Every once in awhile I get to do something really fun for a family member or close friend. In this case it was for both a very dear friend and relative, my sister-in-law, Molly. Molly was the beneficaiary of a wonderful Bachelorette Bash that I planned for her earlier this month to celebrate her upcoming wedding to Kevin… Our dear Aunt Julie was the rocking hostess of this wonderful weekend at her gorgeous bungelow in Sacramento (THANK YOU JULIE!!!)
It was really an amazing weekend, which combined not only the craziness usually associated with Bachelorette Parties, but also one full of pampering and rest. I have to say that all the gals who attended fully enjoyed themselves, and didn’t have to break the bank to give Molly a weekend she always dreamed about.
So, I thought I would share with all of my Brides to Be ideas that I came up with to make this weekend truly a success:
1. Bride’s Wishes. This is critical! Molly really wanted an entire weekend, not just a night on the town. So it was important for me to find us a space/place that gave her this wish, along with all the other wishes from relaxing to dancing to a few yummy drinks here and there… We also suprised her the first night with a different kinda fun, before the night on the town, and we took Molly Moonlight Kayaking. Very fun, somewhat relaxing, and the sky was amazing… Recommendation: Talk to the Bride and have her determine what is really important to her. If a whole weekend is, then Vegas may not be in everyone’s budget. If one night is, then splurge a little and rent a limo, get a table at a lush club, and a private room at a local eatery…
2. Location, Location, Location! I know this is something that comes into play not only for planning a wedding, but also for choosing a getaway place for the bash. In this case, I didn’t want the gals coming to have to spend a fortune (which so many times happens and as many of you know can add up to hundreds of dollars very easily) on accommodations, food, and all the fun. So, I called in the Troops, correctly I should say “Troop Leader” our dear Aunt Julie who although professionally isn’t a party planner, is a real-life party planner for the entire Powell Clan. I asked Julie if she wouldn’t mind Hosting our little gathering at her gorgeous home/bungelow/mini chateau up in the Sacramento area. Now I know Sac isn’t Vegas or the OC for that matter, but it does have all the advantages of large city, great restaurants, clubs, and things to do. Thankfully, Julie said yes, AND said she’d take care of the food. Basically, she provided a B&B for our getaway weekend… The food was amazing and we brought enough alcohol to fuel an army! Recommendation: Find a location that you can overtake for the weekend that doesn’t cost your party-going gals anything or very little, like a family members vacation home, a friend’s timeshare, or you can even rent for very affordable price depending on the season, a private residence. Stay away from hotels, because you can’t cook in them and they usually cost a fortune… Plus, if you can find your “Aunt Julie” she may even volunteer to oversee the food aspect of the weekend, which eleviates any worries about eating every meal out and the cost that goes along with it!
3. Nightlife. It is very important to select a location that does have nightlife nearby. Thankfully, Sac did not disappoint! We had a blast going to a few different clubs to dance (and drink) the night away. Molly LOVES to dance, so that was a requirement of any club we chose. She also loves Salsa, so it was important to find a club that had both the “bump-bump” dance music, but also latin. Recommendation: So, if you are not familiar with the area, there will be a little homework needed on your end. Email your friends to see if anyone’s been to the area you are going to see if they have any recommendations. Call a local hotel and speak to their concierge about clubs to go to, or to avoid. Inquire of a local transportation company, to not only provide you with the “DD” you’ll need to keep all of you safe while drinking and having a good time, but also for their recommendations on clubs and restaurants.
4. Relaxation is a must! Knowing we would be up super late every night we were at Molly’s Bash, it was important to intertwine a bit of relaxing, which not only included sleeping in, but fun in the sun and pampering. One of the days, we all donned our bathing suits on and headed for the lake. Lots of Jungle Juice, yummy sandwiches and all the accutrements filled our bellies as we laughed, shared stories of the crazy night before, chatted about the Wedding, and snoozed a bit in the sun. The next day’s relaxation entalled an afternoon of pampering at a very nice spa, including pedis and manis, champagne, and a snooze or two by some of us. Then we treated ourselves to delicious yogurt and treats. A Chick-Flick PJ party completed the weekend, while we all watched some sappy love stories eating popcorn and all the candy you could feast your eyes on. Recommendation: Find a local upscale spa that offers a wide variety of services, this way each gal can do anything she wants that fits into her budget. Also, doing a FREE afternoon of somesort that is relaxing is always wonderful, like strolling around local shoppes/eateries/museums, or, just being a lounge lizard poolside/beachside/lakeside. We all LOVE to just relax anywhere, even with a good book or magazine too!
5. Decor. It was critical that the entire weekend felt festive, and had a party filled atmosphere. I came up with a Mardi Gras themed weekend, where all the decor went around the color palette of hot pink, black, purple (molly’s favorite color), gold and green (three of the colors also are Molly’s wedding colors)… All the colors you typically filling New Orleans during the Mardi Gras festival. Decor was filled with masquerade masks, beads, beads and more beads, streamers (a must!), and table decorations. Pretty much every room in Julie’s bungalow was filled with Mardi Gras decor. And, had some decor that “traveled” with us, from feather boas, streamers, and plastic booze glasses. It was also important that we decorated Molly too, so that everywhere we went, she was spotted out as the Bride To Be… The best “wearable” decor item she had was a button, that bachelors spun and then had to do what the spinner landed on, like dancing with Molly, giving her a kiss, buying her a drink, and so on. She then became a “cheap date” for all of us as we really didn’t have to buy any drinks for her when we were out… it was great, and she really hammed it up. The guys LOVED IT! Recommendation: have each gal purchase a fun item for the bride to be to wear when you go out, so that she gets stopped, embarresed a little, and a drinking button for her is a must! Also, coming up with a theme, then having everyone pitch in with some decor will create a festive mood for everyone. There are several internet sites that sell decor items very inexpensively, so do a little homework and it will be well worth it!
We’ll that’s all about the great advice I have so far. Enjoy the Bachelorette Bash Planning and thanks to all Molly’s Gals for such a wonderful, festive, fun memorable weekend!