Party Ideas fit for a Bachelorette!

Ladies, are you worried about what you’re going to do for your bride for her pre-ceremony festivities? Throwing a bachelorette party for your bride is one of the most fun parts of a wedding celebration! So relax and take a look at the list of ideas we’ve compiled for you. As we discussed last week in regards to the groom and the bachelor party, this is going to be a celebration of the bride’s soon-to-be wedded bliss, so make sure you target exactly what she likes.

Spa day / Spa weekend. The ultimate goal for most brides is relaxation. Treat your bride to a spa day or a whole weekend of massages, facials, pedicures, and seaweed wraps. The more friends that attend, the cheaper it is; everyone will be pitching in to cover the bride’s expenses. All of the pampering will also be relaxing for you, too!

Wine tasting. Set aside a day to go on a tour of wineries nearby, or take a trip to wine country within your state. If you’re feeling adventurous, go out of state and make it a little trip! Stop midday for lunch for a little pick-me-up and then hit a few more wineries before dinner. This gives time for everyone to chat and visit, and just have general downtime with the bride during the hectic planning. The bride will also appreciate a little break with some friend time in a relaxing setting.

Brunch. So many maids of honor have recently begun throwing lavish brunch parties within the last couple of wedding seasons. Brunch parties are the best! You can serve mimosas, play games, and make all of the bride’s favorites brunch foods. This is a great idea because you have control over the details of the party and can mold it to exactly what the bride likes.

Tea party. Tea parties or garden parties are in the same genre of ideas as hosting a brunch. Simple and easy to execute, an adorable little shindig where everyone can visit with the bride is always a good idea. Serve little sandwiches to accompany the tea, even offer a spirit or two for people to spice their teacups up!

Weekend getaway. If you want to go big, plan a weekend trip to your bride’s favorite location! Make it a 3-day weekend so there’s enough time to actually relax. It’s important that everyone can enjoy themselves! If the bride wants to do something active, go for a weekend of skiing in the mountains, or the opposite; boating and water skiing for a little fun in the sun. This is also a good time to plan hikes!

As long as you know the details about what is important to your bride, you can’t go wrong with throwing her the perfect bachelorette party. She’ll welcome the relaxation, or if she’s all about being active, she’ll appreciate the chance to blow off some steam with a beautiful hike or weekend skiing. On Thursday, we’ll focus on how to organize and ensure a smooth bachelorette party! 

How to write the perfect Thank You note!

Here is a simple template to follow in order to write a thank you note that your guests will appreciate! Most thank you notes we write and receive in our lives lack personalization and/or sincerity. Be sure to put thought and time into each note you write to show appreciation for the thought and time that your guests put into picking out your gift.

Opener: depending on your relationship, your opener can range in formality.

                                Ex. “Dear Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, or “Hi Sarah,”

  Express Thanks: In this section be sure to include specifically what this guest gave you.

Ex. “Thank you so much for the beautiful blue serving platter! We cannot wait to use it when we entertain this summer!”

Personalize the Note: Include a personal note about which event your guests attended or how grateful you are for their years of friendship. A thank you note can be about more than just the physical item they gave you.

Ex. “We were so happy you both could attend our wedding and we cannot wait to have your family come and visit us at our new home!”

Sign Off: match this to the formality of your opener.

                                Ex. “With Gratitude,” or “All Our Love”

Including a personal touch and sending your thank you notes out to your guests in a timely manner will ensure they feel appreciated!

Thank You Note Etiquette

The months leading up to, and sometimes after, your wedding are filled with gifts. And while everyone loves being showered in gifts, most of us don’t love the daunting task of writing thank you notes.

First let’s break it up into two categories:

1) Gifts from showers and gifts given before your wedding

2) Gifts given at or after your wedding

A good rule of thumb for gifts you receive before the wedding is to have the thank you note sent before your wedding happens. This will show your guest that you got their gift and that way you won’t have as many to write after your honeymoon. For gifts you receive at showers, those notes should be sent out two or three weeks after the event.

For gifts you receive at or after your wedding, the time frame for thank you notes is much longer. Generally, you should have them all completed and sent out within three months of your wedding date. But a late thank you note is always better than not sending one at all!

Check back next week for tips on how to write a thank you note your guests will appreciate!