As we’ve said before, the big day is really important BUT…with all the stress of the bride from picking out tablecloths to the photobooth layout, the bride always feel more pressure and stress.
So, the bridesmaids jobs are to help where they can and make sure the bachelorette party is the bride’s escape from wedding everything.
Look for a location that suits her style
How many times in your life do you get to have all of your favorite friends in the same spot for an entire weekend? Only once! So pick a place that not only suited the bride’s personality but also was a surprise. Sneaky, sneaky, right? If she is super low-key, book a cute little cottage on the water.
Email threads are lifesavers
Send an email to the entire bridal party at the beginning of the year. Create a thread sooner rather than later because everyone leads busy lives. This will help keep tabs of who had and hadn’t chimed into the conversation. Plus, it’s easily accessible in Gmail thanks to the color-coded labeling system.
Decide on a date first and foremost
When deciding on a date, always, always, always provide options for the whole group. Summer is a go-to season for vacations, so don’t be shocked when you receive some responses that say, “I can’t do that weekend.” Always give options.
Everyone may or may not be able to attend
There was only one person in the group that lived on the opposite coast, and I thought that the bachelorette party would be too much traveling for her for such a short stay. However, I was wrong. She purchased a roundtrip ticket and flew across the country for the event.
Someone may be under 21
The brides sister may be only 10 days shy of being the BIG 2-1. She could be asked to be a designated driver, but that shouldn’t stop her from having fun. She could be your DJ and play your friends songs.
Prepare an itinerary
From wine tasting to ferry boat riding, there is almost too much you’ll want to accomplish in a single Saturday. It’s better to brainstorm ideas beforehand. Otherwise, it would feel like you were winging it.
Everyone needs to feel involved
Even though there may be an event planner, make sure everyone felt like they play a part at making the trip a total success. Surprise the bride by having the bridesmaids write clues for each pit stop on your schedule. For example, “Forgive me for being cheesy, but every time you visit you take a piece of me with you.” This clue can be associated with dinner at a pizza parlor.
Someone may forget a necessity
You could be the ‘mom’ of your friends, the one that constantly remind each and every girl to not forget a pillow, sleeping bag, bath towel, etc. Lo and behold, someone forgot to pack a toothbrush. But not to worry, you have a spare.
Come up with a hashtag
The bride need to see her pictures later on, or the next day, so create a hashtag she can see all the appropriate or unappropriate photos. #taratakesmiami it was!
Gift her goodies
No matter how often the guest of honor said she didn’t want silly (and potentially scandalous) stuff, you can’t resist giving her some traditional gag gifts, even if they went in the trash post-party. The three most important things to wrap up in pretty paper boxes tied with bows: a picture frame, sash, and temporary tattoos.
It’s okay to have downtime
You can’t control the weather. It could be a scorching 115 degrees, if you’re in Vegas. Also known as too hot! Stay in with some cheese and crackers or fun board games. Hey, not every bachelorette party likes to party hard, right?
End with a bang
Think of sweet things to finish off the weekend. Wish lanterns to send off into the sky area really neat idea. It’s nothing compared to fireworks, but it still ended the night with lots of “happily ever after” thoughts for the soon-to-be newlyweds.
Say thank you
Once the weekend was over, make it an effort to individually thank the bridesmaids. Such a small gesture goes a long way. And they’ll be sure to be excited for the bridal shower up next!