10 Tips For Planning A Bachelorette Party During A Pandemic

Bachelorette parties are one of the most fun parts of wedding planning. Once a low-key dinner held the day before the wedding, the bachelorette has blossomed over the years into a full-blown destination vacation weekend – complete with matching swimsuits (obviously), a custom hashtag (duh!) and life-long memories with all of your best girlfriends.  I mean does it get any better??? But with any girls weekend comes a lot of planning and coordination – which can make planning a bachelorette party stressful! And on top of that, let’s just throw in a global pandemic, why don’t we! You deserve the Nobel Peace Prize if you can rally a group of girls with no hiccups in 2021, but don’t worry – that’s where I come in! Here are my top tips for planning a bachelorette party safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, whether you’re the bride or the maid of honor planning!

1. Check in With Everyone’s Comfort Levels Before the trip!

Depending on everyone’s work environment, home life, health background, etc., there are bound to be differences in how comfortable people are getting together these days. So find out where people stand and what precautions people would need to feel safe going on the bachelorette weekend. And most importantly, do not take it personally if someone decides they aren’t able to make it, since people have to do what’s best for their own situation, and everyone’s situation is unique. To be honest, planning for smaller groups these days will make it easier on YOU and make it feel more intimate and safe for everyone. 

 

2. Make Sure Everyone Gets Tested (or vaccinated) Before Arrival!

Whether you’re traveling to get to the bachelorette party or not, getting tested prior to getting there adds a very important layer of precaution. I know that it isn’t foolproof, but we might as well take as many precautions as possible to make sure everyone has a good time, and FEELS safe. Rapid tests are offered at most Walgreen’s locations and results are back within 24hrs!

 

3. Get Outdoors!

Open airflow is your friend on a group trip in 2021! Even if you decide to keep the bachelorette party local, there are plenty of ways to make it feel like you are on vacation. Hire a company like Pop Up Picnic or Bliss Beach, and brunch your worries away with one of their dreamy picnic set-ups. 

Bliss Beach

Or bike your way through the rolling hills of Napa Valley, tasting some of the best wines in the world before retiring to lounge by this pool.

4. Stay in a villa instead of a hotel

By choosing to stay in a VRBO versus a hotel on the bachelorette party, it gives you more control over your environment, a contactless check in, more secluded location options, more bang for your buck space wise, and you can cook from home! If cooking isn’t your thing, turn it into a private dinner party every night by hiring a private chef! This is an especially good option if you have members of your party that aren’t comfortable dining out yet!

5. Make it all about the Bride!

Bachelorette trips are all about making the bride feel ultra-special. There are a lot of things that you can’t control during these strange times, but there are a lot of small details that you CAN control, which end up feeling more meaningful! What are her favorite activities? Foods? Drinks? Maybe you’d prefer getting dressed up and going out for cocktails, but maybe she is more of the stay in for wine and a spa night kinda girl. If she’s the type that can’t live without her daily workout (more power to ya) hire a yoga or pilates instructor to come do a private class one morning! Or if she’s like me and just wants a fancy cocktail with an umbrella, hire a bartender for the night. Bartender’s are also great for day pool parties, like in Miami, Scottsdale, Arizona or Palm Springs, California!

6. Have A Backup Plan

Even the best laid plans don’t go perfectly, especially these days. Someone’s flight got delayed, it’s pouring rain on the day you’re supposed to hang by the pool, someone doesn’t feel up for an activity you had planned…hiccups happen so plan for it! Have something in your back pocket, like a fun game or competition! One time when a girls reunion trip got canceled due to COVID, my girlfriend put together a slideshow of everyones most embarrassing Facebook captions from High School, we had to try to guess who’s captions were who’s (great drinking game) and we were all rolling on the floor laughing by the end.

 

7. Find ways to include the girls that can’t make it to the bachelorette!

Everyone is taking different levels of precaution these days and it is important to respect that, so make sure to involve any girls who don’t feel comfortable making the trip! Whether that’s setting up a Facetime/Zoom call with the rest of the party, a virtual game, or having them send in a video talking about their favorite memory with the bride to be!

 

8. Check The Refund Policy

Whether it be for your accommodation, flights, or activities, make sure you know what your options are. It is better to be prepared for the worst case scenario given the year 2020. If booking an Airbnb, read through their cancellation policy (every airbnb is different). Most hotels are offering big discounts right now as well as free cancellation!

 

9. Choose Somewhere With Multiple Things To Do

Think about the places this might still be fun even if they are on lockdown. It looks like cities where the main attraction is drinking/going out, are a no-go until further notice, so let’s skip Vegas and Nashville this time, and have fun getting a little more creative. Rent a secluded mountain cabin in Asheville NC, where you can explore the Biltmore Estate (more like explore their winery), go for a hike along the Blue Ridge, play cornhole at Sierra Nevada Brewing or New Belgium and then top it all off with s’mores around the fire!

For a tropical getaway, rent a villa in the jungle of Tulum, where you can swim in cenotes, read in a beach cabana, and bond over how amazing the tacos are. For more dreamy Tulum villas that are guaranteed to give you the travel bug, check out my Top Luxury Airbnbs for Bachelorettes Here!

10. Get the Best COVID-Themed Party Favors for the party

Why give out penis straws when you can give out penis masks?! LOL! I figured we could all use a little more humor at this point. But if penis masks aren’t for you there are always matching tropical or tie-dye Kenny Flowers masks for the win! The best part is that you can even get the matching sarongs too, in the same print that will match your masks! 

Check out these other blog posts!

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Cute Bachelorette party favors that everyone will love

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The Ultimate Napa Valley Bachelorette Party Guide

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Christina is a leading luxury lifestyle and travel blogger with over 2 million readers. Follow her on instagram @jetsetchristina.

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