There are many ways to celebrate a couple and their married life during the wedding planning process. However, there’s only one event focusing on the bride’s celebration; the bachelorette party.

This event has evolved from low-key dinners or lunches taking place a day before a wedding to a full-out destination weekend complete with swimsuits, private boats and their own hashtags.

Definition of a Bachelorette Party

A bachelorette party is a gathering event to celebrate a women’s wedding day that will be held soon. It usually consists of the bride’s closest friends and family. 

Traditionally, a bachelorette party is supposed to be a bride-to-be’s last night of freedom. Still, it evolved into women celebrating other women and spending time with their favorite people in life.

Below are some things you should know for planning a bachelorette party.

Etiquette of a Bachelorette Party

Bachelorette parties may focus on everything fun, but there are still a few etiquettes that you and your guests should follow.

When to Hold a Bachelorette Party?

There aren’t any set of rules here, as different seasons are better for various destinations. For example, if you’re planning to celebrate in Bali, we recommend avoiding end-year parties as it tends to rain every day. But bachelorette parties are ideally held one or two months before the big day.

Who Throws a Bachelorette Party?

Traditionally, a bachelorette party is planned by the bride’s maid of honor, consisting of a group of bridesmaids or the bride’s closest friends. However, there really is no set of rules!

If the bride wants to handle the planning, it’s perfectly fine. Allsion Odhner, an expert bachelorette party planner from New York, states that too many opinions may quickly become a disaster. And it’s best to let one or two people do the planning and the rest should just go with the flow as much as possible.

Who Pays for the Party?

Each bachelorette party attendee traditionally pays their way through the celebration and also chips to covet the bride’s cost. If the party is a fine dinner or drinks, it’s a great gesture, but it may not be necessary to follow suit.

However, if the bachelorette party is a destination party that consists of a few days and plane hopping, then it makes more sense that the bride pays her own way.

6 Steps in Planning a Bachelorette Party

If you’re in charge of planning a bach party, you will need a clear roadmap. Here are our six steps for planning the perfect bachelorette party.

Choose Your Guest List

A bachelorette party is perfect for getting all your favorite people in one place! It’s best if brides decide who will be their core attendees before picking a location. The group’s size will affect your decisions for lodging activities. 

Pick a Date

The bachelorette part’s host should discuss with the bride to choose two to four dates that she prefers. From there, we recommend doing a poll; try going to a poll site such as Doodle.com to quickly pick a date that works best for invitees as well. This can help you choose the best date for the party.

Determine Your Location

There are several factors that go into the selection of a bachelorette destination. Things like the vibe, climate and activity preferences are obvious. Would you like it in a hot or cool place? Will it be alcohol-free? Would you prefer a relaxing party in a club or a secluded cabin? Is hiking in the woods something you and your attendees love, or would you instead hit a fancy restaurant in the city’s center?

These questions will help you narrow down all the options. You might find that two destinations offer similar services and amenities but one is considerably less pricey. You’ll also need to consider the time of year and the flight costs.

Book Lodgings

For a destination bachelorette party in places like Bali, we recommend hiring a house or a villa over hotel rooms. If it’s a bigger group of 15 to 25 people, you may want to extend your search outside the city as you’ll spend a lot of time in the house.

As lodging is the bulk of the expense for a bachelorette weekend, we suggest asking if invitees are okay with spending per night before you book the accommodations. If you indeed prefer a hotel room, book at least one suite. This offers a communal spot for people to pop in and have a glass of Champagne before they go out or just for hanging out in the morning. 

Plan Your Activities

We recommend two to three activities for the average two-day bachelorette party on the weekend and add some pre-scheduled downtime. Whether it’s taking place on the night you arrive or a full day during your three-day stay, there’s nothing wrong with staying beside a pool or doing low-key activities. 

Besides hitting the bars and clubs for the night, a bachelorette party may include spa activities, a picnic at the park, boat charters, private yoga and even group classes like cooking lessons.

Confirm Your Guests’ Attendance

Around three to four months before your bach party, the host should clearly estimate the base cost for lodging and activities. At this point, we recommend getting back in touch with the group and sharing the total estimated cost. This way, the invitees can make any last decisions about attending. Make it clear that guests will still be on the hook for their part of these expenses in case they decide to cancel after a specific date.