These days it is not uncommon for bachelorette parties to be more involved than heading to the local bar and screaming woo! over tequila shots.
More frequently brides are opting for whole weekend soirées often consisting of trips out of state, or even abroad, where they can scream woo! over tequila shots. Fancy.
Bachelorette weekends can serve as a great reason to bring everyone together, get out of town, and celebrate a big life change. After all, who doesn’t love a good vacation? But there are some complicating factors—how do you get a group of people together, some of whom may have never met, with different tastes and budgets to agree and plan an elaborate trip? Often times haphazard planning leads to a trip filled with hurt feelings, drama, and wasting money. Here are some of our tips for taking the stress out of the weekend:
Communicate! We often see brides leave it up to their maid of honor or best friend to organize the trip without communicating a lot of preferences. Don’t pretend to be all easy breezy on the front end unless you’re prepared to go on a trip that may not suit your personality at all. It’s imperative to communicate your thoughts on budget, location and overall vibe of the trip. If you want a laid back trip outdoors complete with wine tastings, you probably don’t want to head to Vegas. On the flip-side if you want a wild weekend straight out of Girls Trip, then maybe San Diego is a little too tame for your taste. Either way, speak up! When I was getting married, I asked for a laid back trip in a fun southern city that would be unique. I also told them that under no circumstances should there be any matching outfits. A very fun trip to Nashville was planned. And even though every fourth woman was also there on her bachelorette, and I was made to wear a sash, I got almost everything I asked for. Ladies, if you’re reading this, I had a blast, and this was more for dramatic effect.
Budget. Like all things wedding related, and life related, consider your budget. Then consider the budget of your friends when picking a place. If you want to rent an Italian villa for a long weekend, make sure that it matches their respective budgets, too. Don’t be afraid to have those conversations early on and set expectations. Getting everyone on board and then springing a hefty price tag later can leave your attendees feeling bitter or dropping out at the last minute.
“It’s imperative to communicate your thoughts on budget, location and overall vibe of the trip.”
image: @refar
Create an itinerary. Whether you as the bride, or someone on your behalf, is planning the trip, make sure someone creates an itinerary. When you hear the word itinerary, maybe you’re imagining the camp counselor or overzealous parent with a clipboard and a megaphone waking everyone up at 6am. And you certainly don’t want to over schedule every moment because soon you’ll realize you forgot to schedule having fun on the trip. But there should be some loose schedule to the day. Pick your accommodations, restaurants, and any scheduled activities ahead of time. No matter how spontaneous you think you and your friends are, you won’t want to waste a quick weekend looking for somewhere to stay or trying to get reservations at a trendy restaurant for 10+ people on a Friday night. This is also important for purposes of sticking to the aforementioned budget. Also, if you plan to buy a table at a nightclub, see a comedy show or take a ferry ride, etc. look into purchasing tickets ahead of time. Not only will you save a lot of time, but booking in advance can you save you money as companies often offer booking discounts for larger parties ahead of time. Either way, you will avoid a lot of the, “i’m good with whatever” thirty-minute-discussions every time you go to do something.
The goal of a bachelorette weekend is always to have a stress free, fun weekend with your friends, away from wedding planning. A little planning beforehand will ensure that you can relax and get your closest friends excited for the big day ahead.
Cakes and Rosé Events provides a unique service to create a perfect itinerary for your weekend. Read more under services or contact us!