Dos and Don'ts for a Bachelorette Party

Vendor’s trays, sashes, strippers, and “Team Bride” T-shirts—let’s just leave the most common bachelorette party clichés for women out of this. Instead, we’ll focus on the following dos and don’ts to help you throw a bachelorette party you’ll never forget. And most importantly: a bachelorette party that the bride-to-be won’t want to forget either. After all, it should be fun—but not embarrassing!

Just like with a bachelor party, there are a few rules for the female equivalent that you can keep in mind ahead of time:
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The bride has the right to vote.

Yeah, I get it—it's kind of fun to hold the reins as a bridesmaid for one night. But still, let's listen to what the bride-to-be has to say:

• Don't want people passed out from drinking at your party? Then mix your cocktails at home instead of heading straight to the bar. And order some fries and pizza to go with them—that always helps.
• The bride-to-be wants a huge party, but you’ve never been much of a party girl? Step out of your comfort zone and throw a wild party! You don’t have to be the life of the dance floor, and you can even leave early—just make sure beforehand that the dancing queens will keep the party going.
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The bride is not a victim.

It probably goes without saying—though perhaps a little less so than with bachelor parties—that the bride shouldn’t be made to look foolish; still, the bride isn’t a victim, and it’s not just about your fun—it’s about all of you having a good time together.

The maid of honor is the boss.

My dear colleague Dominik put it so aptly in his blog post about the bachelor party: “In the age of group chats, it’s tempting to involve everyone in the planning. It’s a nice idea, but it doesn’t work in practice. Too many cooks spoil the bachelor party.” I agree: Not every decision needs to be weighed and discussed. Are you the maid of honor? Then you don’t decide everything—but you do decide a lot!”

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Plan activities that the bride will enjoy.

It's almost logical, but people often overlook it anyway: Plan activities that you'll enjoy, but especially ones the bride will love. Need some inspiration? Here we go:

Traveling Through Austria by Train

This will take you all back to your youth, when Interrail was still the hottest thing around: hop on the train, buy a ticket, and travel all across the country! Included in the deal: games, alcohol, and spontaneous stops in Attnang-Puchheim or various other Austrian cities are sure to have you in stitches and will get your whole group of girls excited.
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Wellness Weekend

It’s not the most out-of-the-box idea, but it’s definitely one that many brides-to-be will love. Whether the bride-to-be is an introvert or overworked—or if you’re just in the mood for an intense girls’ weekend—you can always agree on a spa getaway! At a fancy hotel with great food, you can chill out in your bathrobe all day long. And if you’re in the mood to party a bit, make sure to check when booking that the hotel bar is spacious and has long hours.
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Photo Book Safari

Put together a photo book or create one online—but without any photos! What? Yes! Grab a Polaroid camera and let the photo safari begin. The book for the bride contains tasks she’s supposed to complete. While she’s doing them, you’ll capture the moments with your camera—that way, you’ll have beautiful memories and a great plan for the day and evening. Keep this in mind when planning the tasks: “The bride isn’t a victim!” Let her eat as many surprise eggs as she can or sing karaoke with her, but don’t let her do anything on her own that she absolutely doesn’t feel like doing.

And now, plan the bachelorette party as best you can, always keeping the bride in mind. She trusts you and will be happy if you organize the bachelorette party just the way she wants it. Maybe leave a little room for spontaneity while planning—not everything has to be scheduled down to the minute. With that in mind: Have fun!

By the way,Dominik has written a male counterpart to this blog post and put together a few tips for a guys’ bachelor party.