampered and relaxed by the time she gets to your Bachelorette Party destination.
Remind yourself that you did an excellent Job!