How to Plan a Bachelorette Party: The 8-Month Timeline I Actually Used

I planned my best friend’s bachelorette party this past August. 18 of us, a weekend in Traverse City, Michigan.

It was one of my favorite weekends ever. One of the most fun parts was planning it. Here’s the order I did it in.

8 months out

Ask the bride three things before you look at a single Airbnb or location.

1. When does she want it.
2. What does she actually want to do.
3. Who does she want there.

Then find a few places together, and have her start the group chat, not you. It lands better coming from her.

That first message needs the dates, the place, what it costs per person, and what else people should expect to pay for. Even a rough range is fine.

Everyone said yes, so we booked. Book as early as you can. I’d pick an Airbnb over a hotel block, because you usually get months of free cancellation. That matters when you’re putting down a deposit before anyone has paid you back.

6 months out

This is when I booked the wine tour bus. As soon as you book something, send a text with a tentative itinerary and what it actually costs.

Then say it plainly: if this doesn’t work for you, tell me now. Give people an easy way out while it’s early and nothing is paid for.

4 months out

This is the fun part. I made slides with the theme, the full itinerary, and a lookbook so everyone had outfit ideas for the theme.

This is also when I took the bride out of the group chat. I wanted it to be a surprise, and I didn’t want her stressing about details at her own party.

This is also when I made a Google Form asking for shirt sizes, whether people could pitch in for decorations and groceries, and any allergies. I added a question asking people to tell me about any money concerns, because now was the best time to say something. One form, once. Do it before you buy anything.

2 to 4 months out

Start ordering. I used Temu, Shein, Amazon and Etsy depending on what got me the most for my money.

Order anything custom first. It takes the longest and it’s the worst thing to have show up late.

Four things got the biggest reaction: the blow-up doll with the groom’s face taped on it, the temporary tattoos with his face, his face on a stick, and the matching pajamas.

I spent the most time picking out small gifts to leave on the bed for the bride to find. She loved the custom tank top and the purse the most.

1 month out

Send a spreadsheet with every cost broken out per person. Not one total.

Anything you don’t know yet goes in as TBD instead of a guess.

This is when I customized the signs in Canva. I made the scavenger hunt sheet, the spritz bar sign, and the Love is Sweet, Please Take a Treat sign for the dessert table. I also made little cutouts of everyone’s names for the door of whichever room they were sleeping in.

1 week out

Finish final preparations and put the bride back in the group chat. I sent the itinerary again, ideas of what to pack, and what time they could arrive.

The highlights

• The matching pajamas.
• The spritz bar on Friday night. I had custom wine glasses made with everyone’s initials on them to use at it.
• The blow-up doll with the groom’s face taped to the front.
• The sweets bar. The bride’s favorite candy and custom yellow cake pops.
• Game night. Three games, and all three worked. A Kahoot where I found old photos of everyone and zoomed right in, so you had to guess who it was. A round where the groom recorded himself answering questions, the bride guessed what he had said, and then we played the video. And a Kahoot about their relationship.
• The scavenger hunt at the bars. It made the bars more fun.