How to Plan a Bachelorette Party

bridal party in all pink for a wedding with the bride

The team at Zola reached out to me about sharing their super cute post of Bachelorette party ideas. I asked for even more details for the person planning the party. What’s a good timeline? When should you start planning? What should you do 1 month before the party? One week before the party? And they delivered! I hope you find this post as helpful as I did!

Throwing a bachelorette party is the ultimate way to celebrating your bestie bride. This bash will gather the bridal party (and possibly some other close friends) together for one last fling before the ring. Keep reading to discover how you can plan the ultimate bachelorette bash for the bride-to-be! 

Bachelorette Party Planning: 3-4 Months Out

Invitations

You’ll want to start planning 3-4 months out so people can make time in their schedule to attend. To kickstart the planning process, have the bride send you the names, phone numbers and email addresses of everyone she’d like to invite.

Who to Invite to the Bachelorette Party

While it used to be only the bridal party that attended the bachelorette, modern brides are extending the invitation to other close friends. You can actually save money on some activities and stay options by adding more people to the celebration.  

Location

The most important step in bachelorette party planning after the guest list is selecting a fun place to celebrate! Whether your group is planning a destination party or an event in the bride’s city, you’ll want to figure out where everyone will stay and how they’ll get there early on.

girls on the beach for a tropical bachelorette party

Guest List

You’ll also want to send out an initial text or email to the attendees to see who can realistically attend. It’s best to have the destination already picked out so attendees can check their budgets and their calendars before they decide to come. 

Bachelorette Party Planning: 2 Months Out

Booking a Hotel or AirBNB

Once you have a good idea of how many girls can come, you’ll want to book your hotel or AirBnb ASAP. As soon as you’ve selected a place to stay and divided up the math, have girls start paying you so you don’t end up having to cover this expensive cost all on your own. 

Planning Meals and Activities

Now’s the time to do your research, and encourage other attendees to do the same! Ask for meal recommendations, activities and more so you can plan out a perfect weekend for the bride to be. 

Making Reservations

Once you have a good list of recommendations compiled, start booking your reservations. You’ll thank yourself later for pre-booking everything because the bigger your group is, the harder it will be to get in places without a reservation.  

Choosing a Theme

You’ll also want to decide on an instagram-worthy bachelorette theme during this time. Click here for Zola’s comprehensive list of 57 Bachelorette Party Themes to throw the perfect bach bash for some great ideas. They even have Bachelorette party hashtag ideas!

Some fun ways to incorporate the theme include deciding on what decorations, gifts, and attire everyone will wear throughout the weekend. 

Bachelorette Party Planning: 1 Month Out

One month out means it’s almost game time. Make sure you have everything organized because time will start flying by. 

Decorations

If you haven’t already, order all the bachelorette party decorations you’ll need. Use our  “Tropic Like it Hot” tropical mood board below for some bachelorette decor inspiration! For example, you can incorporate bold patterns and island themed decor such as pineapples and flamingos for a tropical themed bash. 

Tropical Bachelorette PartyTheme ideas mood board Tropic Like it's Hot from Zola
Tropic Like it’s Hot Bachelorette Party Ideas. Photo: Zola.com

Check out my blog post on my sister’s Tropical Bridal Shower to find out how to make ice cubes with flowers in them.

Favors

Traditionally, girls who attend the bachelorette receive a small gift for traveling to celebrate. This is another great opportunity to tie your theme together. Make sure you order these early so they arrive in time. 

Bachelorette Party Planning: 1 Week Out 

Itinerary

Get everyone excited in the week leading up to the bach bash by sending out a detailed itinerary. In addition to getting the girls pumped for the weekend, this will also keep everyone on the same page and the planners in your group will be very thankful for your organizational skills! 

Double Check Reservations

You’ll also want to reconfirm any reservations you made with restaurants and activity groups so you don’t get surprised with a cancellation or miscommunication when you arrive. 

Packing

Lastly, make sure you’ve packed everything you need, including any themed decor and gifts for the bride tribe.

You can check out more party inspiration below!

Related Posts

All Wedding/Bachelorette/Bridal Shower/Baby Event Blog Posts

5 Easy and Affordable Bachelorette Party Ideas

57 Bachelorette Party Themes by Zola

Vegas Bachelorette Party

My Sister’s Destination Wedding in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua including a Catamaran Bachelorette Party

Tropical Bridal Shower Ideas

Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with Zola, but is not sponsored content. I just thought these ideas were worth sharing! This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about what that means and how it works on my Disclosure page. Thank you for your support!!

Author: Lindsay

Lindsay is the creator of Blushing in Hollywood a beauty, dating, travel and lifestyle blog based in Los Angeles, California.

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