Not sure how and when to coordinate your bridal shower and bachelorette party? Consider planning both bashes back-to-back over the same weekend. If you’re having a chill bachelorette party (like a spa day, group workout class or pasta-making lessons), plan it for a Saturday followed by a Sunday shower. Looking forward to a rowdy night out? Unless you want the theme of your bridal shower to be “hungover,” consider a Saturday day shower, then keep the bridal vibes going into the night.
This plan won’t be for everybody—we totally understand if you want to spread your prewedding events out or have a separate bachelorette weekend. Or maybe you’re a little anxious about being way too busy and socially and emotionally “on” for that many hours in a row. No sweat. But the best part about sharing a bridal shower and bachelorette party weekend is your out-of-town loved ones will only have to worry about one set of travel and accommodations (not including travel for your wedding, of course). Your maid of honor won’t need to fly in from Chicago twice. Your college friends from Maine won’t have to drive six hours, there and back—twice. You get the idea.
To pull it off flawlessly, make sure everyone invited to your bachelorette party is also invited to your shower. Don’t worry about the other way around though—your mother-in-law and godmother don’t need to be invited to a boozy night of dinner and dancing just because they’re on the bridal shower guest list. If you’re worried about invitation wording, you’re welcome to send out two sets of invites. To save a little paper, send paper invites for the shower and e-vites for the bachelorette, or stuff one envelope with two inserts for any guests invited to both.
Think you’ll need a break between social engagements that are all about you? Consciously plan (or ask your hosts to plan) each party in a way that gives everyone, especially you, some buffer time to rest and reset. That way you can transport gifts, take a nap and freshen up before the festivities begin again.
