A Bachelorette Weekend Planning Guide

A bachelorette weekend is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the bridesmaids to celebrate the upcoming nuptials by helping the bride close the book on her status as a single woman. Whether the weekend's attendees include just the bridal party or a larger group of family and friends, these tips will help you plan an event that'll create memories the bride will cherish forever.

Start Early

Planning the bachelorette weekend at least a few months in advance can save you money, especially if attendees plan to fly in. Hotels and vacation rental brokerages may also offer discounts for advance reservations, especially if you'll travel in the off-season. Consult with a travel agent if you have trouble finding discounts on your own.

Assign Tasks

Distributing the work among the bridesmaids makes planning more efficient, but only if everyone is accountable and on the same page. Designate one person to oversee the planning and make regular contact with the others to make sure their tasks are completed on time.

Choose a Theme

Pick a theme the that fits a particular aspect of the bride's personality, hobbies or interests. Alternatively, create a theme around the bridesmaid group's shared experiences. If you all went to college together, for example, your school would make a great theme. You could tour your old campus, request permission to see your dorm rooms, and revisit all your old haunts.

Pick a Destination

The destination must support the theme, of course, and getting there should be easy and relatively inexpensive. Once you know where you want to go, choose activities and accommodations. It pays to do your homework. Bachelorette weekends are becoming common enough that many hotels, B&Bs and vacation rental brokers offer discount packages that save you money on accommodations and attractions. Some even throw in amenities such as in-room wine and cheese.

Create an Itinerary

You don't need to schedule every moment of the weekend, but going in with a plan helps you get most out of your trip. Add the most important items first. If you're buying tickets for a show or have to work around wineries' tasting schedules, for example, start with those events, and then add other activities, meals, travel time and rest times.

Plan Transportation

Getting to your destination is the easy part. Driving around once you're there can be frustrating if you're in unfamiliar territory, and dangerous if the itinerary includes drinking. Leave driving to the pros--hire a taxi like Union Taxi to shuttle you from location to location.

The months leading up to a wedding are as stressful as they are exciting. A well executed bachelorette weekend gives the bride and her attendants a chance to blow off a little steam before the final push toward the big day.


Share