This Is It! Everything You Need for an Off-the-Hook Bachelorette Party
With summer weddings just around the corner, it’s officially bachelorette party season. And when it’s the last fling before the ring, the bash needs to be seriously memorable.
As a forever bridesmaid/bachelorette party attendee, I know a few things about the perfect ladies night out. (Hint: Matching tank tops are out and don’t you even dare suggest an adult painting class with wine.) And while we’d never suggest ditching such games as the photo scavenger hunt and passing around sexy lingerie, it’s about time to try something new.
To make it easy, we broke out our must-haves into three phases: the pre-game, the main event, and the after party—A.K.A. the hangover. Because after the bachelorette party is the after party in the bathtub with a bottle of gatorade and Advil.
The Pre-Game
1. Silicone Ice Cube Trays
Your pre-game drinks deserve the cutest ice cube trays. We couldn’t decide between hearts (for love, duh) or diamonds (because diamonds are forever and marriage is forever and whatever, these ice cube trays are flawless), so we suggest stocking up on both. The easy-to-use trays create the coolest three dimensional cubes that easily pop out, so no whacking these trays on the kitchen counter necessary.
Wine hack, alert! Freeze rosé and add them to glasses of champagne for double the fun.
2. The Rider Tarot Card Deck
Whether you’re a tarot card newbie or you spend your nights under the full moon reading palms, we think learning the future is a fun new twist on the same-old bachelorette party games. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with pin the penis on the stud, but before your bestie ties the knot, why not see what’s in store? Sure, the wedding date is set but let the cards tell the rest...
3. She Said Yaaas Banner
What’s a party without a bit of decor? End to end the banner is six feet long, though the “She Said Yaaas” text spans approximately three feet. Hang it in the doorway, toss it above the bar cart, wear it as a cape… wherever you use it, your guests will appreciate the Broad City lingo and sparkly gold letters.
4. Bride Letter Balloons
You can't throw a party in 2017 without letter balloons. If you haven't spotted them IRL yet, you've definitely seen them all over Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for birthday parties, baby showers, and yes, bachelorette parties. With the help of a little tape these balloons—no helium here, so they won't float on their own—make an for the perfect photo station for all of your Insta-worthy pics. The balloons come in both silver and gold, so whatever color scheme you're going for, they’ll up your decor game.
5. Last Fling Before the Ring Tumbler
You didn’t think you’d get through this story without a cheesy wedding-related rhyme, did you? Enter your bride’s new favorite cup with the almost too cute “last fling before the ring” text. It’s BPA-free, holds 22 ounces of liquid (Read: Her cocktail of choice), and you’ll be hard-pressed to rip it from her hands on your way to the bar.
6. Sip, Sip, Hooray Cups
As for the rest of the crew? Well, they’re relegated to the lesser (but not any less cute!) reusable plastic cups. The 16-ounce sturdy cups come in packs of 10 so all of your guests can carry the matching glasses. One side says “sip sip hooray” and the flip side says “cheers to love.” Cheers, indeed!
7. Wolf Pack Nail Transfers
Ditch the matching tees and opt for matching manis. Wolves travel in packs, and if you and your gal pals are planning a night around town, try matching wolf nail decals. Each pack comes with 54 individual transfers that you simply adhere to your nails like a sticker. Top with a clear coat of polish, let dry, and enjoy the night howling with the rest of your pack.
BUY FROM: Not on the High Street, $6.40
Out and About
8. Lucite Clutch
Ready to party? Feeling the love? Say it on your clutch! Splurge on the Milly ‘party’ version or save your dimes for drinks and go with the more affordable acrylic ‘love’ box instead. Both are large enough for the essentials—phone, wallet, keys, gloss—but still small enough that they won’t get in the way of dancing on table tops and snapping selfies with your pals.
9. Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera
Knock, knock! It’s Nostalgia here and I want you to ditch the iPhone selfies for real life printable pictures. This camera instantly prints your pics, which you can then snap for Instagram. (Because pictures of pictures is so 2017.) The camera itself is super light (less than a pound), durable, and you just need two AA batteries and you’re good to go. And although it comes in 9 cool colors, we obviously think you should to go with the pink. And you don’t have to use it one time only either. As one reviewer suggests, save the camera for the big day, snap pics, and use the instant polaroids in a visual guest book.
10. Future Mrs. Headband
Gone are the days of cheap tiaras! It's time to upgrade the plastic crown with this hot pink metal headband with the appropriate “Future Mrs.” adorned on top. Attendees need not feel left out, however! All of your girlfriends can wear the "Party Time" version while the bride rocks her headband before going from Miss to Mrs.
11. Boy Tears Portable Power Charger
Nothing is worse than being mid-selfie and the soul-crushing “low battery” alert pops up on your screen. Enter this portable power charger that gives you an additional 16 hours of battery life so your ’gram game can stay strong. It’s compatible with all USB-powered devices (so all smartphones!) and it yells the bachelorette party message loud and clear: No boys allowed!
BUY FROM: Urban Outfitters, $40
12. Bride Tribe Temporary Tattoos
We may have mentioned this before, but we’re low-key anti matching shirts for the bachelorette party. Instead, we like matching manis (above) and matching tattoos…temporary, of course. This set comes in flashy gold letters with both “bride” and “bride tribe” tattoos so everyone will know who the woman of the hour is and which ladies are in her dope tribe.
13. Minimergency Kit For Bridesmaids
If you’re always carrying band aids, a nail file, hand sanitizer, or a pack of hair ties, then you might be the mom of the group. (Guilty!) If that’s the case, clear out your emergency bag and swap in this mini kit that comes with safety pins, hair spray, band aids, stain remover, double-sided tape, breath freshener, bobby pins, earring backs, and more. When the bride suddenly gets a heinous blister from her never-worn 4-inch heels, she’ll thank you forever… and maybe promote you to maid of honor!
The After Party
14. Bath Bombs
Now for the morning after. Your brain might be struggling, but your body doesn’t have to. Bath bombs might just be a case of the placebo effect, but we’ll take what we can for an hour of relaxation. This box set comes with six unique bombs in flavors like lavender, cucumber melon, and grapefruit tangerine. Set up your bath with one (or more!) bath bombs, your favorite candle, and an extra large ginger ale.
15. #Multimasking Mask Treatment Set
Take your bombed bath to the next level by slathering on a soothing face mask. This set comes with six different treatments that can help with dehydrated, tired skin. In fact, depending when you rolled in from the night before, you might even want to layer on both the hydrating and brightening masks at the same time. It’s also the perfect gift that won’t offend your bride but still let her knows that yeah girl, you’re going to need this tomorrow morning.
