I just wanna par-tay!

August 8, 2008 1:31 PM

What do bachelorettes who hate techno music dance party clubs do for bachelorette events?

My bestie-for-life Maid of Honor and I are both getting married in October, and so we're planning a joing bachelorette party.

However, I don't think anyone really wants to do your traditional drunken club evening. Well, we're not opposed to the drunken part, but if I have to spend time in another overcrowded, college-aged, meat market club, I'll just die.

So, I need your help. I need some killer ideas for non-traditional stagette parties. I read a few other threads and stumbled on the 80s bridesmaid theme, but what else would be fun to do or play?

FYI: We're having it in Grand Rapids, MI (boring mini-metro city in SW Michigan.)

posted by santojulieta to grab bag (17 answers total)

Get a cabin on a lake and sit around drinking by the bonfire and roasting phallic things on sticks?
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:37 PM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh, and PS: I've only ever been to one bachelorette party ever!
posted by santojulieta at 1:47 PM on August 8, 2008

- Go to a spa and get pedicures while sipping champagne
- Rent a fancy hotel suite and have your party there, male strippers optional
- Do something like a sauna or Turkish bath, where you can get relaxed, or silly with the nudity, etc
- Do something adventurous the bride has always wanted to do, like skydiving, target shooting, car racing, etc
- Paintball (with everyone wearing veils over their masks), followed by drinking
posted by Mr Bunnsy at 1:49 PM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

When my friend was getting married, we had a slumber party and put crazy makeup on each other and rented a karaoke machine and ate lots of candy. (These were non-drinking people.)
It was actually super fun and one of the best bachelorette parties I've been to.
posted by exceptinsects at 1:54 PM on August 8, 2008

Well, I've been to plenty of bachelorette parties and none of them have involved "traditional" evenings at a club. Yuck.

There's loads of things you can do...

Start in a hotel room or low-key bar for drinks. Rent a limo for a couple of hours riding around drinking champagne. Stop off for dinner at a nice restaurant. Off to an arcade for pinball and beer. End the night with Irish coffees in a quiet place somewhere.

The spa/pedicure thing. (don't get manicures - will interfere with your drinking).

Start in the daytime - go carts and fun things? (don't know what's in Grand Rapids)

Crafty stuff? Don't know what your friends are like but bead/ceramic/painting-y stuff?

Tastings! Wine tasting, cheese tasting, olive oil, whatever. Hand-made chocolate tasting? Arrange a private session.

Scavenger hunt.

Salsa lesson/cooking lesson/belly dancing lesson/pole dancing lesson. Either at someone's house or in hotel room or in school
posted by gaspode at 2:00 PM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

Monster truck rally!
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:15 PM on August 8, 2008

I've participated in many non-trad bachelorette parties and had a blast (the one trad one was probably least fun)

my group of girlfriends would always go out to dinner together, then go to a tiki bar we like for wacky drinks, then to the house of one with a hottub for soakies, champagne and gifts. we always pooled money to buy a fancy nighty for the honeymoon :)

if there are any spas in your area you could go there first, then dinner, then instead of bar/club scene, go to a posh hotel and drink at the bar there. probably best to do the limo too!
posted by supermedusa at 2:20 PM on August 8, 2008

Strippers?
posted by electroboy at 2:38 PM on August 8, 2008

My wife's bachelorette party was held at a science museum where normally they have birthday parties and science demonstrations for 'tweens. They were happy to chang a banner to 'happy wedding' and do the demos for a group of 30-somethings, though, and the group got to play with liquid nitrogen. It sounded pretty cool to me. And I had fun confirming for the party director that the guest of honor was indeed closer to 33, not 13.
posted by hades at 3:12 PM on August 8, 2008 [4 favorites]

I didn't really have a bachelorette party, but the night before my wedding, myself, my bridesmaids and a couple male friends who were also staying at the hotel all got together in the hotel bar and had drinks and people-watched.

And by people-watched, I mean watched and chatted with the attendees of the sci-fi convention as they milled about the place. I can stretch truth a tad and say that Chewbacca was at my bachelorette party (and apparently The Doctor from Voyager and Quark were also on the premises).

So my suggestion is finding a non-traditional people-watching spot :)
posted by stefnet at 3:38 PM on August 8, 2008

Dinner at a swanky restaurant and a comedy show.
posted by Nickel at 3:48 PM on August 8, 2008

When I was walking around in Belgium at night, I came upon a giddy group of girls on a dark lawn down a side street. When I asked them what they were doing, they said the guest of honor was getting married, and the tradition was for them to burn their underwear behind city hall.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:27 PM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

I once went to an improv comedy event and there were no less than three bachelorette parties in attendance.
posted by PercussivePaul at 6:00 PM on August 8, 2008

have your OWN dance party!!! at whichever of your friend's house has the biggest potential dancefloor, make a bunch of great fun dancing playlists of music you love to dance to (get everyone to bring a playlist or mix cd or whatever, maybe you have a friend who's a dj and you can request what type of music you want)

get a bunch of booze and make your own COCKTAILS

and get drunk and dance like crazy.

i swear that house dance parties are best ever. that's if you love dancing (to your own choice of music) and you're not male-stripper-lovin kinda gals.
posted by beccyjoe at 6:08 PM on August 8, 2008

The most recent bachelorette party I went to started out at a burlesque dance class getting a private group lesson. Then he headed out to a big dinner - we went for just nice Thai - and then went to an '80s themed "prom" at a local small dance club.

I've run into bachelorette parties at Broadway-style shows, the drag waitress restaurant, Buca di Bepo, bowling alleys and - my favorite - the roller rink.
posted by Gucky at 11:11 PM on August 8, 2008

I was Maid of Honor for my sister's wedding. For the bachelorette party, several of the bridesmaids and I spent the day at a fancy spa, and finished off the evening with an old-fashioned slumber party (complete with cheesy romantic comedies). We had a great time, and my sister wants to go back to the spa later this year.

If you find something to do that suits your personalities and is a little bit out of the ordinary, you are certain to have a fun and memorable party.

Congratulations to both of you, and good luck!
posted by jennyesq at 11:13 PM on August 8, 2008

Head to this place. I feel like every time I got a piano bar there is at least one bachelorette party there. My buddy had his bachelor party at one and it was great. Have fun.
posted by PhatLobley at 11:50 PM on August 8, 2008