Hey Babes! Jess here. I want to introduce you to my uber-creative gal pal, Randi! Today she’ll be sharing how to pull off the perfect destination bachelorette party & I can’t wait for you to reap the benefits. Take it away, girl!
Oh, hi! I’m Randi, owner of Kay & Co Weekends, a fun little company based in Charleston, South Carolina that specializes in planning party weekends & bachelorettes! We help with everything from decorations to itineraries to reservations for our party weekenders, so you might say we know a thing or two about destination bachelorettes. And luckily for you, we’re offering up some of our best tips so you can plan your best weekend ever!
Whether you’re a maid of honor planning your bestie’s bachelorette party or received the dubious honor of organizing the girls’ weekend away that your friends want to take – getting a big group somewhere for a destination weekend can be tough! We’ve compiled four ideas to make your weekend away as smooth as possible and fun for the whole group. Let’s get ready to party!
Send out invitations way in advance
Your girls will need to book flights, so give them a chance to shop around and find the best deal! This also allows people to clear their calendars ahead of time so that you can get a final headcount long before the actual trip, which helps with booking a house or hotel rooms, too. You can find lots of cute invitations on Etsy or other online shops that can be customized to your party, which will get the girls excited and set the mood for the whole weekend!
Check Airbnb, VRBO, and local realty companies for beach houses or downtown lofts that everyone can share
What better way to bond with the whole group than by sharing a rental house on the beach or somewhere in the city that you’re visiting? Sharing a common space, rather than having separate rooms in a hotel, has multiple perks:
- you can buy snacks and drinks to keep in the kitchen for a quick breakfast or late-night munching;
- all the girls can get ready for dinner or a big night out together, as well as hang in the living room or kitchen to recount their night out (and maybe nurse a hangover in the morning);
- if you’re doing something as a group like a private bubbly tasting or a cooking class, you can do it right there in the house rather than having to rent a local space;
- and last but not least, splitting a house or another shared space is often a lot cheaper than getting separate hotel rooms!
Book activities ahead of time & talk to the girls about what they want to do
Don’t be that girl who’s going to “see what’s up when they get there.” Most activities, as well as reservations, will book well in advance for groups bigger than six, especially in cities like Charleston, Nashville, and Austin that attract a lot of bachelors and bachelorettes. Look into unique activities like local classes (things like flower crown crafting and jewelry making), private cocktail tours of local bars (which puts a spin on plain old bar hopping), and group rates on outdoor shenanigans like tubing, stand-up paddle boarding, waterskiing, or sunset cocktail cruises.
Don’t skip the gifts and favors
The bachelorette party scene has gotten a little cliché – keep it unique by sending out party boxes before your trip to get the girls excited, and include things that they’ll actually want to wear and use. Carry-on cocktail kits are always appreciated for the plane (these can be DIY-ed or bought pre-made), and pins are a more subtle way to show off that you’re in the bride squad. Toss in an itinerary that matches your original invitations so the girls can see what they’ll be getting into during the weekend, or better yet, include goodies that give hints as to what you’ll be doing but keep the full itinerary a surprise!
My girls and I traveled to Charleston and worked with @popthebubblyevents + @thecharlestonvacationer recently to help plan our weekend! They were super responsive and had tons of great recommendations! Another great option for other Charleston Bachelorette groups 🙂