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Inspired by a recent comment on the paintball hen's party adventure, I thought I'd showcase some more offbeat bachelorette party ideas. Because Kelsey's idea sounds like a shit-ton of fun:
Me and my boys play paintball all the time. This is such an awesome idea. We play on our own fields, but it would be awesome to do groom vs bride paintball day. Except the boys are in the gowns and the girls are in cheap tuxes!
Not down with shooting your bridal party, even if they're dressed in vintage-ugly drag? No worries, we got a lot bachelorette party ideas that don't involve plastic penises:
Throw a panty party
Take a plunge
Are you looking to celebrate by enjoying a good adrenaline rush with friends? Take a plunge before taking the plunge by going skydiving, ziplining, deep sea diving, or bungie jumping with your buds.
A day at the museum
Are you the type that wants less adrenaline rush and more brain stimulation? Have fun learning new things and playing with the exhibits at your local science museum. Or sign up to take a guided tour at your favorite art museum.
Beerlorette party
From the moment Offbeat Bride reader Eureka introduced us to the concept of the beerlorette party, I was in love. Beer tasting at your favorite brewery? Pub crawl through town? Brewing your own beer at home to enjoy at the wedding later? Beer and buddies = fun.
Cads About Matrimony: a game for the snark-loving bachelorette party
Last year, I was put in charge of games for my dear friend Nicky's bachelorette party. I had no experience planning wedding party games, so... Read more
Fun in the sun
Just chill the fuck out at the beach, or at a park for the day. Pack tons of food, drinks, games, and sunblock, and have a blast.
Go retro
We featured this '50s housewife-themed bridal shower, but you could totally use the same idea and turn it into a '50s-themed bachelorette party. Wear your favorite retro frocks, eat finger foods, and party the night away Mad Men-style.
Throw a children's party for grown-ups
Go karts, batting cages, mini golf, arcades, amusement parks: Kids know how to party, man. I remember going to the coolest places to celebrate my childhood friends' milestones. Why stop driving go karts just because you can legally drive a car? Buy balloons and a goofy pre-decorated sheet cake and celebrate your bachelorette party the way you would have celebrated your birthday back in the day.
Take in a burlesque show
Maybe you wanna go more “adult” with your entertainment. Who says that the girly strip teases should only be enjoyed by the boys? I know a whole lot of ladies who love a good burlesque show.
If you're in Seattle and you're into nerd culture you could check out WhedonesqueBurlesque. Perhaps you can track down a subculture-themed burlesque show in your town?
Take advantage of existing events
Does a local pub host a trivia night? Or a bowling alley that also has karaoke? What about a restaurant that also features a drag night, or other live entertainment? If you're not the planning type, take advantage of pre-planned activities at local establishments and let the entertainment come to you!
Stuff your faces
Keep it simple and host a nice, sit-down dinner, or a potluck. Let the food do all the entertaining. This option is perfect for foodie brides. Make reservations at her favorite restaurant, and at the end of the night, have everyone but the bride split the bill. Easy. No clean up. No money anxieties. No problem!
Roast the bride
Don't want to watch a performance? Is your crew the theatrical type that would rather BE the performance? Awesome. Host a bridal roast. Have everyone invited prepare to lovingly poke fun at the bride. I did this for a bachelor party where everyone in attendance were musicians, so everyone did a musical roast of the groom. Of course, setting your roasts to music is not necessary, as long as your subject isn't TOO sensitive and all your jests are coming from a place of love. Good times!
What are YOUR non-traditional, no plastic penis-involved bachelorette party ideas? I wanna hear MOAR!
About the Author: Megan Finley Horowitz
When Megan's not writing, traveling, and sleeping, she's eating like the fate of the world depends on it. (You're welcome, world!) You can snoop into her personal life over on her website The Dash and Dine!
LOVE the idea of the bridal roast! My FH and I were planning on trying to incoporate a roast of sorts during our rehersal dinner, but I never thought of it for a bachelorette party! Great ideas!
My best friend is throwing me a “CrafTEA Bachelorette.” We’re going to a local tea room for tea and scones and mimosas and we’re going to get our craft on and make shit. Pretty psyched!
This is totally what I want to do and my retirement age mother called me a Nana! Haha. Stuff ’em!
We’re doing a ‘Hen’na party – probably heading to the local Moroccan restaurant for dinner (and maybe belly dancers?) and then heading to one of the lady’s houses for wine and henna fun. It remains to be decided how close to the wedding it’ll be (for the purposes of still having henna on us or not) It’s also been bandied about to ask a trusted male friend to act as our cabana boy for the night… because waving fans and feeding us stuffed grape leaves? awesome shtick.
I had the same idea for a Henna party! Are you guys buying the kits or does someone know how to do it already? That’s my current dilemma.
we have some experience in the world of henna already so we may well do it ourselves. If it’s going to be close enough to the wedding date that the henna will still be on my skin then we may look into having someone come in to do the designs (it’s a little hobby of mine as an artist, so I can draw on other people but can only do my left hand/arm comfortably)
mixing your own henna is very easy or you can buy pre-made cones, just be sure to get natural body art quality henna (black henna can be sketchy stuff with painful consequences) I’d recommend checking out http://www.etsy.com/shop/HennaDancer and/or http://mehandi.com/
Yay to these! Mine is next month. We are doing a 3 hour knicker-making workshop, where we make cute knickers out of vintage patterns with the aid of a professional seamstress, and get to have tea and cake. After that, cocktails and a sleepover! For me, the hen party is about having time to bond with my female friends and celebrate our friendship, so I really didn’t want anything that was all penis-and-strippers. More power to the ladies who do want that, but for me, I really would rather leave guys out of the equation altogether and make this very much a day that would pass the Bechdel test. 😉
“3 hour knicker-making workshop” is now one of my favorite phrases ever.
I’m going to the Atlantic City Food and Wine festival on July 27 and then meeting up with the guys at night to all have a party together. I’m very excited!
1) I just got really excited seeing a photo from a show I was in on here! (I was Kaylee in that production Whedonesque Burlesque :D)
2) I produced my husband’s & my bachelor/ette party. It was a burlesque show in which I both performed and hosted the second set. But we also each had a separate evening outing, and mine was at a tiny sing along showtunes bar where I got to belt Sondheim and dance the Charleston while we sang All That Jazz!
I don’t drink, so a typical bachelorette party isn’t in the stars for me. I requested of my girls that we do a party at a karaoke joint in the city. There is one where you get private rooms. If I had ladies who were more adventurous, I would have done either flying trapeze, lazr tag (I went to one of those before and it was AMAZING), or rollerskating. A backup plan is to do a hayride & bonfire.
I don’t drink either, which made ideas a bit harder for my bridesmaids. They did excellently though, starting with a bollywood dance lesson at one of their houses and then dinner on a train before more dancing in a converted shed.
I actually exclaimed “yay!” out loud when I saw this post go up. I love fun bachelorette ideas! I’m DMing a D&D game for mine!
Awesome idea. I wish my friends played. I’d totally TPK for LULZ.
Would it be a wedding theme game too? Bunch of warriors have to go out and rescue a bride groom from a troll? Please say it was that.
My sister actually wants to throw me a retro pin-up bachelorette party with the wedding photographer I hired. Basically myself, 2-5 of my closest friends, drinking wine and each getting 3 looks. The bride, however, gets 5. Holy crap I can’t wait for that one.
For my bachelorette party, my bridesmaids and I have been thinking about making it Harry Potter-themed, open to both my male AND female friends, and going to either Spookers (a haunted house attraction) and/or doing a Zombie Survival Challenge. So excited!!
I live in Auckland and want to come to your bachelorette SO BAD. I’ve wanted to do that Zombie Survival Challenge for ages!!!
I’m in Auckland too! I’ve been wanting to go to it since I saw a TreatMe or GrabOne voucher for it – I swear I think our bachelor and bachelorette parties are going to end up being combined because when I told the FI’s friends about it, they were like, “Dude, we may have to switch sides and go to her party” lol. I can’t believe more people don’t know about it!
I like so many of these ideas! I have literally zero idea what my Ladies are planning since they’re keeping it a big secret, but whatever it is, it’s going to be penis-cake and alcohol free so it’s gotta be offbeat in some capacity knowing myself and my Ladies. You guys should also think about featuring some offbeat bachelor parties too! I’ll be sure to share pictures from my darlings when it happens…he’s getting his tattoo finished and doesn’t know it! 🙂
Just had my bachelorette party last Saturday! It consisted of putting on matching Game of Thrones-themed t-shirts made by my Maid of Honor (and a tiara for me), playing two rounds of laser tag, dinner at a fancy steakhouse with great cocktails, heading to a vintage-styled cocktail bar for more cocktails, and rounding out the night at a local brewery. No penises necessary!
My BFF is organising a Wine and Cheese night, as I love cheese and hate rowdy parties. I wasn’t expecting her to do any Maid Of Honour type of things so I was really touched when she thought of this.
Before a snowstorm hit and cancelled our plans, I asked for my bachelorette party to happen at a local ‘nudie spa. It’s a Korean day spa in Seattle that’s fill with lots of different warming rooms and pools…I figured it’d be nice for our dreary Seattle winter to feel warm AND it’d bond us together, because who doesn’t feel bonded after awkwardly being naked with your friend’s friends?
We then planned on going to a local brewery, because that’s how we roll. But because of a snowstorm that hit Seattle, my bachelorette party was reduced to dinner at the brewery with my fiance, my mom/dad, my mother-in-law and father-in-law, some 2nd cousins stranded in the Sea Tac airport, a friend who was out walking in the snow (and her mom), my fiance’s best man and my maid of honor, and some bridesmaids. It was super fun in the end…and not many people can say that their future father-in-law (or their dad!) was at their bachelorette party!
The Whedonesque Burlesque reminded me of Rocky Horror or Dr. Horrible shadow cast shows. I think there’s even a Repo! shadowcast in my area. I’d love to hit one of those for a bachelorette party!
My bachelorette had three parts.
Part 1: We all went to a shooting range. Most of the girls had never shot a gun before, but eveyone found it to be really fun and empowering. Lots of amazing pictures. After that, we went to a diner.
Part 2: The following afternoon, we had a tea party! Mom sponsored the tea party and even sprung for champagne. It was sweet and girly and my aunts and younger cousins also came. We played Mad Libs too.
Part 3: Right after the tea party, we went out for country line dancing and karaoke at a local country line dance place. This was the most traditional bachelorette element, because I also rode the mechanical bull and sang karaoke drunk and whatever. Very fun though.
My now husband’s bachelor party was really offbeat too. Our wedding was in January in NJ. The guys put together a winter bonfire/BBQ at a local state park and I heard it was really really cold, but really awesome. When they finished the food and got too cold, they drove back and played board games.
Ooh tea party and karaoke!
When my best friend got married I was in charge of the bachelorette party. I bought all kinds of supplies to make our own masquerade masks, we wore them out to her favorite restaurant, and then went and watched a new Disney movie afterwards. It was a blast!
When I was matron of honor for a dear, fun-loving friend, we went to Gay Bingo in Philly. I believe this exists in numerous cities (Google it!), but it’s run by a foundation that raises money for AIDS research and care. Fabulous drag queens entertain the crowd while calling out bingo numbers. You can win all sorts of prizes. It’s a lot of fun, and the bonus is that one of you can leave with a lot of cash or other prizes! Plus the money you pay to get in goes toward a great cause. Everyone wins. We had a fantastic time.
I had a Man Party. I don’t quite remember how we got the idea – I think we just decided to take the whole penises-everywhere thing to the next level. Fake beards and mustaches everywhere, lots of flannel, shooting off a BB gun, and lots of fake deep voices and rude language. Oh, and of course we snacked on wieners and mixed nuts. It was pretty redneck, and super awesome.
OMG this is awesome. I love it.
I remember the panty party idea from a while back. Love to put that idea into use.
Also: My sister had a “new couple’s good luck” scavenger hunt for her bachelorette party because she wanted to keep it alcohol-free. Yes, it included some penile imagery, but you can use whatever you want for your own scavenger hunt. Just be sure everyone in your wedding party is aware of your expectations.
My best friend is getting married in a few weeks, and I found an awesome option when I was researching bachelorette ideas – burlesque dance class! It may not be an option in every city, but it would be a lot of fun. (I got outvoted, so we’re doing something else, but the bride would totally have loved it.)
For my bachelorette party, we went to see The Who. It was fantastic – my favorite band and a night out with friends, but still low-key enough that I felt like myself.
My amazing girls threw me a surprise party that was perfectly fitting! It would work for a non-surprise event, too. We are huge devotees of the Anne of Green Gables miniseries, so I was chauffeured (in the guise of being taken to a manicure appointment) to a local beach — appropriately named “Heart’s Desire” — where an Anne of Green Gables-themed beach party was set up: clambake, raspberry cordial, carrot cupcakes, and an Anne-themed Truth or Dare game they called “Drowned Mouse” (everyone pulls a phrase from the movie, and whoever gets “drowned mouse” is put on the spot). It was so much fun!
A local tour bus company was running a trip to NYC, my birthday weekend, about a month before my wedding. So, I invited about 15 girls but only 3 came but we Ohioians enjoyed a day in NYC for my Bachelorette-Birthday-Party.
I’m not big into the bar scheme, so my MOH is planning a bachelorette party to Six Flags (which is a rollercoaster-centric themepark, for those unfamiliar). It also happens to be happening during Fright Fest, which is an Halloween celebration they have, so we’re all dressing up as an undead bridal party. We’re going to get there early, ride all the rollercoaster, pig out on corn dogs & cotton candy and then go home and have a 1980s themed PJ party. It’s going to be epic!
Hurrah! Whedonesque Burlesque was so much fun and will definitely return to Seattle (probably not until 2014, though). My last show, actually two weekends ago, a bachelorette party came out to The Burl-X-Files: The Truth Is Down There. They had a hoot! My favorite thing was seeing the glee in the bride’s eyes when I said, “would you like your picture taken with Mulder after the show?”
I’m planning my friend’s bachelorette party, and she said it had to be family friendly. And where she lives at, there is little to do in general, so she really made me get creative! I’m planning on us doing lunch (maybe tea) and then going to go pottery painting! There’s a little studio and you pay for the piece and can pick it up later. You all get to paint. Since she still lives at home, I figure it would be a nice way to make some unique mugs, dishes, tea pots, etc. for her new life! Fun and practical.
I am in the midst of planning a bachelorette party for a housemate…who is a large Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons, etc. fantasy fan. So, I’m planning a “Lady of the Rings” – wherein we visit stations, play a gamed tied into the Lord of the Rings plot, and get a clue to the next location. There will be two rings – one traveling with us, marking the winner of the previous game like a Tour de France vest, and one hidden at the end of the stations’ clues. Prizes will be given to the woman who A) carries the ring the most frequently, B) carried the ring at the end, and C) found the second ring. Games are themed like Shelob’s Lair, where we play the schoolyard/camp game Big Booty, or Gondor, where we play an improvised version of Apples to Apples followed by a camp game where participants enact either a bride, chicken, or rock and must only challenge another of their kind to a rock-paper-scissors match. We’ll see how this goes!
Given how small the wedding party was, my husband and I had a combined bachelor(ette) party. It was four people hanging out at a water park. Well, we stopped at IHOP for breakfast since one of my bridesmaids couldn’t get to Florida until the day before, and we gorged ourselves stupid before hitting up the lazy river and water slides. Our combined party lasted for several hours before joining the big party my parents threw for everyone so guests could hang out for a bit before the actual event. It was a good time, and if I was ever put in charge of such a shindig, the first question for the to-be-wed(s) will probably be “How well can you swim?”
For my bachelorette party I am taking my best lady friends to a 24 hour Korean inspired spa. This is knows as jjimjilbang. There are a number of places like this, in DC (NOVA), Chicago, Dallas and a few around CA. We are going a few days before the wedding. If you don’t know about these places, you should. Very relaxing, fairly affordable entry fee gets you 24 hour access to spa and sauna with a variety of different hot rooms. Most have a cafeteria with healthy food options, wifi, sleeping rooms and even entertainment. What a better way for the bridal party to get to know each-other and relax before the big day?! These spas are usually child friendly and co-ed friendly (but sleeping, showers and pools are separated by gender).
Never thought of myself as an offbeat bride, but ‘spose I am a bit. The croon of the accordion and Polka dancing is my passion, though I can’t really dance. I just had to have my girlfriends from work come join together at the local German club which is opened once monthly to the public. We were greeted by the loveliest group of elderly folks who charmed and wowed us the whole night. Their waltzing and slow foxtrots were mesmerizing! The sweetest smiles wished me happiness as they reminisced of their 60 years passed together. One couple was 90 & 97 and you’d never know it! If you want to see the longevity that love and enthusiasm for life can bring you, head over to your local European dance club. We had a blast!!!!