The bachelorette party is often misunderstood. It is its own event and does not replace having a shower.
What it is
This is a fun party for the bride and her very closest women friends. It is intimate – never should be more than 20 people and is even better if it is only eight or 10 people. It can be organized by a sister, a friend, the maid of honour, the bridesmaids and even involve the bride. It doesn’t matter – the goal is for the closest friends to get together and reminisce.
What it is not
It is not a gift-giving occasion. It is just pals celebrating their friendship. (That explains why the bride can be involved in pulling it together. The bride, however, cannot have any input into any occasion that requires a gift, such as a shower.)
What to do
Throw a bunch of ideas on the table and then decide which would be the most fun.
- Plan a spa day and end the day with a dinner.
- Have an out-of-town overnight trip with an end-of-evening gabfest in your pajamas.
- Organize a long, leisurely dinner at someone’s house. Everybody contributes a dish: a favourite appetizer, entrée or dessert.
- Go on a pub crawl. (Include a bar with male strippers, if that’s everybody’s style). Why not rent a limo to get you around town?
- Got some funny friends? Take that advantage and plan your own humorous roast for the bride.
- Are all your friends golfers or tennis players? A game followed by dinner is another good option.
- Everybody, including the bride, pays their own expenses. It is just a fun, goofy, hilarious recollection of good times with good friends.
Originally published in Today’s Bride magazine, Spring/Summer 2016.
