Calling all maid of honor's! Are you planning an upcoming bachelorette party for your bride? Well, this is the guide for you. After attending many bachelorette parties over the years, and hosting a few as well, I have received a ton of party gifts and have seen lots of ways to decorate. I gathered my favorites so you can have a starting list, and an idea of budget as well.
First, everything on this list is completely optional. You can still throw an amazing bachelorette party without any of these items and should always first check with the party goers budgets and the bride’s expectations.
First, let’s talk about gifts. These typically come from either the bride or the maid of honor or both. Again, as the MOH, you should chat with your bride about her expectations for the party and who is paying for what. If everyone attending is paying for the bride all weekend long, these gifts are a great way for the bride to say thank you to everyone for spending their time and money to celebrate them. If the bride is chipping in, then I would recommend keeping these more simple (or more if they want and can afford). When I was maid of honor for my best friend and then for my sister, they both had ideas of what they wanted to give everyone and their budget. I executed on those ideas, and they ended up paying for them. I also threw in a few surprises of my own as an added touch so even they were a bit surprised at the final gifts! Again, this is all completely optional and you should do what works best for you, your bride, the friends attending, and everyone’s budget!
And now for the list of my favorite gifts:
Matching/coordinated item
These don’t have to be just “bride tribe” shirts. This is where you can have fun and get creative! I personally love when the matching item goes to the theme, but you can also bring in the location or even an activity that you are doing.
You can do sunglasses, shirts, hats, fanny packs, and sweatsuits. The list can go on and on. Here are a few of my favorites for some specific ideas.
Matching sweatsuits
"On Cloud Wine" matching shirts for wine themed party
Matching hats for winter themed party
I’m also a sucker for bachelorette parties who come prepared with cards against humanity shirts. I’m honestly jealous that I don’t have one myself (yet ;) )!
Drink ware
Let’s be real, typically these weekends involve a lot of beverages. Supplying drink ware is another great way to coordinate but also ensure that your party is all hydrated! I love having a tumbler to remember to drink water and then wash it out to maybe add some wine in it later on. You can also get fun straws if your drink ware doesn’t come with some or swap out for something more fun!
Hangover/Survival kit
These should be mandatory at every bachelorette party. But for real, I love these. I have been given some pretty extravagant ones over the years that are all personalized and include a ton, but honestly something simple works great. A few ideas to add into one: Advil/ibuprofen, bandaids, liquid IV, mints, a hair tie or scrunchie, fashion tape, and hand sanitizer.
Handwritten Note
Another personal favorite of mine because I am a sucker for a good handwritten letter. This is always a great and cost friendly way to thank your guests for celebrating all weekend long!
Bags
If the party consists of all bridesmaids, this is a great idea that works for the bachelorette party, but also for the morning of the wedding. These bags can be simple cotton bags that are personalized and include all the gifts for the bachelorette weekend. Then, the bridesmaids can reuse these to bring anything needed for the morning of the wedding.
If everyone traveled for the weekend, this is another great way for everyone to get those items home! Plus, they can add to the overall setup and decor.
Dinner
If everything during the weekend is being split by the guests only, grabbing dinner or a round of drinks from the bride is always appreciated. Just another way to say thank you, especially if you don’t end up doing any other gifts.
And now onto the decor. Decor is typically divided between everyone but the bride. It’s supposed to be a fun surprise, and a way to add a special touch for the weekend. I try to recommend spending around $20-$25 per person if dividing by everyone. But again, no need to do any of this, you can throw an amazing weekend for your bride without any decor!
If you are looking for some inexpensive ideas to decorate, here is a list of some of my favorite ideas!
Themed balloons and banners
Whether the party is being hosted at a house or hotel, these are easy to build, cost friendly, and really add a lot to the space. You can buy balloons based on themes or even colors or whatever you’d like. There are many sites out there that sell full sets to include everything you need to build a balloon arc like a pro! I like to add banners to match, and typically make mine on my Cricut to save even more. You just need an idea, some cardstock, and string. Happy to share banner tutorials if you reach out!
Bridal Balloons
If the bride has her own area/room, I like to grab a few extra Bride or Mrs balloons to decorate her space. Again, many sites sell these sets to make it super easy. You can even toss a few balloons from the balloon arc into the room along with a bridal sash or anything else that says bride to make that space extra special!
Washable Tattoos
A crowd favorite! Have some made based on theme, location or even include the bride’s partner! I love making these for bachelorette parties and seeing all the creative ideas. Plus, these are pretty cost effective and not only count as decor for the location, but also for yourselves.
Photo Booth
You can make these pretty inexpensive, but they add a nice touch to the overall decor, plus makes for extra fun pictures to always look back on. Just grab some tinsel, add some balloons and maybe some props, and you are all set. I love making props that fit the theme/colors and that include favorite things from the bride. Who doesn’t love a fun photo booth?!
Banner/Prop of Partner
I’ve seen these pop up more recently, but always make the bride special. You can either make a banner of their partner’s face and hang them around the house, or just print out a photo of them twice and glue a popsicle stick in between! Let the bride bring that around when you go out and just watch her smile.
Have you ever received an amazing gift from a bachelorette party? Or seen some awesome decor? Please let me know and leave a comment! I would love to add to this list and help more MOH’s plan parties for their besties!!!
Coming soon: I’ll be gathering a list of my favorite gifts for bridesmaids for bridesmaid proposals and morning of gifts. Stay tuned!
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