Get ready to celebrate, because your best friend just got engaged! It’s an exciting time filled with happy tears, hugging, and squealing — and even more of that when she asks you to be her maid of honor. Once she pops the question, you know it’s time to get down to business. Bachelorette party ideas from the #bridesquad might begin to flood in, and as her BFF, you know it’s your duty to make it memorable. You understand that planning a bachelorette party can be fun and stressful if you’re not prepared. Since it’s your first time, you might be wondering how to plan a bachelorette party that’s undeniably perfect.
This is your best friend, after all. You know her like the back of your hand, and therefore, you are the best person to plan this epic weekend of fun. Even though you may be an expert on her, it is still your very first time tackling this job, so it can get overwhelming.
Before you starting stressing yourself out with the tiny details and getting lost in Pinterest boards, take a breather and use this list of tips to guide you through it all. Pretty soon, you’ll be smooth sailing to the best bachelorette party ever for your favorite bride-to-be.
1. GET A SENSE OF EVERYONE’S BUDGET
What your favorite rom-coms don’t tell you is that bachelorette parties can be expensive if you don’t budget properly. Check in with the entire bride squad to see what an attainable budget looks like before you kick off the planning stage. It could be the difference between a girls’ night out in a nearby city versus a weekend getaway to a beach town.
2. CHOOSE A PLACE AND PLAN THE BRIDE WILL LOVE
You might envision the dream bachelorette party being a cruise to the Bahamas, but maybe your bestie is more of a chill yoga retreat kind of a girl. When planning out the venue and activities, you’ll need to make sure you’re keeping in mind what your BFF would actually want, because this plan is all about the bride.
3. FIGURE OUT HOW EVERYONE’S GETTING THERE
If you’re opting for a weekend away, you need to plan out how everyone’s getting there (and also factor that into the budget). The bride squad might even be spread out across the country, and that entails different ways of meeting up.
4. DECIDE HOW LONG IT WILL BE
Determining what kind of party to have is pretty much the first step in the process. A bachelorette party can be a one-night event, or a long weekend of fun. Before you can even start planning the whole thing, you have to figure out how long the party’s going to last. That will also determine when the party may be in the year.
5. CHECK IN WITH THE BRIDAL PARTY TO SEE IF YOUR BESTIE DROPPED ANY HINTS
You want the bachelorette party to be a perfect combination of what you know your bestie would love, and a few fun surprises along the way. To get an idea of some of those surprises, you should check in with the rest of the bridal party to see if they have any ideas.
Maybe your bestie mentioned to her co-worker that she thinks matching “Bride Squad” shirts are cheesy, or has a Pinterest board filled with ideas. Use this valuable intel to piece together your friend’s dream party.
6. GET A LIST OF ATTENDEES FROM THE BRIDE
In addition to all of the bridesmaids, your bestie may have a few other friends she wants there to celebrate. Ask her for a list. Don’t forget to get emails and cell phone info from her as well. That way, you can make sure she has her entire crew along for the fun.
7. GET A GROUP CHAT GOING WITH THE BRIDE SQUAD
Sometimes, you just need a little help from your best girlfriends. You may be taking the reins on planning this whole party, but you’ll want some assistance from your bestie’s squad to execute it. That’s why you need to get a group chat going to keep everyone in the loop on. Just don’t forget to name the group chat something fun like, “Bride Squad” or “Friends Of Honor.”
8. BE STRAIGHTFORWARD AND ASK YOUR BESTIE WHAT SHE WANTS
Right off the bat, you can consider planning a brunch with your bestie to get a rundown of the type of party she wants (without revealing any of the surprise details to her). You don’t want to be bugging her with minor details along the way, because she’ll be busy with everything else on the wedding to-do list.