Going All Out: Real Party Itineraries
A NYC Bachelorette Party
Lauren and her husband went on their first date on a breezy night in September at the insistence of their mutual friends from law school who emphasized their compatible height. Lauren is 6 feet 1 inch and her husband is 6 feet 4 inches. They fell in love, and two years later, Lauren was getting ready to attend her bachelorette party. I spoke to Lauren about her bachelorette party in New York City.
This is another cost-friendly NYC bachelorette that is a full a Saturday followed by a Sunday brunch. The itinerary is unique in that it allows for the bride-to-be to spend solid quality time with small groups and large groups. Lauren was able to devote a special spa session to her two closest bridesmaids, party with her 6-member bridal party, and hold a meal for a larger group that included her mother and mother-in-law. It takes coordination to organize a full day of activities with different people attending each event, and Lauren’s “Man of Honor,” her brother David (CEO of Travefy) was the man for the job. David didn’t attend the events, but he was backstage making all the arrangements. He communicated the itinerary to all the girls “through a series of emails both individually and in group form.” To coordinate last-minute day-of logistics, David designated one of the girls, Lara, in charge of following the itinerary during the day, and then asked Arielle to implement the itinerary during the evening. This is a great way of keeping the day a partial surprise for the bride-to-be, and letting her relax and have fun.
Saturday
11:00am-1:00pm Spa in Midtown East with two of her closest bridesmaids. The bride-to-be could spent quality time with her girl friends, and splurged on an expensive treatment at the spa without obliging everyone in her bridal party to spend that much.
1:00-3:00pm Casual lunch with the two girls walking distance from the spa.
3:00-7:00 Getting ready for the night out at the bride-to-be’s apartment with one of the bridesmaids. One other bridesmaid decorated the hotel room where all the girls were staying for the night.
7:00pm-10:00pm Lucky Chengs drag cabaret restaurant at 240 West 52nd Street for dinner and theater with the entire bridal party. For Lauren, this was the most memorable part of the party because everyone was together, “We enjoyed cabaret and lip syncing performances, gravity-defying aerial acts, and I even participated in a lap dance competition, thanks to the veil on my head and a group of screaming best friends!”
10:00-2:00am Karaoke bar for one drink then dancing in the meatpacking district. The Karaoke bar “was not what we anticipated” but they quickly found themselves dancing at a club nearby.
2:00am-morning Slumber party with the bridesmaids at the Gansevoort Hotel at 18 Ninth Avenue with plenty of late-night snacks. All of the bridesmaids live in NYC, but staying at the Gansevoort Hotel creates a getaway night that is out of the ordinary. Staying at a hotel near the last venue of the night is essential for girls in heels who are eager to bypass the slow competition for cabs.
Sunday
11:00am Brunch with an expanded party walking distance from the Gansevoort Hotel. The bridesmaid party was joined by the bride-to-be’s Man of Honor, mother and mother-in-law.
Lauren’s advice to party organizers is to find out in advance what the bachelor or bachelorette would like to do, and to stick to that as much as possible. Keeping that in mind, she warns, “Don’t go overboard!” It is just a party. Have fun!”
Lauren gushed of her bachelorette, that this “group of friends is now spread across several states, most of us with kids, any I cherish the fun nights we had together. They are all still my best friends, we talk daily, and joke about our trips and fun nights out.”
ABOUT GOING ALL OUT
Going All Out is a weekly column by Nicole Kwoh that investigates real party itineraries. Each week, the column features a real bachelor/ette party itinerary from a different city around the world. While other columns may provide advice, this is the first one dedicated to what actually happens.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicole Kwoh is a travel lover and blogger.