Bachelorette parties are highly anticipated events, and many individuals look forward to their bachelorette events as much as their weddings. However, bachelorette party planning can be stressful when you aren’t sure which theme to pursue or how to plan your party.
To help you out, our party inspiration guide is here to give you some of the most popular bachelorette themes to inspire you. We also answer important FAQs about bachelorette parties so you can put any remaining worries about this party to rest.
What Does a Bachelorette Party Celebrate?
Bachelorette parties, often thought of as a way to celebrate a ‘last night of freedom,’ are the bride’s counterpart to the ever-popular bachelor party for the groom. These parties are often highly anticipated events, and they are planned months in advance, much like the bride’s actual wedding.
The bachelorette party is intended to provide a fun reprieve from wedding planning and allow the bride and her friends to celebrate the upcoming wedding.
Many individuals make sure the theme of the bachelorette party is tailored to the bride’s interests and desires. They also take into account each person attending the bridal party to make the experience fun, worry-free, and a time to remember.
Bachelorette Party Themes to Inspire You
There are many different bachelorette party themes out there, and it’s common to feel overwhelmed or confused about which theme you should pick. Below, we list some of the most popular bachelorette party themes around today to inspire your own bachelorette party planning.
Remember, when choosing a theme you should take into account the bride’s preferences first. In addition, think about the budget for the party and general logistics of throwing the kind of bachelorette party desired.
Pajama Party
One of the more laid-back types of bachelorette parties is the pajama party. This could be a sleepover theme, or a girls’ night in complete with matching bridal party onesies, an arrangement of snacks, and a collection of the bride’s favorite movies or tv shows.
If you have a bigger bridal party and need more space than someone’s house would provide, you can rent a cabin, a set of hotel suites, or an Airbnb for a fun getaway vibe.
Nautical Vibes
‘Last Splash’ parties are very common bachelorette party themes, especially if the bachelorette party is going to take place during the warmer months of the year.
Ideas of parties with this theme include renting out a pool for the day, chartering a boat, or having a fun nautical-themed party in an area near the coast or along a beach. Renting a beach house is also a great option if your bride loves to be near the ocean and wants a weekend getaway for her bachelorette.
Brewery Visit
For the bride that loves a brewery tour or trying out interesting new beers, you can arrange a day out at a local brewery or a weekend taking a tour through popular breweries in a specific area.
This could be a long weekend, a day trip, or an overnight trip, and you can create party favors for every individual attending that are brewery themed. You may also want to include fun items to help everyone feel their best after drinking, such as electrolyte powder and ibuprofen.
Wine Weekend
Similar to brewery visits, wine weekends are popular amongst bachelorette parties. For a wine weekend, you can organize winery day tours near the bride’s location or take a fun weekend-long trip to wine country. There, you can spend days coasting through wineries, trying fine wines, and eating lots of cheese.
If you do decide on an out-of-town winery weekend experience, make sure that every member of the bachelorette party is informed of the budget for the trip. Make arrangements well ahead of time so you don’t miss your chance to tour the wineries you are interested in.
Seasonal Themes
Seasonal themes are a fun way to make bachelorette parties memorable based on the time of year they are occurring.
For example, if your bride’s wedding is occurring sometime in October, you may want to have a cute Halloween-themed party. If the wedding is around Christmas or other winter holidays, you may want to have a fun winter-themed party complete with activities, drinks, and party games that embrace the seasonal theme. You could even have a Fourth of July weekend at the beach.
With seasonal themes, anything is possible, and there is a whole world of possibilities for throwing a great bachelorette party.
Camping or Glamping
For the bride that loves the outdoors, a camping or glamping weekend is a great way to disconnect and take a deep breath in the wilderness before the wild wedding weekend.
For a camping bachelorette party, you can choose a local campsite and pitch some tents. Or, opt for a more glamping experience with a yurt or cabin that’s complete with electricity and modern amenities.
Once you’ve got everything organized for your camping weekend, celebrate your bride and engage in fun wilderness activities like smores by the campfire, hiking, and stargazing.
Decade Parties
Theming your bachelorette party around a specific decade is a fun activity that gives everyone a little throwback, depending on the age of those attending your party.
90s parties, disco themes, and 50s parties all call for fun decorations, themed outfits, and a night out dancing to tunes from those eras. You can even create food and drink that is relevant to the era you’ve chosen, setting up your bachelorette party attendees for a fun, themed event.
Wellness Weekend
It’s no secret that wedding planning is stressful, and one of the most relaxing bachelorette parties to host is a wellness weekend.
Celebrate your bride and the rest of the bachelorette party by taking a weekend away at a spa, engaging in a wellness retreat, taking yoga classes, or hosting a spa night at home. These activities offer fun and bonding for the bridal party, all while being a relaxing way to recharge before the wedding.
Pop Culture Themes
If your bride is a fan of a specific tv show, singer, or movie, you can tailor your bachelorette party to be themed around this.
Popular singers include Taylor Swift and Beyonce, and tv shows that are commonly used at bachelorette parties include Friends and The Office. Theme your food, drinks, and activities using show quotes or song lyrics, and decide on themed outfits according to these fun pop culture themes.
Garden Party
If you want to add a little bit of elegance to your bachelorette party, consider hosting a garden party.
You can keep this more formal and insist on fun hats and outfits, or you can host your outdoor party with a more casual vibe. As long as there are plenty of fun decorations and themed food and drink, your bachelorette attendees are sure to have a great time.
FAQs About Bachelorette Parties
Our answers to the following frequently asked questions about bachelorette parties will help clear up any remaining questions about this important pre-wedding party.
What Do I Wear to a Bachelorette Party?
What you wear to a bachelorette party depends on the theme of the party.
For parties with specific dress codes and themes, speak to the party’s organizer if you need clarification on which outfits to wear. You should also check any information that has been given to you about the bachelorette party to ensure you are dressing according to the requests of the bride.
If your bachelorette party is planning on a night out on the town after any fun daytime activities, you may be requested to wear a matching outfit or a simple, flirty cocktail dress with bachelorette party accessories as you and your girls enjoy your night out.
Who Plans the Bachelorette Party?
Traditionally, planning the bachelorette party is one of the main duties of the Maid of Honor. However, the bride may want to take over planning herself, or other members of the bachelorette and bridal party may want to be involved.
It’s important to keep in mind when planning this type of event that planning is stressful. Don’t let miscommunications get in the way of the party’s main goal of celebrating the bride and her upcoming wedding.
Should My Bachelorette Party Be Adult-Themed?
Many bachelorette parties tend to be adult-themed and include rather risqué decorations, cakes, and party favors. When deciding whether to include these items in your bachelorette party, consider if the bride will be receptive to these items, and everyone’s comfort level with a more adult theme.
You don’t want to risk upsetting or offending the bride if adult-themed items aren’t her vibe, and you fill every part of the bachelorette party with them.
Do Bachelorette Parties Need to Include Drinking?
More often than not, bachelorette parties do include a night out on the town or some aspect of fun alcoholic drinks. However, this doesn’t need to be the case with your bachelorette party.
Similar to deciding whether or not you want an adult theme for the party, consider the bride’s preferences and the preferences of others in the bachelorette party. If the vibe is more relaxed, the bride is sober, or drinking isn’t really a consideration, you don’t need to include it in the party.
When Do Bachelorette Parties Occur?
Bachelorette parties typically occur between one and four months before the wedding itself. Most bachelorette parties occur right around two months before the wedding. This is because the point of the party is to celebrate the bride, build excitement for the wedding, and give a brief respite from all of the wedding planning.
Do I Have to Throw a Bachelorette Party?
While bachelorette parties are all the rage on social media and are commonly thought of as a must-have, you don’t have to have one of these parties if you simply aren’t feeling it.
Many brides choose to have a quiet dinner with their bridal party or skip the bachelorette events altogether in favor of making their wedding reception even more of a night to remember.
As with most things in wedding planning, the final choice is totally up to the bride and what they feel most comfortable with.
What Is Proper Bachelorette Party Etiquette?
As you plan a bachelorette party, make sure to keep in mind proper etiquette. Most notably, the bride typically doesn’t pay for any of the daily activities (this may vary based on your party’s budget) and their preferences should be first for consideration.
Remember, the party is to celebrate the bride and have the bridal party bond – it’s not a time for arguments or for one person to take the spotlight off of the bride.
Planning a Once in a Lifetime Party
Bachelorette parties are a once-in-a-lifetime event that many individuals highly anticipate. If you’re in charge of planning this party, you may be wondering about what the best themes are and how to organize every aspect of this event.
Review our party inspiration guide for help deciding on a theme. Remember to include the bride every step of the way so you throw a memorable party that celebrates the bride, the bridal party, and the upcoming wedding.
