planning the ultimate bachelorette weekend.

This weekend, I survived my second bachelorette party of 2013. Though I may not be a party planner by trade, I have learned a thing or two about putting together bachelorettes in the past three years. I'm here today to share a few tricks of the trade to make planning easier when you host your next bachelorette...

{photo via instagram}

ONE: Determine the bride's expectations of her bachelorette weekend. After all, it is her weekend. Does she want to go the naughty route? Or keep it clean? Does she want something a little crazy or more relaxing? Play to the bride--it is her party, after all. Most importantly, be willing to step outside of your comfort zone.

TWO: Be especially cognizant of everyone's budgets and limitations when choosing a location. You may not be able to make everyone happy with the end result, but don't pick a five-star hotel if you're on a three-star budget. Choosing a date can also be a bit of a challenge, but I found Doodle made it easier. Make the bride your first respondent, then ask the bridal party, and finally the other attendees. You need to make sure the essential players are there and the others are a definite bonus. 

THREE: If you're pulling together people from all corners of the country and world, Google Drive will be your best friend. Create a Google Doc to allow guests to input their travel arrangements to help coordinate their travel with other attendees. Trust me: it's much simpler to wrangle a boatload of information collaboratively than having to enter all the details on your own.

FOUR: Once the date, location, and general "feel" of the weekend are squared away, the real fun begins. Paper invitations are great, but Paperless Post is a wonderful way to keep costs in check. When it comes to decorations, gauge what you can actually bring with you. If you're lucky enough to drive, this gets much easier. If you have to fly, you may have to check a second bag to make it all come together. {I've done it.} Whatever you do, be realistic. Spending too much money or time on decor isn't ideal, but picking a few things to carry a theme through without killing your budget is the best plan.

FIVE: Consider making a welcome bag {like the one above!}. Travel-sized packs of makeup wipes, ibuprofen, and mouthwash may sound like strange goodies, but trust me, everyone will want them the morning after a fun night out--even if it is a tame one. Throw in the pj pants and make it a perfect slumbie party!

SIX: Ensure you have some tunes to keep the party going. Ask your guests to help you pull together a playlist which will get the bride-to-be excited, be it some ballads from Little Mermaid or Justin Bieber. You can even use the suggestions to choose a Pandora or Songza to help fill in the holes. Be ready for sing-a-longs of epic proportion.

SEVEN: Don't do it all on your own. The power of delegation is a marvelous thing. Lean on those included in the party who are good at one thing or another--be it food or decor. People want to be included, so don't exclude them. You'll save your sanity and make the party ten times better at the same time.

EIGHT: Roll with the punches. Really. As a perfectionist, this is the hardest--but best--thing I learned from bachelorette planning. Sometimes, schedules and plans are for the birds when fun is in session. The things you spend hours {or days} planning may take a backseat to what the bride is enjoying in that moment. Remember: it is all about her--and if she is happy, that's all that matters :)

What tips would you add to this list?! If you've attended a fun bachelorette, what made it great? 
Let's help each other--and the brides-to-be--have the best bach ever! xoxo {av}

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