Here are some tips to help you get started. Be sure to Download the free lists to keep things in order.
The maid of honour or whoever is throwing the party should start
to plan in 6-8 weeks prior the wedding, to make all the relevant bookings, (Bare Butt Butlers or Stipper etc) The invitations should be sent out 2-3 weeks before the party date to give people a chance to RSVP so you
know how many to cater for.
The Bachelorette party usually takes place about a month before the wedding and should not be prior two weeks of her special day. Unless there are out of town relatives or friends coming for the wedding and the party has to be closer the actual wedding day. It’s great to have the party 3 or 4 weeks before the wedding so the girls can share a closeness and remember inside jokes that come from partying together as well as building an excitement about the wedding day, since that’s the reason for the party to begin with.
Have the Bachelorette give you a list of all the ladies she wants to have at the party, make sure she includes the phone numbers and e-mail address of each girl. Download and print a guest list to have her fill out, with your help.
As the bride to be fills out the guest list she will get excited for the party and mention what kind of thing she would like and whether or not she’s the type of lady who enjoys the sexy moves of a stripper. If Your Bachelorette fails to mention these things, you may already know the answer, as someone close to her. If not maybe it’s best to ask but the majority of the festivities should be kept a secret.
Think of whose house will be best suited and which date seems to work out for most of the girls. It is easier if the Bachelorette is involved in a few details of planning the party like; date and guest list but the party should be filled with fun and surprises for her to really blow her hair back before her big day.
In the case of most modern brides they are already well equipped in the kitchen department and would prefer a pamper/ undercover party where the guests can purchase lingerie and fun bedroom accessories (to spice up the honeymoon) at the party and or pay an entrance fee to help pay for the Bachelorette festivities. Parties can be quite an expensive thing to throw and although traditionally the bridesmaids and/or the Bride’s family would chip in towards this celebration, some just need a bit of help to pay for the party. Depending on how much food and entertainment you have planned for the party it might be an idea to charge a small entrance fee to all the ladies. If an entrance fee is to be charged it must be noted on the invitation.
The history of the Bridesmaid varies across cultures, religions and time periods. The origin of the role of the Bridesmaid goes back several centuries, when friends of the Bride would dress in the same dress as she had, in order to confuse any evil spirits lurking in the vicinity, ready to snatch the Bride away from her beloved.
In the days when the Groom would kidnap the Bride, Bridesmaids also had the role of safely escorting the Bride to the church by fending off jealous suitors, leaving the Bride for her Groom.
Over time, the role changed to one of “support” from her friends and family members.
These early customs continue to have an influence today. It is still the bridesmaid duty to make sure the bride gets to the ceremony safely. Bridesmaid dresses are still commonly chosen in harmony with the look and feel of the wedding.
Bridesmaid Duties
The most important role of the Bridesmaid or Maid of Honour is to provide emotional support for the busy Bride.
The Maid of Honour is there to help take the stress out of planning a wedding, from major decisions like venue, dress and menus to the finer details like addressing envelopes, making the wedding favours and fluffing the bride’s train.
A Bridesmaid must be able to give advice without giving orders! After all, it is the Bride’s big day and her wishes are paramount. The Groom is often not as involved as the Bride would like and it is your task to step in and help as much as possible with setting up a gift registry and notify the guests where the gift registry is. Another task is to help with seating arrangements and ensure the tables are set as the Bride wished as well as the decor. A great Bridesmaid helps the Bride get into her dress and make up on the day as well as offering refreshments before the ceremony to keep the bride calm and comfortable. As a Bridesmaid you may also have to assist the Bride going to the ladies as the big dress can make it difficult. Emotional support may also come in the form of accommodating an out of town relative and assisting guests getting to their seats.
One of the best duties of a Bridesmaid is to throw the hen party, bridal shower, kitchen tea or the most modern version; a Bachelorette.
Traditionally a Bridal shower was thrown to help equip the Bride to be in her new home. Gifts were brought, mainly kitchen accessories and other household items.
This has changed in recent years as more modern couples live together before walking down the aisle. Most couples are already quite well stocked at home and do not require allot of kitchen and house hold items.
This change has made room for the girls to have as much fun as the guys have had with their stag nights and Bachelor parties. Now days the ladies prefer to get together for an undercover party, filled with phallic symbols, naughty games, sex toys and lingerie. This is a wonderful and fun celebration of the girls last night to party with her friends as a single woman.
A Bridesmaid is there to make sure things run smoothly on the wedding day, which includes being one of the first on the dance floor to get the party going. Another duty as well as an honour is to witness the signing of the marriage register.
It’s a great Idea to give small party favors that double up as part of the party theme or group dress.
Buy some bright coloured lipsticks at the local bargain cosmetics store, all the same noticeable colour. Each lady must wear it all night so all the party girls can have matching pouts when in group photos and are easy to spot in a crowd.
The same can be done with fun, matching Head wear that makes your crowd stand out. Feather boas are also a nice party favour and dress-up accessory.
Choose a theme that will help you decide on how to decorate and what to dress the Bride up in. You can choose something that reflects her personality , her favorite pass-time or her husbands profession.For example, if He is involved in the military, police force or is a Doctor. You could dress her up as a Marine, a Cop or a Nurse and have the guests wear matching hats specific to that theme.
If her favorite thing is relaxing in her PJ’s then have a Pajama Party and add a veil to her PJ’s so she stands out.
You could choose a theme simply based on her favorite colour or drink or country. Have all the guests dress in her colour and decorate accordingly. If her favorite drink is Tequila then do a Mexican theme. If Bachelorette has been to an country she loved then, use that as a theme.
The theme should be apparent on the invitation as well as a request for the girls to dress to theme if required.
Below are some themes ideas…
Serve snacks that add to the theme.
Grab a few penis shaped ice trays and make ice for the drinks which can be served with a pecker shaped stirrer. Use the same tray to melt chocolate into willy shapes that would make Willy Wonker proud !
Cook up a storm with the pecker cookie cutters, in a variety of sizes, to bake some penis shaped biscuits.
Cocktails snacks served with Pecker shaped cocktail picks are a great replacemnt for the average toothpick.
Make a huge center piece for the table with the Pecker Ice sculpture to truly amaze the guests.
Don’t forget to place an order for a novelty cake as another great way to cater for the guests and stick to the theme!
Compile a special keepsake for the Bachelorette. Fill a scrapbook with photos, memories, best wishes & recipes. Ask the guests to each bring a photo of themselves with the Bride to be and their favorite recipe written on pretty writing paper and or a memory of a fond time spent with the Bride to be. At the party you could hand out coloured cards for the guests to write a message. Also remember to print a copy of the invitation that was sent out, to put in the book.
For something different, make a DIY Survival Kit as a favour for each girl. Include things like painkillers, lip gloss, chewing gum / tic tacs, nail polish, glitter etc you can also include a thank you note to all the girls for being part of celebrating this special occasion! If you’re planning on going out, you might want to include a Dare List or Scavenger Hunt too! ( Sourced from YesBabyDaily.com)
A cute idea for a gift is to add some sparkle to their favourite bottle! Stick-on Bling is cheap, and it makes an amazing keepsake! (sourced from: Yesbabydaily.com)
Use these Free Lists to help keep your party plans organised and on track.
Help the Bride complete the guest list so you know who to invite.
It’s important for the Bride to say thank you for her gifts, use the list to keep track of the gifts, for her.
10 per list print as many as you need.
