8 Must-Haves for Bachelorette-ing Like a Boss
Sooo with fall weddings coming up fast and fiercely, it’s only a matter of time before our Insta feeds are stacked with snaps of that #lastflingbeforethering life. From destination digs to more low key locales, wherever and whenever the parties are planned, they have the potential to be epic when certain prerequisites are in place!
While obligatory penis paraphernalia is always appreciated, these days bacheloretting is less about sexually-explicit straws and stripping and more about tapping … double tapping, that is! Because without Instagram-worthy pics of your posse on play-cation, did the bach actually even happen?
In honor of bachelorette season, we’re sounding off on some of our favorite bachelorette basics. For anyone who got married a few years ago and didn’t get to do it up like these brides and their tribes, then you might want to consider redoing your hen-do… Really.
Hell of a hashtag
Coming up with a baller wedding hashtag just isn’t enough anymore, because having a killer bachelorette night/weekend hashtag (or two, or three) is priority #2! What Lauren Conrad started a few years back, with her #donttellmrtell hashtag for baching in Cabo and Julianne Hough slayed with multiple hero hashtags of her own for her March bachelorette, has become so necessary for the soon-to-be-married mainstream millennial. So, our suggestion: get brainstorming now! Whether you incorporate saying goodbye to your maiden name a la Hough’s #HastaLaVistaHough and #TheFinalHoughrrah or reference your fiancé in some funny, clever way (for instance, #StephsLeavingMikeyforMickey --- helloooo Disney princess squad), you’ll get serious props for making hashtag magic.
TFW everything is planned out to perfection
For the longest time, it was up to the bridal party to orchestrate the epic event for the bride-to-be. After all, she, uh, has a wedding to plan? But now, brides themselves (especially the ones with event planning practice or the need to be in control, TBH) are getting involved and making sure their bachelorettes are thought-out to a tee for their VIPs and all the more highly-anticipated. To get everyone pumped and primed for an oh-so-perf party, sending out invites and itineraries, complete with a timeline, maps and adorably complementary iconography is a total DO. Sure, the bachelorette planning process happens more so through group texts, phone calls and Google hangouts, but first impressions of the occasion can still have finesse and an on-point aesthetic…
Snappable signage to highlight your status
Did we mention bachelorette bashes are an Instagram phenomenon and need to be documented to death? Yup. Sooo to make the weekend even more festive, and the photos painstakingly posed, having signage clearly denoting you’re days away from saying ‘I Do’ is a must. From metallic banners boasting “She Said YAAAS” and “Let’s Fiesta Bitches!” to more #squadgoal appropriate drinking directives - Pop the Bubbly, She’s Getting a Hubby and Take a Shot, She’s Tying the Knot and even mugshot photos and silly superlatives to highlight the who’s-who in your crew (because everyone tuning in needs to know who’s Ms. Behaving or driving the Hot Mess Express), any and all of the above are extra in the BEST. WAY. POSSIBLE.
Drinks on drinks on drinks
Saying goodbye to singlehood doesn’t always call for shots. shots. shots. Though a toast with some tequila, especially at beach-bound bachelorettes is pretty de rigueur. Instead, some of our favorite parties and powerful women weekends are overflowing with goblets of rosé, carafes of champs and popped bottles of prosecco. Made even cuter with not only personalized glassware (stemless champagne flutes with everyone’s names on it, duh), but individual collapsible wine bottles - only way to drink it down on the go - and some sweet craft straws + I LOVE YOU cards to welcome your ladies to the weekend! Mini bottles [or magnum ones, who’s judging] of bubbly never looked better… If your group is more about artisanal cocktails and sophisticated spritzers, consider booking a bartender and having him/her mix up some signature sips for the occasion. You’re only a Miss for so much longer, so why not celebrate with a photogenic elixir your gang can enjoy and post all over the internet all weekend long. #Goals
Snacks on deck
In the days leading up to your epic bachelorette weekend, make sure you and your girls can turn your dessert and morning munchie regrams into recreations for your main event. Sure, taking group pics before dinner or going out is cute, but showcasing your #foodie game is ever better. Funfetti everything, glitter doughnuts and decorative cookies (penis-shaped ones will work here) for post-drinking, before-bedtime binges - check. Fancy AF avocado toast, pretty parfaits and beautiful acai breakfast bowls complete with ALL the yummy hangover-fighting fruits and accoutrements for brunch - done, done and done. NOTE: it helps to have an expert snack-styling sis in the group!
Ladies, now let's get in (uni)formation
A few years ago, the standard for bachelorette parties was bride in white, maids and ladies in black. And then, there were tank tops and trucker hats with TEAM BRIDE blazoned on the front. Nowadays, those trends would be the most basic of the basic. When we consider what’s next-level with the bachelorette fashion game, we’re thinking conversation swimsuits (bride and tribe), pop culture-inspired racerbacks (‘drunk in love’ versus ‘just drunk’ - or how bout a Disney referencing ‘bibbidi bobbidi I DO’ and ‘bibbidi bobbidi crew’), and serious costume party creativity. If you’re kicking it in Charleston, break out the Lilly P and pearls and channel your best Southern Belle. If you’re heading to Hollywood, have the group go all out dressed as their favorite A-list girl crushes or celebutantes. And any trip to Disney wouldn’t be legit without a night on the town in true Princess fashion. Ariel, Jasmine, Aurora, Cinderella and Snow White ain’t got nothin’ on your doe-eyed entourage.
Be sure to check out the way Betches likes to Bach.
Throwback to yesteryear
For the bride who wants something a little more minimalistic, there’s nothing wrong (and dare we say it, everything right) with taking a trip down memory lane. Old-fashioned sleepover parties are a classic bachelorette choice, and the fact that you can now catch a buzz while marathoning your top ten titles makes adulting so much more tolerable! Party with your PJs on and queue up YouTube to try out some makeup and hair tutorials for the big day. Your glam squad will need some inspo soon enough, and the pics of you and your besties in full-on beauty beast-mode will no doubt be v presh while also serving a purpose. And if nostalgia really gets you amped, why not take it even a step further and recruit your crew for camp! Places like Club Getaway, a weekend summer camp for adults in the Berkshire Mountains, allow you to have your own unique and unforgettable bachelorette party experience while releasing your inner child without giving up the fun of booze, and nightlife. They even offer a package where if you round up 10 of your friends to come out, the person getting married is completely F-R-E-E.
Never forgetting the narrative
When your bachelorette goes down as the GOAT, you gotta find a way to keepsake the s*** out of it. No doubt, everyone will be taking pics and vids, but as time passes, Snaps and stories disappear, and your girls get new phones, wiping out their memory, there’s really no way to preserve all that was your epic bachelorette party. That’s why we’re HUGE fans of a brand-new service called LIFIE (that’s right, selfie buh-bye), which produces handcrafted movies from crowdsourced videos and photos. Essentially, you can videograph your own exciting life events and milestones, and we’d qualify a bachelorette as one of those. All you need to do is upload your videos and photos from any device and invite your friends and family to do the same. Next, you’ll share your video vision and one of the company’s talented human editors will create a custom movie with premium, royalty-free music that sets the mood and provides hassle-free sharing anywhere on the web. The final product, which will run you just over $150 (not bad, especially if everyone who went on the weekend chips in!), can be viewed on LIFIE.com, shared to all your social platforms and downloaded straight to your computer. So, basically, whatever happens in Vegas doesn’t have to stay there…
Be sure to head over here to get a laugh over these 10 funny bachelorette gifts!