I have been on many bachelorette weekends, but I couldn't have even prepared for how sweet this weekend would be as a bride. After my bachelorette weekend I felt truly ready to be a Tkach! I want to share about all the steps and tips I would give to anyone currently planning their bachelorette weekend. While social media has created high expectations and escalated the idea of how these weekends can be, ultimately, this weekend should exude YOU as a bride. For me, I wanted a wholesome weekend with my closest girls. I wanted it to have a balance of activities, and quality time, lend to reminiscing, talking about the future, and hold some emotion. Overall, I believe bachelorette weekends really prepare and help you process the big milestone and season that you are in!
LET'S BREAKDOWN THE PLANNING:
Location:
Starting with your location, guest list and dates are top priority. I would suggest deciding on this as soon as you ask your wedding party! I struggled between choosing a place that meant a lot to me, or a new place that felt fun and exciting. It all depends on the vibe and what you want out of the weekend. I ended up choosing the sentimental location and it was perfect for me, however, if you choose a place such as Nashville, Austin, Charleston, or Scottsdale, there are so many built in opportunities for you and your group! Booking early will give you plenty of time to allow your friends to book flights, request PTO, and budget if needed. It will also allow you time to find accommodations for larger groups if that is what you are choosing.
Guest list:
Similar to your wedding guest list, your bachelorette guest list could be tricky. Blending friend groups, avoiding hurt feelings, and deciding on how many people is hard. I did what felt right to me and was able to find a natural divide. After you decide and ask your friends, I would recommend asking them their comfortable budget for the weekend! This will help create good communication and expectations for planning and going into the weekend. Once we booked the trip and had a general plan together, I mailed all of my girls invitations. This is not necessary at all, but I loved the special touch.
Theme:
I have always been and will always be all about a theme!! Your theme can be a play on your location, a passion of yours, or a nod to this season specifically. A theme can be easily linked throughout your entire weekend to make it extra intentional and memorable.
Activities:
After some experience, I have found that having a set plan of activities and an itinerary makes the weekend more manageable and seamless. It allows everyone to know what to do and when without having to make group decisions. To help keep the weekend organized, we used the Batch app, as well as printed out itineraries for the girls to be able to reference. Not all activities need to cost money! Finding a balance based on each girls budget is key! Here are a few ideas of group activities:
Pickleball
Biking
Yoga
Pool Day
Beach day
Boating
Game night
Meals:
Similar to activities, having a set plan for meals and groceries is crucial!! This should be planned around your activities, with a varying level of price points. I would also recommend opting for a dinner in one night! We had a picnic, ordered pizzas, and made sides. Doing this felt intimate and led to such intentional conversations. We were all able to talk around the table instead of sitting in a restaurant only able to hear the people next to us.
Decor:
This is the easiest way to include your theme! My Matron of Honor did a fantastic job and surprised me with all the decor. A few things she included to decorate the VRBO was a balloon garland, a banner for photo ops, tinsel on the walls, and decorating my room with bride balloon letters. It made the weekend feel truly like an experience.
Gifts:
I put a lot of thought into what I wanted to gift the girls. Just like the bridesmaid boxes, I didn't want to gift them anything that they wouldn't use again or felt unnecessary. This can also help tie in your theme and is such a fun surprise for the girls! Your friends make a big effort to attend and celebrate you, so it feels special to gift them something so sweet. Here is what I put together:
A beach bag
Sarong
Sweatshirt
Eye masks
Fun sunglasses
Champagne bottle
Outfits:
A packing list and outfit guide is extremely helpful to give your friends as a suggestion. Having a themed activity or dinner out is so fun! However, I would recommend being a little more lenient on the other days so that your friends aren't buying an entirely new wardrobe for your trip.
Savor all of these special weekends and events, they are what make the season of engagement special. After my bachelorette weekend I felt cherished, it helped me process the milestone, and made me feel completely ready!
*Outfits and gifts are linked in my LTK & Amazon storefront!
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