How to Throw a Bachelorette Party

Celebrate the bride-to-be's upcoming wedding with a gathering of her closest friends

By MiShaun Taylor

Photo by iStockphoto.com

A bachelorette party can be a fun yet stressful event to plan. The idea that it's the last opportunity for a bride-to-be to celebrate with her closest friends as a single woman can have you racking your brain trying to make it perfect. Keep in mind that the future bride is going to have a great time no matter what the venue because she will be surrounded by her best friends. In order to make the planning process a little less of a headache, use the following tips.

• What You Need to Know
• Get together with the rest of the bridal party and start planning. Have fun, get wild, but most of all, be sure to respect your bride's preferences. You can push your bride to the edge, but try not to push her over it.

Step 1:

Set a date. Discuss possible dates with the bride to find out the best time for her. Then consult the other bridesmaids to make sure that all or most of them will be able to attend. Print invitations and deliver them in plenty of time for everyone to arrange for time off or other preparations that are necessary. Plan to meet at a central location if you are having a night out on the town. If you plan on having a limo escort you from each location, reserve it as soon as you set the date of the party.

Step 2:

Purchase party favors. The bride-to-be will, of course, need a tiara. It's also a fun idea to make shirts if you are partying with a group of people, using iron-on transfers to design your shirts. Each shirt should have a catchy phrase such as "Last Fling Before the Ring" printed on the front. On the back, put the names of each person and her spot in the wedding. For instance, if Nancy is your Maid of Honor, you could put that title under her name on the back of the shirt. If you don't want to make all the shirts yourself, you can design and order them from a screenprinter.

Step 3:

Pick your activities. Decide if the bachelorette party will consist of a girls night at home or a night out on the town. If you decide to do a small get-together at home, you will need to plan activities, such as facials and pedicures. You can even have the spa come to you. You can also rent several chick flicks and load up on popcorn and candy. You might even want to drag out the old "Dream Phone" game. If you decide to spend the night out, decide which clubs or bars you will be visiting and set up an itinerary to determine where to go first and how long you will stay at each one. Find out which bars offer drink specials to ladies on the night you are going and set up your itinerary according to the hours reserved for those specials.

Step 4:

Estimate costs ahead of time. If you are hosting the party at your home, you will be responsible for providing the food, drinks and entertainment. Set up a budget and stick to it. If you're going out, you will only need to pay for yourself and the bride. Call and find out the cover charge of each bar you plan to go to and the approximate drink prices. Also factor in the price of food in case you plan on having dinner first or piling up at Waffle House afterward. If there isn't a designated driver, you will also need to consider the cost of a limo or taxis to take everyone back home. Break the cost down per person and let everyone know approximately how much money they will need for the night.

Step 5:

Plan some party games. Whether you stay in or go out, it wouldn't be a bachelorette party without some games. If you are partying at home, there are a host of drinking games you can participate in to keep everything fun and entertaining. One drinking game involves watching a video from someone else's wedding. Every time the camera catches the bride's fake smile, everyone has to drink.

• Tips & Warnings
• Hire a car service or have a taxi company's number at hand. Unless you have a designated driver, don't plan on driving yourselves.
• Consult with bridesmaids individually over email before the bachelorette party to gauge how much they are able to spend and to get a sense of their schedule (especially if they are travelling).