I haven’t been a bride since 2014, but I still follow Stag and Hen, because the account (and the shop) allow me to live vicariously. Like, it’s been torrential down pouring in New Jersey for the last few days, and instead of looking out the window and freaking out all day long, I’ve paused, intermittently, to check out the haps in Houston, Nashville, New Orleans, etc. And guess what? I’ve felt a little better, I have to say. Jenny and her team at Stag and Hen are always saying “Live each day like it’s your bachelorette,” and I thought I’d offer the reverse: Live your bachelorette as if it’s not like any other day in your life. If you can do that, then your day, weekend, mini vacay will be the best ever.
(Not about your partner and your relationship, of course…)
For anyone who has ever struggled with the ‘do I really need it?’ question about whether or not to have a bachelorette party, we’re going to stop you right there. Truthfully, the answer is no, you don’t need to have a bachelorette party - but you do need to have one day/night/weekend that’s all about you. Planning a wedding isn’t easy; there will be ups and downs throughout your entire engagement, but a bachelorette allows you to tap out for a second and both decompress from bride stress while also embracing full-on bride mode at its finest.
The modern honeymoon was conceived some centuries ago as a way for couples to unwind after the wedding and bond with their S.O. With everything that comes with being engaged and putting such a momentous occasion together, it only makes sense that there should be a sort of ‘valve release’ after the vows - a collective cleansing breath, if you will, to return to equilibrium and get back to some soundness in body, mind, and spirit. So, using that logic, a trip during your engagement, when stress has been high and any non-wedding-related socialization or extracurriculars have been low, could be mission critical to your level of calm leading up to the nuptials.
If you can afford it, if you feel safe and comfortable (in the midst of a still-scary, yet vastly-improved global pandemic), and if you know your favorite people will be right there by your side to enjoy it, have the bachelorette. Plan something you’ve either never done or have done a ton (and know it’ll bring you ALL the joy). Invite the ones you love. Take the pictures. Wear the outfits you said you’d never wear, because you’re ‘not that basic kind of to-be-wed.’ And most importantly, live your best life as a bride. The term is YOBO - You. Only. Bride. Once. (and yes, as the daughter of divorced parents, I know that’s obvi not always true - but those in love can dream 😊).
Because it’s not.
Let’s play a little scavenger hunt of our own - because we’re oh-so-inspired by Stag and Hen’s own festive fete printables. We’ve included some of our favorite bachelorette buys below (all available to shop right now). Count up how many you’d say “YES” to for your bachelorette, and remember, YOBO…
Because lbh, you’ve been missing swirly straws for at least the last few decades.
What worked for Girl and Boy Scouts in the past is just as smart for bacheloretting squads: be prepared.
True or False: No bachelorette backdrop is complete without one.
Imagine all the 😻 emojis you can drop into your Insta captions, tho.
Fresh pedicures need a place to shine and it isn’t in open-toed sandals or flip flops in the year 2021. #cozycouture
Capri Sun, but make it boujee.
But really, how else are you going to carry your AirPods, temporary tattoos, and Alleyoop makeup pen?
The team at Stag and Hen creates their designs in-house, 100% from scratch. For example - the idea for their Dazed and Engaged merch came about while their founder was watching Dazed & Confused at a drive-in. The next month, they got to work perfecting the phrases, crafting dozens of different design options, finding the perfect tie-dye tees, and making revisions until they knew they had the perfect shirts. Professional screen-printing came next, and then alright, alright, alright, absolute best quality ever for the grooviest girl gangs around.
Get to know all of their other fun themes and collection drops and start shopping now!
We partnered with Stag and Hen to share a best kept secret for the greatest girls getaways ever. As always, thank you for supporting our sponsors!