As the title suggests, being a maid of honor is a huge honor that someone close to you, in my case my sister, bestows upon you. It is also a huge responsibility and among the many duties, throwing a kickass bachelorette party is definitely one of the most important. It can also be one of the most stressful and expensive. I've recently managed to pull off one of my own, and while I am a far cry from an expert, I thought I could share what useful advice I do have to offer from the highlights of the night and the things I might do differently.
DO: Keep it simple
There is just no need to agonize over planning out an activity to do for every second of your night. No one wants to be on a tight schedule and really no one wants to be apart of your three-day long extravaganza. Of course, plan things to do but leave room for everyone to breathe and just naturally have a good time.
DON'T: Have games
Let's be honest, pre-planned party games are just the worst. This should be a room full of some of the bride's closest friends, you don't need forced games to have a good time. As long as the champagne is flowing, so will the conversation.
DO: Keep it small
As much as you might feel like you need a really big group of people in order to make it feel like a real party, usually the smaller the better. Obviously, you'll want more than just one or two people but anywhere between five to ten people is more than enough. You want everyone there to be close, personal friends of the bride and people she can be totally herself around. Especially if you are planning on going out to bars, a bigger crowd can be stressful to keep track of all night.
DON'T: Make it formal
This is just about the only wedding-related event that gets to be as casual as you want. There will be plenty of time to do fancy things and eat fancy foods at the showers and rehearsals and receptions. The bachelorette party is time for the bride to let loose and lunch in the tea room is not the way to accomplish that.
DO: Deck the bride out
This night should be 100% about her. Now, I know I said keep it simple but this is where we need to bend the rules. Whether the bride is super outgoing or kind of shy, you need to make sure what she is wearing is screaming for attention. She needs a boa, she needs a tiara, she needs balloons, she needs flashing lights: I could keep going. I highly suggest several items even if it seems like overkill because she will slowly lose them one by one (or give them out to strangers) throughout the night. This way, even after she's lost her balloon and given her tiara to a girl she met in the bathroom, she still has the beautiful boa to set her apart.
DON'T: Let the bride pay
Again, this is her night to be totally spoiled by her friends, so she shouldn't be lifting a finger and that includes reaching for her wallet. She'll probably be polite and insist on paying for herself. You're going to have to be a little ahead of the game on this one, like asking the waitress to split her meal between everyone else before bringing out the checks.
DO: Take pictures
This is one thing I really can't emphasize enough. It is so easy to keep caught up in the event itself and completely forget to document the moments. I wish I had taken more pictures at my sister's party because you can just never have too many to remember the night by. She only gets this once (hopefully) so she'll want to be able to look back.
DON'T: Pay for it all yourself
Yes, you are the maid of honor and so the responsibility of planning the party ultimately falls on you. But paying for the party should be a group effort so don't be afraid to ask your fellow bridesmaids to chip it. It is probably easiest to just decide on one amount that everyone can pay you ahead of time. That way you don't have to worry about awkwardly tracking someone down after the party.
DO: Have a hangover plan
Odds are if it is a successful night out everyone won't be feeling too hot the next morning. Along with having the basics available, like lots of water and aspirin, scout out the nearest coffee shop and a fun place to get brunch. Depending on how everyone is feeling the next day, it is a good idea to have both a casual option and a nicer option available.