A Great Send Off
Jennifer Pantin
Ladies, rejoice strippers are a thing of the past. Today’s bachelor and bachelorette parties are all about weekend getaways, pampering, and bonding with your closest friends. Whether you long for luxury or adventure, brides and grooms-to-be have more options than ever. Here are 10 ideas for your last big night out before saying goodbye to single hood.
For the Girls
VEGAS, BABY: For years, Las Vegas was the go-to place for bachelor parties, but Vegas has just as much to offer the girls. If the slots don’t thrill you, now you can spend your days playing a round at award-winning golf courses, dining on culinary masterpieces, or being spoiled by massages, manicures and facials. Vegas does everything bigger and better, and its hotels are no exception. The SkyLofts at the MGM Grand is one of the hottest spots on the strip, and with personalized butler service 24 hours a day; it’s not hard to see why.
SOUTH BEACH: If you’re looking for one last wild weekend, then book a ticket to Miami. This ultra-chic city by the ocean is home to hot clubs and hotter weather. Days are spent lounging poolside, people watching, and perfecting your tan. At night, dress to impress with your sexiest Cavalli, and prepare to dance the night away. Top hotels like the Shore Club, Delano, and Loews specialize in exclusive luxury; and the Loews even offers a “Sassy in South Beach” package that includes club access, cocktails, and a healthy “recovery” breakfast in bed.
CHANNEL YOUR INNER DOMESTIC DIVA: If you love to cook and be domestic – or think it might be time for a crash course – consider hosting a cooking party at home or in a restaurant. Chefs will supply the ingredients and customize the lesson for your group. If you want to make a weekend of it, the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, MD offers a package that includes personalized cooking classes with lessons on preserving jellies and baking pastries.
FUN IN THE SUN: The Caribbean is only a few hours away by plane, but once you’ve arrived you’ll feel like you’re worlds away. Destinations such as St. Martin, Dominican Republic and Jamaica are the perfect places for you and your friends to lie out in the sun, swim in crystal clear waters, and just relax. And even closer to home is Bermuda, precious and pretty with its pink sand beaches; and interesting with its British colony culture.
PICTURE PERFECT: Every woman secretly dreams of being a model; so why not treat your bridesmaids to a professional photo shoot? Some local party-planning companies can arrange for a stylist, makeup artist, and photographer to transform you and your friends into starlets for a night on the town. Or, for a more down-home experience, journey to the Inn at Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina for their “Portrait of the Ladies” package. There you can rest and reconnect with friends and family at the top-rated spa, hike and kayak, and have a private group session with a photographer to capture the warmth of your friendship.
SLEEP OVER: Slumber parties were always fun – staying up late, gossiping, and eating junk food – and now you and your best friends can have a grown-up version. Hotels across the country are offering slumber party packages for women. Some, like the Big Girls Slumber Party at the Kennebunkport Inn in Maine, feature chick flicks, spa treatments, and complimentary cocktails. For those young at heart, Disney offers a Princess package, which includes Swedish massages, gourmet dinners, chocolate martinis, and passes to Disney’s Pleasure Island.
ACTION & ADVENTURE: For the adrenaline junkies, why not try an adventure-travel weekend? Consider a group trip where you kayak through the Everglades or hike the Appalachians. Another option is “The Giddy Up Gals Getaway” package from the Rancho de los Caballeros in Arizona, which provides women with a real ranch experience, including riding lessons, cookouts, and a penning competition. Roughing it not your thing? Don’t worry, three gourmet meals a day are provided.
For the Guys
NEED FOR SPEED: Does your guy drool over Ferraris and Lamborghinis? Suggest a trip to the Skip Barber Racing School at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA. There, he and his pals can learn high performance driving skills and even strap into a Dodge Viper for 2.24 mile long, 100 mph track. He’ll be grinning for weeks.
JUMP AROUND: If your fiancé is more athletically inclined, a sports-themed bachelor party will be just right for him. Try renting a basketball court or baseball field and catering the event with hot dogs, burgers, beer and dirty martinis.
ON THE FLY: For the man, who loves to fish, consider a “mancation”. Some hotels, like the Harbor Beach Marriot resort in Ft. Lauderdale, offer a two-night package that features offshore fishing expeditions, buckets of beer, and ocean-view accommodations. Best of all: the restaurant will cook up his best catch of the day.
Party planning tips
WHO HOSTS? While brides should never host their own bridal shower, it is ok for them to plan their bachelorette party. Typically, however, bridesmaids will plan the event, and invitations are sent out approximately two months in advance. The same goes for the bachelor party, with the groomsmen planning the event.
WHO PAYS? If the bride is hosting, she and/or her family chip in some or all of the cost. If bridesmaids are planning the party, then each person contributes. Also, when coordinating a destination weekend, it is important to keep each person’s budget in mind.
HOW LONG? According to Liz Seccuro of Dolce Parties, a luxury event-planning company based in Connecticut, the party should never last longer than a long weekend. “The point is for everyone to just relax, be together, and have fun.”
WHAT TO DO? One-night Party vs. weekend. No matter what choose, the point is to create memories. As Holly Arnowitz, founder of Indigo Experiences, a custom-event planning company based in New York and Los Angeles, says, “It’s not about planning a party, it’s about creating an experience.”
WHEN? Bachelorette parties should never be the night before the wedding, to allow the bride to focus on last minute details.
JUST BECAUSE: If your group will be doing any drinking, treat yourselves and hire a car service; It will be one less thing to think about.
Now, go out and have a blast, but don’t forget your celebrating your passage into matrimony. That’s the best reason to party.