Wedding Invitations

As members of the wedding party, you will want to plan a bachelor and bachelorette party for your bride and groom. Bars and striptease clubs are becoming outdated as couples of the new millennium become more progressive and less sexist.

Consider these ideas instead: a spa or golf club weekend getaway; a wine-tasting locale; a live sporting event or sports bar; a weekend at a beach house or ski lodge; a Las Vegas trip; a retro disco-dancing club; a karaoke bar; a Western theme bar with an electric bull and line dancing; a funky new restaurant or comedy club (be sure to let the staff know who the bachelor and bachelorette is, so her or she can be razzed!); or a ceramics-painting studio where partygoers can drink wine and decorate items for the couples new home.

Microbreweries can be rented out for groups to brew and bottle their own beer. Some establishments even have personalized label-making capabilities, so the bride and groom’s names and wedding date can be printed on the bottles.

Coed bachelor and bachelorette parties are also becoming a trend. Everyone’s friends can celebrate together by playing a coed softball game or a round robin volleyball tournament, renting a boat and hanging out on the water, having a beach barbeque, joining in a men versus women scavenger hunt, or enjoying another fun gathering.

If possible, plan the parties in advance of the wedding weekend—preferably several weeks or months in advance. That way no one suffers hangovers, exhaustion, or hard feelings on the weekend of the actual wedding.

Be sure to hire a limousine or van, or at least assign a responsible designated driver, to chauffeur the party-goers. It is usually better to hire a drive than to rely on a friend, since finding parking as you more from place to place can be time consuming and will prevent that person from sharing completely in the fun.