Get In Formation

Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation; time to organize the bachelorette party. You want this party to go as smooth as possible, so now it’s time to lay out a plan to make it all happen. Per usual during the planning process, it all comes back to what the bride truly wants. Make sure you’re following her wishes and all will be well. See below for a loose guideline!

Go over details with the bride. Make sure you’ve nailed now every tiny aspect that the bride is hoping for. You don’t necessarily need to tell her exactly what you’re planning if she wants it to be a surprise—but have her general interests in mind. If she wants something low key, stick with the brunch or tea party idea we listed on Tuesday. If you know she’s into sports, go for organizing an activity like skiing or something of the like.

Invitations. It’s always fun to give your invitations a bit of a flare that ties back into the overall wedding vision. Maybe include her colors or flowers of choice, or whatever else it is that makes her wedding unique and special. Send out the invitations with the date, time, location, recommended attire (if necessary) and any other details you feel are needed. Also, let everyone know what the general expense will be if you aren’t just hosting a party. The bride should never have to pay for anything.  Costs should be covered and split amongst the party throwers.

Roll call. Get a head count of everyone that is coming. This will help you prep for how much food and drink you’ll need, what transportation will look like if you’re traveling near or far, and what expenses per person will look like. Also keep in mind who has kids and who doesn’t, and therefore, who is more likely able to come on a weekend getaway as opposed to a brunch or spa day.

Make the reservations. Make any lodging, lunch, dinner, spa reservations or car rental arrangements when you have somewhat of a solid head count. Do this as soon as possible. If you have a large group of people, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. So make any sort of reservations you need to right away!

As long as you follow the general wishes of your bride, executing the actual party will come easy. Just keep it simple by following the guidelines we’ve outlined here, followed by deep breathing and calm thoughts. Here’s to a fantastic bachelorette party! 

Keeping the Peace amongst your Bridal Party

When choosing who you are going include in your bridal party, it can be difficult to navigate through your group of friends and family without hurting anyone’s feelings. After this task, it can be even more difficult to keep the party happy as a whole. Here are few rules of thumb we’ve established to aide with all bridal party issues that may come about!

Make your own rules; MOH & Best Man. A lot of people think there is an unspoken rule that you are only allotted one Maid of Honor and one Best Man. We are here to tell you this is false information. If you have two loved ones you can’t decide between, why not employ both? From there, it will be their responsibility to work together to help you with anything you need for your big day. On the contrary, if you don’t want a Maid of Honor or Best Man, you don’t need to have one. Instead, just designate tasks among the group so everyone can take part equally.

Take their ideas into consideration. We don’t mean to simply go along with whatever your bridal party wants to do; they may have some very creative and/or crazy ideas. Definitely let the bridal parties voice their opinions, though. If they are happy on your big day, you’ll be happy too. For example, when deciding on attire, introduce your general idea to the group and find out the census; will they feel good in what you’d like them to wear? Will they be comfortable? Use their opinion to guide you toward the best middle ground for everybody.  

Keep alcohol consumption at a minimum pre-ceremony.  It’s important your bridal parties are on their A-game as they precede you down the aisle. This is the moment all your guests will be waiting for; stumbles, forgotten rings, incorrect formation, etc. are all at stake for these precious moments. After the ceremony is complete, the partying can begin without restraint if you desire!

Thank yous. It’s important to thank all of your bridesmaids and groomsmen for walking alongside you on your special day. Let them know they are important to you and their willingness to participate means the world to you. Little gifts are a great idea to show you care about their decision to take part and they don’t have to be lavish or expensive. Anything as simple as a card, keychain or homemade treats will show your appreciation.

Give them the special treatment. Give your bridal party a little special treatment! For example, if you’re not including a plus one for each of your guests, allot your bridal party to bring their special someone. Another idea is to give them special glasses for their drinks that are different from the rest of the guests.

Keeping your bridal party happy and excited will make you feel that much more happy and excited for your special day! Choosing members for your bridal parties that love you just as much as you love them shouldn’t pose many issues to begin with, so start there!