You can’t believe it’s finally happening—your best friend is getting married! This can only mean one thing—bachelor party time.
It can be a lot of fun to plan a bachelor party, as it’s something the groom and his friends have been looking forward to ever since the engagement was announced. However, if you’re in charge of party planning, how can you be sure it’s a success?
There are a few things you’ll want to know first. To learn more, here’s everything you need to know about how to plan a bachelor party—one that they’ll never forget!
Think About What the Bachelor Would Like
You’ve been put in charge of the bachelor party planning—awesome! However, before you get carried away with wild plans, keep in mind that the party is all about the bachelor—not you.
Before planning anything, spend some time thinking about what the bachelor would like most for his special party. While the guys might be keen for a stripper or two, some guys wouldn’t feel comfortable with that, as they don’t like the idea of it or don’t want to upset their future bride.
Don’t worry though, as there are lots of stripper-free bachelor party ideas like camping, poker, or paintballing.
If you’re not sure, talk to a few of the bachelor’s other friends and give some thought to what he’d like best.
Plan Your Date With Care
You’ll want to lock in the date for the party as soon as possible, so that guests have time to prepare and plan. Most parties tend to be held on the weekend, as that way it’s easiest for everyone to come.
Long weekends can be a good time too, especially if the party involves going away for a few days.
Whatever you do, never host a bachelor party a day or two before the wedding! Bachelor parties should be held a few weeks before the wedding, as they tend to result in late nights and sore heads—not what you want right before your wedding.
It’s common for parties to be held on the same date that the bride has her bachelorette party, so you might want to liaise with the bridesmaids when planning the date.
Generally, if the party is going to involve travel or an overnight stay, lock in your dates as soon as possible so guests can take time off work, arrange childcare, and make plans.
Work Out the Guest List
When planning a bachelor party, give some thought to who will be invited. It can be awkward if someone is forgotten about, so the best thing to do is ask the bachelor who he’d like to invite to the party.
Even if the actual activities of the party are a surprise, you’ll definitely want to include the groom when deciding who to invite. They can also decide if they’d like the party to be just friends or if their dad and male relatives should be invited.
Sometimes, an all-day party can include family-friendly activities in the afternoon, like a baseball game, then the activities can get a bit wilder once the older relatives have gone home.
Do you need to mail out printed invitations? Probably not, as bachelor parties are more informal—an email or online invitation would be fine.
However, you do need to make sure guests RSVP, for catering and planning purposes. Most restaurants, bars, and activities will require reservations in advance, and some might ask for a holding deposit.
Decide on the Location
Where will you host the party? A popular option is to rent a hotel suite or a house somewhere, so everyone has a place to gather together and hang out before heading out for the night.
Head into the city for a night out on the town, or head to the country for a weekend of fishing and 4WDing—it really depends on the interests of the group.
If you want to keep costs down, camping can be a great way to do this. There’s plenty of fun things to do in the country, or simply relax and enjoy a BBQ and beers under the stars.
Or, if money is no object, a weekend away in one of the world’s best party towns can be the way to go.
If you’re going away, check with guests to see if they’d be ok to share a room with someone else—this can help save money and makes it easier to fit everyone into a rental house.
Don’t Skimp on Food or Entertainment
One of the biggest things to think about when party planning is the entertainment and food. However, first give some thought to how much the bachelor’s friends will want to spend, as each person usually pays their own way at bachelor parties.
If you’re having everyone over to a hotel, you’ll want finger foods or something easy and fun like pizza or subs. Plenty of drinks are sure to be appreciated as well, so stock up on beer, wine, or the bachelor’s favorite spirits.
When it comes to entertainment, your only limit is your creativity! While many bachelor parties tend to have adult entertainment and dancers, you certainly don’t have to go down this route—but if you do, make sure all the guys treat the dancers with respect—and tip!
Think about some fun and exciting things that the bachelor would be sure to love. You might want to consider a bar crawl, going to a sporting event, playing drinking games, a round of golf, or a gourmet dinner in the city.
What you decide will depend on the interests of the bachelor and his friends, along with where you are, how much time you have, and how much everyone wants to spend.
Prepare Everything You Need in Advance
For the party to be a success, it helps to prepare in advance. Either the day before or the morning of, do all the shopping you need for things like drinks, ice, plates and cutlery, and decorations.
A few days in advance, you also want to check-in with everyone, making sure they’re still coming and whether they have any special requests or dietary requirements.
You’ll want to have plenty of cheeky and fun accessories for the night, so visit this page for bachelor party supplies. The more decorations and party supplies you have, the more festive the party will be!
Hang up all the decorations and set everything up well before the guests arrive, so everything is good to go as soon as the party begins.
Ensure Everyone Has a Good Time
Once the party gets going, try to be a good host! Keep in mind that not all of the guests might know each other, so be sure to introduce everyone and include how they know the groom.
This makes it easier for everyone to get settled in and feel comfortable. Throughout the party, check in every so often on your guests, making sure they’re having an awesome time and enjoying themselves.
Everyone has been looking forward to the big party for months, so it’s sure to go well! However, sometimes the party can get a bit too fun, so have plenty of water, food, and aspirin, in case anyone at the party overindulges.
Make Sure Guests Get Home Safely
As the party winds down, make sure that everyone is able to get home safely. For this reason, many bachelor parties include an overnight stay at a hotel, so that no one needs to drive home late at night after a few drinks.
If the party isn’t overnight, it can be a good idea to rent a limo or minibus to transport everyone around safely. That way, none of the guests have to drive and you can all let loose.
At a minimum, help everyone get into an Uber or call a cab as they’re leaving.
Use These Ideas to Learn How to Plan a Bachelor Party That Everyone Will Remember
As you can see, there’s a lot to think about when planning the big night out! Now that you know more about how to plan a bachelor party, use these tips to start thinking about the ideal party.
Although it can seem stressful, remember that everyone is sure to have a good time, no matter what you do. The groom is excited about his big wedding and can’t wait to have the weekend of a lifetime with his best friends.
Start planning the bachelor party today and before you know it, you, your friends, and the bachelor will be living it up and celebrating his wedding!
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