Offbeat bachelorette party ideas

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Photo courtesy of She-n-He Photography and Design.
Photo courtesy of She-n-He Photography and Design.

We get a lot of emails asking for bachelorette party advice and then recently I was asked by a soon-to-be married friend of mine for offbeat bachelorette party ideas, citing that, “The awesome male strip revue that we were going to go see only has shows on Friday and Saturday and my party is on a Wednesday night. Boooooo. I need offbeat bachelorette party ideas!”

So here we go, I've rounded up a few bachelorette/hens night ideas…

The laid back

Mineral Mud Bath
  • Spa day. Perfect for those that just wanna sit back and get pampered before their wedding instead of partying it up, risking a hangover. Grab your closest friends and bond over mani/pedis, massages, or go to one of those places that have those huge mud baths. Those are awesome.
  • Wine/liquor tasting Rent a limo or chose a designated driver and then go wine/beer/liquor tasting. Make sure to buy a bottle (or case) of the bride's favorite wine at each stop for her to share with her partner.

The adventurous

  • Trapeze class. Take a plunge before you take the plunge (instant rimshot) with a trapeze class.
  • Scavenger hunt. Great for the really creative bridal parties that love to go all out. But, if you don't wanna do the work and just want to enjoy the hunt, there are companies out there that put these things together. Like my friend's company, Wise Guys Events that features a bachelorette party game: it is a bar-crawl type game, entirely customizable, with secret agents waiting in different bars that have clues hidden somewhere on their person. (Mention codeword “sharkbite” for a 5% discount, LOL!)

The silly

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  • Ugly dress party. Find a big batch of heinous wedding dresses online for cheap and then get your friends and bridesmaids together to have a “Let's re-imagine these ugly dresses party!” And then go out on the town in them! (This idea came to us from She-n-He Photography and Design, click here to see more info from that night.)
  • Drag shows. Never not fun. (Just make sure you're clear that they're ok with bachelorette parties first.)
  • “A cold one and some adult entertainment” aka ice cream, a trip by the local gaming/fantasy store, and an evening of Dramatic Readings of Really Bad Dragon Erotica. (This idea came from Offbeat Bride Tribe member “Ariel (but not that one).”)
  • Karaoke! Need I say more?

The crafty

  • Tom's shoe decorating party. Tribesmaid “WowJunkie” suggested a Style Your Sole party. She explains, “A Style Your Sole party is people coming together to express themselves and help children in need by customizing their own blank, canvas TOMS.” It's a charitable and creative good time.
  • Baking party. Take a group baking class — yummy treats and lots of sugar. Or get together the night before the wedding and have everyone bake and then decorate the cupcakes you will serve at your wedding. Of course make sure to bake extras to eat during the party!

The weekend

Welcome to Las Vegas Sign
  • Vegas baby! Don't know about you, but when I think bachelor/ette parties I think of Las Vegas. Spend the weekend in Sin City dancing, drinking, gambling and smelling like cigarettes. It's a time-honored tradition.
  • Music festival. Use your bachelorette party as an excuse to spend the weekend at your favorite music festival. Check out FestivalFinder.com to see if there is one that coincides with your wedding plans.
  • Camping Great for those parties that want to get away on the cheap, and for the kind of girls who ain't afraid to get dirty. Go camping somewhere that had nearby hiking trails, natural water falls or the best yet — natural hot springs!

The girlie

  • Old school slumber party. Blow up air mattresses, grab your sleeping bags, order pizza and then stay up all night watching your guilty pleasure movies and get goofy in your pjs.
  • 80s night. Tribesmaid “Oii 2. ESBiE” said that she and about ten girls drunkenly give each other HORRIBLE '80s makeovers and then walked a couple blocks to the local independent theatre to see their midnight movie, which is usually a cult classic of some kind (like The Evil Dead, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Pretty in Pink, etc.).
  • Take a belly dancing or a pole dancing class. I know a bunch of people who have taken both of these classes and they all say how much they loved them. And the great part about doing it as a group is, who cares if you look like a fool, at least you're looking silly together. Plus the bride might pick up some fun tips for a wedding night lap dance!

The risque

<Jessica and her bachelorette party clan
  • Boudoir photo shoot. All the ladies pitch in so that the bride can get some awesome sexy (classy optional) photos done as a gift to both herself and her new husband! Bring drinks and gift her with sexy outfits to wear. For Washington brides, check out recent sponsor, Seattle Boudoir Photography's bachelorette party deal.
  • Sex toy party. Along with Tupperware and make-up, sex toys are have entered the world of multi-level marketing parties, except these particular parties are WAY more fun than viewing Tupperware. Ask a consultant to come over to your house and spend the night drinking and playing with vibrators.
  • Strip club. Who says that strip clubs are only for bachelor parties? A gentlemen's or lady's club, either one can be fun and entertaining. I know I've been fascinated a time or two ma'self. And if you're looking for something a little more artsy, check out a burlesque club.

Want even more ideas?

A few posts from our archives…

Meet our fave wedding vendors

Comments on Offbeat bachelorette party ideas

  1. You can also hire a bellydancer to come to your house and do a performance and lesson for all the girls. That way it is more intimate and fun and drunk if you want to!!!

  2. This post is awesome! Thanks! I think I’ll combine 80’s night with some pole classes! That should surely create some blackmail photos, or at least good times:)

    • Agreed! These are some wild and crazy ideas! Add to the list: rent a party bus for a safe and sane party.

  3. LOVE the ugly dress idea! (and vegas sounds kinda fun too….) I went to 3 cool places in NYC for my bachelorette party! The 1st one had gorgeous men (dressed to the nines as women!!!)

    -kelley

    • Hey, I’m throwing a bachelorette party in NYC this summer. Could you suggest some venues? I live here, but I’m still coming up short on anything creative. My bride loves her some cross-dressing men and I think she’d love something like where you went. I will Google, of course, but a tried and true venue would be sweet. Thanks!

  4. I love the spa idea combined with the boudoir photo shoot. What a great way to spend some quality fun time with your friends. You can also have great fun with the boudoir photo shoot and the memory will be there for years to come.

  5. I totally did the grown-ass woman slumber party. It was a great way for all my closest lady friends from different points in my life to get together and really spend time together. It was also really inexpensive for everyone involved. I just asked everyone to bring their favorite slumber party junk food and then made waffles for everyone in the morning.

  6. Along the lines of the sex toy party, but with a new-agey, spiritual, romantic twist: a tantric sex workshop party. I found a woman in Chicago who was willing to do a group workshop for my best friend (the bride) and our friends for, I think, around $600. This was in 2007, so the current price may be different, and unfortunately, I don’t have her info any more. Even more unfortunately, times were a little tight for the Maids and we couldn’t get the money together between all of us. But I think it’d be an amazing experience if you’re able to do it! Do a search to see if there are any tantric sex teachers in your area; you might be surprised :-).

  7. The night before I got married, we had the girls over and did a wedding-themed murder mystery bachelorette party right after the rehearsal. It was so much fun, and it totally got rid of all the rehearsal stress. We had to do something that would be appropriate for many ages since both my little sister and my husband’s little sister were in the wedding and I wanted to include them in the party, and the murder mystery party was the perfect thing. Totally recommend!

    • Where’d you get the murder mystery stuff to pull it off? Sounds perfect!!!

      • I’ve found games in thrift stores, online (they’re cheaper used), but I’ve also seen them new in stores with board games!

        They’re a lot of fun, but don’t have a whole lot of replay value (unless you play with an entirely different group), so it seems like a lot of people put them up on ebay when they’re done with them.

  8. Seriously loving the advice pieces!

    A girlfriend of mine did a pirate party, we dressed up like pirates, made play dough penis’, did a stripersize class, went to a “pirates only” local punk show (where even people who weren’t part of the bachelorette party were dressed up like pirates!)! Good Times!

  9. Love the camping idea! That’s actually exactly what my fiance is doing, and what a friend of ours did. Definitely relaxing for those who are into the outdoors.

    I’m going to a great laser tag place with my girls. I wanted to go play paintball, but as someone pointed out the risk of getting a big ol’ bruise in the wrong place is too high. Laser tag seemed like the harm-free alternative.

  10. Those of you lucky enough to have a Lush (www.lush.com) in your area- they throw bachelorette parties! After hours, free facials/foot/hand massages. Free to use the space, they just ask that each person purchases $20/merch. you can bring wine and food too.
    Mine’s going to be there over the summer.
    I. CAN. NOT. WAIT!

    • I love Lush! My husband and I backpacked around the UK for our honeymoon, and I was hooked! That deal is awesome.

    • Thanks so much for this tip. Just called and got the details on the local store. I love their stuff! Might just be the perfect way to kick off the night.

  11. In days past, I worked as a kayak guide and took out a group of ladies on a day tour for a bachelorette party. We happened to see a wedding going on on a boat during the trip, which we all agreed was auspicious.

  12. We recently had a party that started at the roller derby (Rat City Roller Girls – holla!). That was fun, and we ate nachos.

  13. All I can say is I’m a little jealous of my fiancee’s bachelor party coming up, and if my bridesmaid’s are planning anything like this for me, I will be one happy bachelorette. This is not for the faint hearted, but I would love to do it: Go to a shooting range and get lessons on shooting guns. Yep I know, it’s violent and reinforces any number of non-PC paradigms, but c’mon, so do any number of things many of us are doing around our weddings. It just seems so indulgent and over the top and exhilerating! To top that, one of the groomsmen found a guy willing to give them a lesson on SHOOTING AN UZI!!! Color me green with envy! What a buzz! After that, we’d put on fancy clothes in a limo and go eat, drink and dance the night away. I wish I would’ve thunk it first!

    • All the boys in my family go skeet shooting on the morning of their wedding(s). Since I have been with them all since birth I normally go to. This is a fun idea for girls too – especially in Vegas!!! (They totally have all the signs for which ranges rent guns at the airport)

    • ooh ooh! i wanted to do this too, but there’s a lot going on right now (of course) and i didn’t want to pile too much onto one day. i’ve actually enjoyed shooting the few times i’ve done it, it is indeed exhilarating!

    • That’s awesome! I’m an NRA instructor- this is a GREAT activity for girls! Very empowering- girls usually ALWAYS shoot better than guys (at least my students do). My Fiance and I go to the range with each other often enough- it’s too much fun!

  14. We’re going a bit more offbeat and having a combined bachelor/bachelorette party, but we’re renting this nifty deal called the Land Shark which is a truck/boat that picks you up at a desired location and then goes across the harbor before dropping you off at the bars. Not too expensive, lots of booze, accommodates a ton of people, plus you get to drunkenly bark at sea lions on the buoys you pass, which is always my favorite!

  15. Because some of my cousins are underage, we’re doing a bowling party earlier in the evening, followed by a pub crawl to all my neighbourhood favourites. Hopefully we’ll end up at a Pizza Pizza or eating shawarma in some sketchy little place. I can’t wait!

  16. my friend rented us a beachhouse from someone she knew and we sipped on the beach all wknd. we had every kind of bachelorette party favor imaginable, including a weener cake with a mustache! haha and my friends came from all over the state to chill with us! it was so awesome.

  17. We spent a weekend at a Food and Wine Summit. Spending an evening with my girls tasting amazing food and wine, and then staying at a hotel together was PERFECT for us.

  18. My hen night’s this saturday! I’m so excited! We’ve planned it for 5 weeks before the wedding to avoid any UPI’s (Unidentified party Injuries) for the big day. We’re starting at a vintage clothing store where we’ll be making hair fascinators, followed by a meal at one of my fave Italian restaurants. We’ll finish up with necking copious amounts of booze and giggling in bars!

  19. I just had my bachelorette party last weekend, and I first I was freaking out because I thought there would be male strippers and nonsense involved. Luckily, my friend is an amazing party planner and we started out the night with some good old fashioned bowling and nachos and finished up with good old fashioned karaoke!!
    Another option she gave me was a show at a comedy club, which would’ve been great, but I knew I would want to be gabbing with my girlfriends all night instead.
    Great post!!

  20. Yessssss, slumber party! Here was my Favorite Ladies Party:
    1) Pottery painting at a hastily researched local pottery painting business. We were kept there for hours in this crazy woman’s house and cellar and had to keep going back, risking being eaten by a panther one time, to collect all of our artwork. So we made some lasting memories.
    2) The bar. Of course.
    3) Fell asleep in a mess of sleeping bags watching Labyrinth.
    So yeah I’d say it was pretty off the hook… Haha.

  21. I recently had to give up drinking because of my ulcer, which took all of the bachelorette party ideas I’d had off the table. After much deliberation, I’m going supernerd – my best friend and I are taking a little road trip (1 1/2 – 2 hr drive) to go to two different museums (with dinosaurs!) and I’m getting a dinosaur t-shirt to wear for the occasion. Science party!

  22. At mine, we had greek food (with flaming cheese!) and then went and played putt-putt in the rain. It was goofy and low-key and a whole lot of fun. 🙂

  23. My best friend is a non-drinker and has serious issues with strippers, male or female, so for her bachelorette party we flex to St. Louis the week before her wedding and had a girls weekend of eating out, wandering around doing silly tourist things, laughing our butts off and going to a Cure concert because that’s her favorite band. It was absolutely awesome, and 10 years later it is still the absolutely best bachelorette party I’ve ever been to!

  24. The slumber Party sounds fun. For my hen’s night, I didn`t want something trashy and sleezy – I love my man, marrying him was not something to comiserate. So my amazing MOH came with the idea of a ‘Let’s be six’ themed night, based on a Winnie the Pooh quote. It was great, everyone dressed up with pigtails, ribbons, plastic accessories. We had dinner, hit a bar, they got me a tarot reader, and then we played elastics (old primary school game) for an hour in the local square before meeting up with the bucks. We had walkers by stoping to play, with my MOH handing out lolly rings as prizes! Best night ever, and so many people have commented on how FUN it was!

  25. My sisters and friends of mine arranged for an evening at our local circus school. We played on the trampoline, trapeze and this hoop hanging from the ceiling, and learned how to spin plates on sticks and juggle! It was a blast, and way more fun than some of the girls expected it to be. 😉

  26. I did the wine tour that was a Jack and Jill a few weeks ago, which was a lot of fun. The bride and groom even made tee shirts!

  27. We are doing the music festival route (All Good!), but the day or two before, since I have friends and family from all over the country, we are going to do a kickball game! We’ll be printing “brides vs. grooms” t-shirts, and we are going to order a bunch of pizzas and a few kegs to help break the ice for all of our friends and family who don’t really know each other. That way, everyone will be a little bit more loose at the wedding. Can’t wait!

  28. only because I want to brag about my amazing friends….They threw me “AshBash”. I am of lover of David Bowie and all things glam rock. So they threw me a glam rock costume party. They even hired a David Bowie impersonator. There was a disco ball and red carpet photo booth. They made a huge light box that simply said ash bash. It was amazing.

    We did a carnical theme for another friend and a victorian funeral for one that got married last fall (her wedding theme was very victorian)

  29. I think you just saved my 30th Birthday (and perhaps bachelorette too, but that’s months away and I’m not dealing with it yet.) I’ve been wanting a scavenger hunt but couldn’t find the time to organize it all. I hadn’t thought of hiring someone to help. Awesomeness.

  30. Love the 80s night idea. It’d give me a chance to reuse the fabulous bubble dress I bought for a previous 80s shindig…

    My love and I are planning on hanging out on and off on bachelor/bachelorette party day. We might get everyone together to float the Boise river early in the day, then probably have a casual barbecue in the backyard. Then we’ll split up and hit the bars (OMG in fabulous 80s-wear?!?!?) and regroup later in the night. We like each other’s friends, and we don’t really feel like we’re ball-and-chaining each other, so hanging out as a big group for a lot of the time sounds super fun to us.

  31. for mine, my girls planned a 50s-themed bowling-and-ice-cream-sundae night. they even made matching bowling shirts. =) we had these little old ladies come up to us at the alley and talk about when they used to go bowling after school wearing the same [poodle and pencil] skirts we were. it was fun. =)

  32. My bridesmaids have organised a burlesque class for us I’m so excited!! Apparently nipple tassels and gloves are provided..think I may need a wee drink first!

  33. My amazing maid of honor threw me a feminist sci-fi themed bachelorette party! We all dressed up as female sci-fi/fantasy/nerd characters and played “Feminist Bingo.” I still have the sign saying, “Welcome to Feminist Comicon,” on my living room wall. 🙂

  34. Hellloooo. Shooting!

    I don’t even think i’m biased when I say I had tehe best bachelorette party of all time.

  35. My friends totally know me… so they surprised me with a trip to a baseball game! (I grew up in Boston; the Sox are in the water.) Then the night before the wedding my husband and I shared a joint party at the Spy Museum [ http://www.spymuseum.org/spyatnight/ ] which turned out to be the most brilliantly fun thing ever — not just the program, but having his close friends and mine all together in one place getting to know each other and relax over a drink or three and some silliness.

  36. I admit I had a Twilight themed hen night. (hey, I like it in an ‘ironic’ way ok?) My friends were totally on board. We watched Twilight while played a sort of Twilight bingo/drinking game. We also played ‘strip man’ which is basically ‘hang man’ where you guess a phrase, but instead of drawing a stick figure, paper clothing was removed from pics of Jacob and Edward. I know this sounds weird, but it was totally hilarious.

    • OMG I MUST show this idea to my Man of Honor. We’re having a costume wedding and he’s going as Jasper from Twilight. We could probably get the guys in on it too. we’re all huge geeks for it. Oooh or Star Wars… Choices, choices…

  37. At the risk of starting a kerfluffle/being negative, many regular patrons of a drag/gay bar are less than happy to have bachelorettes showing up to rub their impending marriage in the faces of those who can’t. If you already are a regular patron, you’re probably friends with one of the bartenders, so ask them what they think first ..or ask the owner if it’s cool to show up with your party if you’ve made a donation to a charity of their choice first..and if you do, and they do say yes, for goodness sake, don’t paw the gogo boys, girls–not cool!

    • Yup, ask in advance! I’ve heard of a lot of clubs even banning bachelorette parties.

    • I’ve been to Saturday night drag shows here in Seattle where honestly about half the patrons are bachelorette and birthday parties. At least in my geighborhood, it’s It Is Known that bachelorette parties looooove drag.

      I definitely wouldn’t suggest hitting up some underground drag club, but I’m seeing increasingly that drag shows are specifically marketed to straight ladies… which means that you’re less likely to feel like you’re introducing on someone else’s scene. Thanks, Ru Paul’s Drag Race!

  38. okey dokey, as a 4-time bridesmaid, I feel the need to balance out with something positive..so 3 bachette suggestions:

    1) Dress up party: everyone brings a prop (Mod, steampunk, faerie, circus, the theme possibilities abound), make a DIY photobooth and go bowling in costume afterwards!
    2) Rocky Horror+ midnight potluck picnic ..have everyone bring their favorite naughty vice/gourmet goodies:eg pixie stix+absinthe
    3) Jack-n-Jill mudwrestling party–hey, who doesn’t love intergendered intergenerational mudwrestling?!

    the pole-dancing party is really great if you’ve got conservatives in the bunch: you haven’t lived ’till you’ve seen 6 femme conservative psychologists upsidedown on poles!

  39. Burlesque show! I took my hubby to the Can Can Cabaret in Seattle for his 30th birthday a few years ago and it was incredible. There was a bachelorette group they looked like they were having a blast!

  40. I did a comedy club followed by Dave & Busters for dinner, drinks and fun. My husband flew up to chicago for WhirlyBall.

  41. yay! i hate the idea that you have to see some guido shake his dong in your face. the town i live in used to hold a record for the most bars in a square mile, now there are “only” about 6-9, if the boardwalk is open. my girls and i will be doing an old-school bar crawl…except! (and ths is key) on rollerSKATES. im getting my maids matching knee socks, shorts and shirts to be as “rollergirlie” as possible. so stoked.

    and i love that you mentioned sextoy parties…im a consultant and they are my FAVORITE parties to do! quick, fun and a gREAT way to kick off the night!!!!

  42. I told my girlfriends a few weeks ago that I wanted to go see a drag show. There’s a Drag Queen Brunch at a place in DC and several clubs that host awesome shows. Before I told them I wanted to go see the lovely “ladies” in drag they’d already planned one of the adult slumber parties. So I guess we are doing both. This should be tons of fun and lots of good stories.

  43. I took my sister roller skating at the rink she and the other bridesmaid used to frequent when they were in junior high. It was ridiculously fun! She doesn’t drink, so it was perfect.

  44. My friends did a whole bachelorette weekend before my wedding that included a henna artist, a yoga teacher, and a nature walk. After we came home from Saturday’s dinner and karaoke, they surprised me by having a moon bounce for us to play in all night! That was truly inspired for our particular group.

  45. The dresses from the above-pictured Ugly Dress Party cost $75 total for 25 dresses. Ask Craigslist and you shall receive 🙂

  46. So many great ideas in the article and the comments. My friends all wanted to help with the wedding, I’m having a flower party: buy wholesale flowers and have my friends and family make some of the bouquets and decorations for the church. I love the idea of combining it with something else–bad wedding dresses, or roller derby, or all sorts of other ideas.

  47. My ladies are taking me and my friends out to Sugar River Raceway to go go-kart racing (their go-karts go 60mph)!!! I’m kind of a car/motorcycle/anythingthatgoesfast junkie so I figured this was the only appropriate way to celebrate! I can’t wait!!

  48. One of my sister’s friends had a paintball party. They dressed in crazy costumes and signed up for an informal paintball tournament. They ended up winning their bracket! The pics I saw were crazy! 6 girls wearing tutu’s and lots of accessories with paintball guns covered in leaves and stick, plus a trophy. then they went home and had a slumber party

  49. My girlfriends took me camping for my stagette. It was a full weekend event. I went surfing in my wetsuit with a veil! And then we dressed up in sundresses and hats that we glued huge bright flowers on to and drank wine on the beach! It was the BEST weekend EVER!

  50. So my sister-in-laws wedding is in a few months and she lives in Australia. So me my kids and hubby get to fly there for it !! EXCITED!!! Anyways she is not into just sitting at a bar drinking and she doesn’t want a stripper. So any ideas for an awesome bachelorette party in Australia would be helpful!!

    • I have to say, the “bond girl” theme seems pretty awesome to me..if you google stilletto spy school, it’s a great jumping point–I mean, full make-up self defense and/or shooting in heels followed by a wine tasting and/or poker night?! Seems pretty rad to me!

  51. I am super inspired by all of these great ideas (as I am by everything on this site). I noticed that a few posts mentioned having under 21 folks in the group – I am anticipating this being an issue for me as well. I would like nothing better than a night of carousing and karaoke at my favorite bar, but my FH’s 17 year old sister is one of my maids and I don’t want her to feel left out. Could I have an “all-ages” party at another time, or maybe earlier in the evening? Or is that asking people to come to too many events?

  52. I need help. I am the maid of honor to a totally ridiculous off beat bride. I am trying to come up with very unique ideas for her bachelorette party but am drawing blanks. I absolutely hate those suck for a buck games or get lei’d for a buck…everyone does that….i need some great ideas for a game similiar to these, but crazy! PLEASE HELP!

    • Just skip the games..does anyone really like them? The wildest ones I’ve been to all just pack the day and have fun with having fun!

  53. I did a pure romance party. I mostly did it as an excuse to buy more toys. I got really drunk by the end of it and blacked out. Drinking on an empty stomach is bad, mmkay?

  54. I live near New Orleans and am thinking of spending the day at the Isectarium with all my nerd friends. I figure the batchelorette party is primarily a celebration of the person I have been on my own up until this point, so I want to do something that makes me comfortable and happy.

  55. If you’re into girlie type things, or like me don’t know anything about perfume, a perfume masterclass is a great idea. I’ll be having this as part of my hen’s night. I like it because it’s something a bit different, but classy.

  56. Not gonna lie, I was pretty darn excited when I found a link to this post!

    My best friend is getting married this summer and I’ve been trying to figure out what on earth would be good for her bachelorette party. She’s definitely not the stripper type, and her preist would object to anything that left her drunk or hung-over for the wedding. But, some of these sound like awesome alternatives! (And, ones I wouldn’t feel awkward suggesting to her little sister, who’s the maid of honor).

  57. We went a different route with our bride. We took her to an art studio where they served dinner and drinks. Everyone thought we were there to get a lesson in drawing the beautiful vase and flowers that sat upon a pedestal in the middle of the room. When we got to our easel’s, out walked a male nude model! We had to draw him in three different poses and it was hard to stop giggling!

  58. I’m maid of honour for my best friend next March and I’m thinking that a couple rounds of laser tag may be appealing to the bride (and hopefully the other bridesmaids). Maybe followed with a sushi making party since sushi is one of the bride’s favourite foods, perhaps even with a bit of sake, though she specified not wanting to get falling-over drunk. I wonder if there’s anyway to work something more risque in there… I wonder if I could hire a guy-friend to strip…

  59. My wedding was Victorian/fairy themed (think illustration of a little girl in a Victorian ruffled dress holding a fairy) and for my bachelorette party, we all went out to this super secluded waterfall and had a BLAST! We went hiking and swimming in the day, then got super drunk on tequila and s’mores at night and ended up running around our little campsite in tutus and wings casting spells at each other (doesnt make much sense, but hey – we were drunk) The next morning we went to a spa to freshen up with facials and massages so we could feel rested for the big day:)

  60. We actually had a 80’s party, with karaoke, disguises, everything. We created the music with the help of an excellent site (cancionespararegalar.com), they did the music and sang the songs, we gave the funny lyrics we wanted

  61. Still in planning stages for my sister’s bachelorette party in NYC next month. Bored with the typical mani/pedis, a new twist we are tossing around is to go to the mall and each get a makeover at the beauty counters. Then after we’re all made up, dress the part and go to a nice dinner and show/night on the town.

  62. When you go out, the bride (or the bridesmaids as well,) wear old bridesmaids dresses. My mom has some from the seventies.

    I’d also like to do a jewelry making party.

  63. My friend had her bachelotette party at a Sinner Saint Burlesque show. We had so much fun! It felt classy and safe, better for us than going to a strip club. We were able to have food and drinks and enjoyed some really sexy and impressive entertainment. We were even able to get our bride-to-be up on stage so one of the performers could give her Burlesque 101 lesson…I think they even gave her a present with drink tckets and a vibrator or something…I can’t remember all of it. But it was FUN!

  64. I would personally suggest against a pole dancing class, ESPECIALLY very close to the wedding date, for one reason only; you will be sore. Very, very sore. You will be so sore, turning your steering wheel while driving will be agony. Putting your jacket (or even shirt on in the morning) while probably require help from a loving partner or awesome friend. Your shoulders, your arms, your wrists, you will be sore in weird muscles you never knew you had. Shutting your car door and lifting milk to pour in your cereal will be nearly impossible.
    There is also the potential for “pole burn” on the insides of your legs and knees, wrists, hands, and the tops of your feet if you are doing a barefoot class. Both times I took a beginners class (far apart), it was agony for at least a week after my class. Other than that it’s an awesome time though! On the flip side, you want to be able to toss your bouquet without screaming in agony, or lift your arms to dance with your new husband without cringing and moaning 🙂

  65. Trapeze class!! Whaaaat, amazing!! (Also, so glad that rimshot link exists…)

    Adding to this awesome list: have a POWDER PAINT FIGHT!!

    I recently photographed this for a bride-to-be… It was so much fun and they had a blast! I loved their idea for my own future bachelorette party because I want something that’s gender neutral & doesn’t revolve around getting drunk. My future bridal party includes a Man of Honor and a couple of dry (nondrinking) individuals, so the “traditional” routes are totally out.

    For anyone who wants to see the pics, the link to the Facebook album is:
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.535572576531100.1073741836.100660133355682&type=3

  66. Sushi and board games. 🙂 After going out for dinner, we came back to my place and played Space Alert, Race for the Galaxy, Castle Ravenloft, and a whole host of other Eurogames that I don’t even remember anymore (3+ years ago – what games came out when tends to blend together). It was a ton of fun!

    A friend of mine combined outdoorsiness and board gaming for his bachelor party, but there’s absolutely no reason that girls couldn’t do this too – they rented a cabin in Ohiopyle, PA, and spent a weekend whitewater rafting and hiking during the day, and then drinking and playing board games in the evenings. Sounds pretty awesome to me!

  67. My friend had the best bachelorette party! The night started off with going to a rock climbing gym, then we met up with the men at a bar, both groups were handed directions and we began a scavenger hunt that went all over western Rhode Island and northeast ct, which included dressing the couple up in gender opposite clothing in the middle of apple bees and them serving ice cream at a local dairy bar. And the bike racing with fruit in our mouths around the dark farmers market parking lot can’t be forgotten! So much planning was put into it but we all still talk about it! Everyone we came across loved the idea and had a laugh watching us.

  68. I prefer something low key and I have decided to go for the old fashioned slumber party. My friends rented plenty of chick flicks, romance and wedding movies and we watched them overnight with plenty of wine and pizza. It was fun.

  69. I put a bach party together for my friend two years ago where all of the guest were asked to wear an old bridesmaids dress from the past and we bought a used ugly wedding dress for the bride. We went bar hopping and had a blast. Sure we got kicked out of the fourth bar and were declined service from any remaining bars we tried to get into but we had a blast. haha

    • This is what I am going to do!! Why did you all get kicked out and refused service?

  70. I’m helping to organise a bachelorette this weekend with a jungle animal theme. Not the normal ‘slutty tiger’ thing tho – we’re having cute little headdresses, lbds and accessorizing with coats, shoes, anything we can find, and going to a piano bar where we will be serenaded with animal themed songs and eat lots of cupcakes. It’s the weirder way to have a ‘last walk on the wild side’!

  71. My party consisted of a burlesque show and then karaoke. We had a lot of fun and even got pointed out by the mc of the show.

  72. This has been amazing to read – some really great ideas in the post and all the comments! I love the idea of perfume making and wine tours!
    For me, planning a bachelorette party (or “hen do” for us Brits) has been a bit stressful. My peeps are all busy with work and live far apart, and finding a convenient date to suit everyone has been problematical. Our solution has been for me to have a few small hen do’s to suit the various dates people are free, doing activities suggested by them that they feel sums up our relationship. As an introvert who gets a little drained by too much social interaction in one go, this works really well for me too! (Luckily all my gang know each other so I don’t feel like I’m stopping them from getting to know each other pre-wedding, but I can see that when your bachelorettes aren’t already friends, this might not work so well).
    Hen do part one is just me and one of my girls hitting a vintage fayre and getting tea and cakes at a local patisserie. Hen do part two is other brides-gang members taking me for an evening of cider drinking at a historic inn, with good food and live music. Hen do part 3 probably won’t happen until the night before the wedding when my other girl arrives from New Zealand ready to get dolled up with me on the big day – she’s suggested all our favourite movies from when we were kids, popcorn, and gossip. None of these things are breaking anyone’s bank, no one feels like they’re missing out and gets to spend some quality laid back time with me doing stuff we enjoy doing together. Plus, I don’t freak out with trying to please everyone all at once.
    Whatever you do, make sure it’s something *you* enjoy doing, not what you feel you *ought* to do to please others 🙂

  73. Personally, I wanted something laid back…so we’re going to a minor league baseball game that happens to have a large patio to accommodate a group of girls! I’m so excited about it!

  74. Central Cinema in Seattle does amazing sing-along events and you can rent out the venue. I plan on renting out the space for my future bachelorette party and doing an 80’s & 90’s sing-along/dance party. Amazing!

  75. I’m moving pretty far away and not sure if I’ll have friends around for a bachelorette, but if I do, I was planning on doing a tea party….with vials of alcohol that say “drink me” XD

  76. I was maid of honor for my sister’s Halloween wedding last year so we did a “Cabin in the Woods” for her bachelorette party. I decorated the cabin in halloween decor with halloween treats. We grilled dinner then watched horror flicks and made smore’s over a camp fire. There were also some adult beverages involved of course! Was a ton of fun 🙂 For my wedding we have been talking about a trip to NYC and do some stereo typical sightseeing. I love nyc and go twice a year but i have never done the typical tourist visit.

  77. When the party duties fell to me I kinda did the scavenger hunt thing but it was much more personal. Since the bride and groom lived in the same town as the wedding and most of the bachelorettes did too, I rented a party bus and we did a memory lane or “This Is Your Life” kind of tour around town…

    An outline:

    1/It was a surprise for the bride so we met at my place for some casual party bites (to make sure no one was starting out on an empty stomach.

    2/The bride was surprised when a man (the driver) showed up at the door to whisk her away. While she was trying to figure out what the heck was going on (aka: resisting) we all started piling on the bus.

    3/We headed out for the place where she and the groom met. From there we toured other haunts from her youth, each one a surprise to her. Not all spots were groom-centric, like Hemlock Alley where, as a young lady on her second night in the big city, she almost got arrested for …um… hanging out with pot smokers. In honor of that occasion we all… hung out with pot smokers! Outside the apartment where she and her mate first “did it” we did a more standard party gag and blew up condoms and awarded a prize to the gal who got hers the biggest without popping. I crafted up some hand-held masks of the groom so she could pose for pictures with multi-grooms at various locations, like their first date, their first silly fight as a couple, their first apartment – fun stuff — places where she could tell the stories to newer friends (I knew them already since I was the best gal after all).

    4/There were, of course, a couple of pubs to visit along the way but they were quick stops at places that could easily accommodate a flash mob and I had warned the staff ahead of time of our ETA and number of gals. At one bar I had arranged for a special cocktail named after the bride that could easily/quickly be served to a group. We also had some beverages and snacks on the bus. With that in mind, I asked everyone to chip in a specific amount in advance to cover the bus, drinks, props, favors, food etc. (It was sliding scale to accommodate various ages/lifestyles, etc.)

    5/Possibly the best part was the Polaroids we took along the way (this was back in the last century!). We had a blank photo album and added pix and notes and souvenirs along the way so she had an instant gift from all of us at the end of the journey.

    6/At the end of the night the bus dropped us at our favorite casual joint. Of course the ladies all knew this was how the evening would end so they had arranged a way home or joined me (via my designated drivers) back at my place if they needed to crash … but we also invited the bachelors (who would be doing their own partying on a different night) to join us for a little co-ed mingling and howdy-doos before the big day. One of those fellas even volunteered to do a little table dance since we hadn’t arranged for a professional. (All in good clean fun, of course)

    All in all it was one of my proudest achievements from way back in the olden days. Nowadays the photos from that night show up on social media from time to time and it’s always with fondest memories from everyone involved – oh screw the false modesty – it’s always with “best bachelorette party ever” included somewheres in the notes!

  78. I am not having a wedding party, just me and my man up at the alter. But I still wanted to have a bachelorette party (he gets to have a bachelor party too). I kinda meshed a couple ideas from this page. My mom, and all my girlfriends are going to find the ugliest, TACKIEST, god-awful bridesmaids/prom dresses they can find under the budget of $30. I will find the ugliest wedding dress I can find. We are all going to get dressed up, in said dresses, and go to downtown Denver. Bar hop at the nicer bars downtown and end up at the cabaret show down there. A fun night, and we all get to look ridiculous. And my wedding photographer is a friend and will be participating and getting all the great shots from the night!

  79. We accomplished something like this for my companions party, yet rather we video taped the prepare and his answers.. The best part was the lady of the hour asked for no stripper so as a joke we took her out into the lobby and brought her back in blindfolded put her on a stool at that point splashed cologne on one of the young ladies as they moved around her.. she had no clue what was happening and we, at last, uncovered the genuine shock when we removed her blindfold and did the video test. It was so much fun and cute!!

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