Tradition states that you must have a night out with your bridal party a few weeks before your wedding. There may be lots of drinking in some versions, while others mean a relaxing day in a spa. There’s no wrong or right to throwing a bachelorette party!

However, when you’re in the process of planning your wedding, you should decide if you want a bachelorette party or not.

Where did the Bachelorette Party Tradition Come From?

Many believe this tradition comes from the bachelor parties that initially came from the US. However, many bachelorette party traditions abroad come from their rituals and apply to the bride before her wedding day.

In the UK, the term bachelorette parties are usually known as the term ‘hen parties.’ This is due to hen parties used exclusively for female-only gatherings that usually involve tea and chatting. Eleanor Roosevelt was famously known to host a hen party for wives of the cabinet members and ladies of the press during Christmas.

It took many years to shape the bachelorette party into what it is today. This is because women did not have the same freedom to hold their own parties to depart from their single life. Men created the bachelor party that dates back to the 5^th century when Spartans needed to host a dinner for the groom to celebrate him and his new life after marriage. These celebrations were indeed exclusively only for men.

In recent decades, women started hosting their own parties to celebrate the end of their single life. These parties were usually designed after their bachelor party counterparts until the end of the 20^th century when the activities and attendees started to be diverse. Back then, bachelorette parties mainly consisted of the bride’s family and intimate acquaintances. Today, you can have anyone as an attendee, as they’re not only for the women in the bride’s life.

7 Reasons Why We Need a Bachelorette Party

Indeed, it’s part of the wedding tradition. But that doesn’t mean we have to have them. It’s your wedding after all! And what’s most important is you’re happy with what you have. You also need to decide on who you want to invite – it could strictly be your wedding party, or you can expand your guest list beyond your close friends. These are the 7 reasons you should throw a party and go beyond that.

1. Have it Because You Want to

In the end, if you want a final celebration with your besties before your marriage, make it a good one! Perhaps you’ve always pictured a spectacular bachelorette party, or maybe you prefer a more traditional one. You can also simply just have a girl’s night out. You don’t need to have a reason, as what matters is that you’re having a fun time with your friends to begin your next journey in life.

2. Because Your BFFs are in Town

Haven’t seen your besties in a while? A celebration is a must if they are coming over for your engagement! It doesn’t always have to be a big party, as you can simply have a low-key night for a simple get-together. But if everyone is coming over from their distant town just to see you, make sure to get some quality time and take advantage. Show them a nice place that you and your fiancé love to visit. And make sure to take them to your favorite spots as well.

3. Because There’s a Big Event Coming Up

Is an annual festival happening in your city? Or maybe your favorite band is playing nearby? Why not turn the event into your bachelorette party? It doesn’t even need to include all the “traditional” bachelorette party activities as being with your BFFS is all that matters! Gather your buddies and make a night or weekend out of these events. 

4. Because Some of Them Won’t be There on the Wedding Day

As invitations go out, a friend or two might tell you they sadly can attend your wedding. They might have a commitment for their career that day or need to go out of town for a personal matter. A bachelorette party is an excellent way to keep them feeling included. This way, they’ll still have fun with you even if they can’t make it to the ceremony. This also lets you take pictures with them that might not be possible at the wedding.

5. Because Your Wedding Won’t be Local

Does everyone need to travel to get to your wedding, even you? If you’ve chosen to have a wedding out of town, like a destination wedding in Bali, this will limit who can attend or how long they can stay. Pre-wedding activities may be minimal, so we suggest having a local bachelorette party instead of one abroad. It offers everyone time to celebrate and when the wedding weekend finally comes, they can focus on preparing and arriving on time for your special day.

6. Because the Bridal Party Needs to Know Each Other

Friends come from different stages in life, and your friends from high school and work won’t likely know each other. A bachelorette party is an excellent chance to get everyone to bond. This will also help the wedding planning and celebration to go smoothly. You don’t need to have games like get-to-know-you; spending the day together will be more than enough.

7. Because You are Eloping or Having a Tiny Wedding

If you’re celebrating with a super short guest list, your friends should understand that you want to keep things small and intimate. However, that doesn’t mean that they should be excluded. If you’re having a secret elopement, plan your bachelorette party after the nuptials. This way, it also becomes a wedding celebration.

Final Thoughts

Choosing whether you should have a bachelorette party or not may seem like a big deal – but at the end of the day, it really isn’t! it all depends on how much you want to spend your time with your besties away from the craze of wedding planning. You don’t need to visit every bar in town; simply enjoy a day in the spa, have a nice dinner or just bathe in sweats at home. The important thing is you’re all together to celebrate your new stage in life