The bride-to-be has made her bridesmaid proposal and visions of bachelorette parties are already swirling in your head.

I know what it’s like. You get to plan the BEST party for your very, best friend but where do you even start? Don’t worry girl. I got you. I’ve been to a LOT of bachelorette parties and learned the lessons of what bridesmaids should do…Here are my top tips for planning a bachelorette party!

Before you Start – Consider your Guests

It’s important to take into consideration those who will be attending and keep costs in mind throughout the planning process. Not everyone has the same budget; going to the wedding will cost quite a bit and of course, many girls will have more than one wedding or Bachelorette Party to attend so it’s worth considering everyone’s budget.

Know Your Audience

While planning the bride’s soiree you’ll definitely want to keep you bride in mind. I know you are…. right? Remembering that this night/weekend is all about the bride-to-be is the absolute, most important rule of etiquette when it comes to bachelorette parties. When it comes to the actual night, don’t surprise the bride with any rude or tasteless memorabilia unless she’s told you she’s up for it. And please for goodness sake, when it comes to party games keep the tone light and limit the embarrassing questions, especially if moms are present! Bridesmaids and guests can’t lose sight of this and make the festivities about them and what they want to do. Trust me when I say, you want to have a happy bride-to-be and keep the night/weekend about her. Need some classy bachelorette supplies ideas? Go ahead and click here for some pretty inspiration.

Timing is Key

Anyone who knows me knows I loooove my schedules and the same is true even when it comes to planning a bachelorette. Trust me when I say, you NEED some sort of a schedule when it comes to organizing a group of girls. They’ll be looking at you for direction so you’ll be happy to have a schedule written down- just something simple outlining key times and locations.

Work Together

This is a biggie. Most brides have at least 2 bridesmaids so you’re going to want to work as a team and delegate tasks to the bridal party so that everyone has a part in the planning. It’s important that all the girls feel involved.

Sort the Transportation

If you’re heading out of town, make sure to organize transportation such as taxis or limos to take people from location to location, and make sure to include this in the budget so that it is paid for in advance so there are no surprises on the day. It will be easier to keep the whole group together, everyone can enjoy a drink (or two!) and reduces the risk of losing any guests along the way!

Paying For The Bride

It’s traditional etiquette to cover costs for the Bride-to-be. This can vary from Bachelorette to Bachelorette, but in most cases, the guests will pay for the Bride’s meals, drinks, and activities. The Bride’s costs should be divided by the guests and collected prior to the Bachelorette party itself to avoid the awkward situation of money passing hands in front of the Bride and to ensure that the person organizing the event collects the money. Need help getting started on the budget? Click here!

Break the Ice

Not everyone may know each other so getting everyone talking with an ice-breaker is a nice way to start the festivities. For example, asking the group to bring a photo of themselves and the bride-to-be can be used to tell everyone’s personal story with the bride, and this will give everyone a heads up on who’s who.

Look After Everyone

There’s nothing worse than that feeling that everyone at a party is pals and you don’t know anyone. This will most likely be the case, so make sure to get talking to each guest and help those shy gals out! Not everyone will know each other so it’s nice to get everyone comfortable and chatting.

Party Packs

If the budget allows, Bridal Party Packs are a fun idea. They can be “Day After the Night Before” packs with Tylenol, chips, Gatorade, etc. or personal “Bachelorette Party” packs with funny items that relate to the bride, or items guests might need for the activity you have planned.

Do you have any other bachelorette party planning tips?

Leave them in the comments!

DON’T FORGET IT: PIN IT!