Bachelorette parties were modeled after the centuries-old bachelor party, which is historically is a dinner given by the bridegroom to his friends shortly before his wedding. Although the practice of giving a party to honor the bride-to-be goes back for centuries, the term bachelorette party itself did not begin until the 1960s. Initially, bachelorette parties were seen as often involving displays of sexual freedom, getting drunk and enjoying male strippers. However, nowadays the term is used for a wide variety of parties – mainly celebrating the bride-to-be’s new journey into marriage. Some brides choose to have this party before the big day whilst others question the importance of having one in the first place. With the projection of bachelorette parties being about a night of craziness, some brides may not see the point of having one for herself. Is there actually a purpose to having a bachelorette party or is it just a waste of time?
Let us shed some light into this discussion because, actually, a lot of good can come out from having a bachelorette party. For brides-to-be who are contemplating the idea of having a bachelorette party, here are some of the main reasons why having one would actually be beneficial for you.
HONORING THE OLD CHAPTER BEFORE ENTERING THE NEW ONE
Some people assume that having a bachelorette party means that you are not excited about getting married and you find it sad that you will no longer be ‘single’. But, the truth is that it isn’t about being sad that you are getting married at all. When you are about to enter a wonderful new journey in life called marriage, it is only fair that you also celebrate the life you had before it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a proper ‘goodbye’ to your old life before you enter a new one. You can have a bachelorette party and honor your old life whilst still be excited about getting married! It is like making an ending or having ‘closure’ and making sure that you really honor the times you had as a single person. Celebrate the life you had before you are about to make a new commitment to the love of your life because things will simply not be the same again. Take the time to really reminisce and look back on all the wonderful experiences you had before and what better way to do this than to do it with your closest of friends? Having this as an intention to your bachelorette party will simply make the event a lot more meaningful and enjoyable, rather than doing it just because you feel you ‘should’.
TAKING TIME OFF OF THE WEDDING MADNESS
The purpose of having a bachelorette party is to honor your single life, spend time with your closest friends and have a lot of fun. But, it is also a time for you to get away from the entire wedding planning shenanigans and to relax, completely without getting distracted. Every bride-to-be deserves a break before the wedding day, to just have time to themselves and to let their hair down with their girlfriends. Can you imagine being so caught up in the stress of wedding planning and not getting any time at all to just relax and enjoy being a soon to be bride and then getting married straight from that? What a shame that would be – to miss out on not only honoring your single life but, most importantly honoring yourself. Having some time off and doing it in such a way that makes it official via a bachelorette party – allows you to take care of yourself again and have yourself some much needed ‘me time’. You will feel a lot more refreshed and you will be a much happier bride when the big day comes. If you owe anything to yourself, you owe at least this – a chance to just have fun and be stressed free. Don’t you think you deserve that?
BACHELORETTE PARTIES MUST CATER TO YOU
It is no surprise to us that the way the media have portrayed bachelor and bachelorette parties have been more towards a night of crazy debauchery. So, often the first thing that comes to our minds whenever we do think about this is that there will be alcohol, bars and maybe even strippers involved. But, ladies, it is oh-so-important for all bride-to-be out there to understand that your bachelorette party should be about you and what you want. If you want to just stay in and have a pizza party with your girlfriends, who says you can’t do that? Your bachelorette party does not have to be wild and crazy if that isn’t exactly your cup of tea. Have a spa weekend, go to the beach or go to Disneyland – whatever it is that tickles your fancy, do that. There is no right or wrong way to go about having your bachelorette party; that is what makes it special and awesome. Make sure that the party caters to your wants and your needs. And if you are a bit wary of how your party will turn out then it helps to communicate exactly what you want to your maid of honor and bridesmaids so; they can really plan something according to your taste. The worst thing about having a bachelorette party is to regret not making it completely to your liking, so, go on and express what would make you happiest during that event. There should be no shame in doing exactly what you want even if that is staying in and having a pamper session with your girlfriends.
You do not have to have a bachelorette party if it is just something you don’t think you want or need. However, before dismissing the idea completely, it helps to take into consideration the fact that you and every bride-to-be out there deserve to be able to celebrate yourself, the friendships you have and the life you have lived.
It doesn’t have to be the same way everyone else does it; it can completely different and completely your own. The key is to honor yourself and have the best time ever with your closest friends. Now, doesn’t that sound like such a great thing to have?
