Who’s ready to plan a spa bachelorette party? I know I am!
Look, there’s no hard and fast rule that bachelorette parties have to be wild and crazy. In fact, I wrote a whole post about low-key bachelorette parties, and it’s one of the most popular ones I’ve ever written. These days, there are no rules when it comes to your bachelorette. It’s all about choosing activities that work best for the bride, and her friends.
The beautiful thing about a spa bachelorette party is that you get to recharge and have fun. They aren’t necessarily inexpensive, but with the right spa, it can be a rewarding experience. Treating yourself to massages, facials, pedicures, and all the extras a spa may offer, while catching up with your closest besties can be a healing and beautiful way for a bride to spend a weekend ahead of her wedding. Not only will she enjoy herself, but she’ll come home rested and refreshed. Who doesn’t want that?
How To Plan A Spa Bachelorette Party
This post is going to walk you through how to plan a spa bachelorette party. It will share with you the order in which to do things, and how to make the party extra special. Keep in mind that anyone can plan a bachelorette. It can be the maid of honor, bridesmaid, friend, family member, or even the bride herself. Anyone can take the lead, and every bachelorette is different. If you’re a bride, you may want to send this post to someone if a spa bachelorette party appeals to you.
Let’s get into it!
STEP 1: RESEARCH YOUR OPTIONS AND PRICING
Before you can settle into the details, you first need to do your research.
Where you hold your spa bachelorette party all depends on your location and budget. Different locations have different availability. In the bay area, where I live, there are lots of spas that will cater to these types of events. However, if you live in a small town, it may be more limited. That limitation can be opened up if guests are willing to travel, but that can be costly.
It’s important to ask yourself the following questions to narrow down your choices:
- Do we want to keep the bachelorette party close to home?
- Will guests be willing to travel to a spa?
- Are there spas available in our area?
- What services do the spas in our area have?
- How much do the spas in our area cost?
- If we travel, where would we go? How much would spas in other areas cost?
As you can see, the first bits of research would be to figure out what’s available close to home, and what other options would be. When it comes to travel, in some cases, you’d need to plan a spa bachelorette in another area because there really is nothing close to home. And in other cases, your group may want to travel to enjoy a new location.
STEP 2: DETERMINE YOUR GUEST LIST
Before you go about making reservations or solidifying any real plans, you need to know what your guest list looks like.
Just as with any other bachelorette party, you’ll want to confirm with the bride who will be invited to the spa bachelorette. Because it may be a more mellow vibe than a wild weekend in Vegas, the bride may want to invite people she normally wouldn’t. This may include older invitees, or younger ones, too. The bride may also want to keep the guest list kind of small, because it can be hard to get reservations for a large group at spas.
STEP 3: CONFIRM ATTENDENCE
Once you know who is going to be invited to the spa bachelorette, the next step is to confirm who will be able to attend.
You can go about this a few ways. One would be to have a spa in mind, and find out when they can accommodate your group. You can then check with invitees on dates that would work with them. Or, you can reach out to invitees, and see who is interested and when those people are available. From there, you make calls to spas to see if you can make reservations.
Personally, I like to reach out to invitees and see who is interested and when they are available, and then reach out to spas. You may need to plan well in advance of the bachelorette for this, and you’ll need to know roughly how much the spa will cost in order to do this. Either way, you may have a bit of back and forth with the spa and invitees to ensure the most amount of people can attend.
STEP 4: MAKE RESERVATIONS
Alright, once you know who wants to attend, and when they are available, it’s time to make spa reservations.
This is where starting early, like four to five months in advance, can come in handy. Starting early means that the spa you’d like to go to has more availability. They are less likely to have other guests taking up massage therapist’s time, or reserving a steam room for their own groups. The earlier you start, the more flexibility and freedom you’ll have. It may seem strange, and premature, but getting reservations on the calendar means less stress later on.
To properly make reservations, be sure to work with the spa. There may be some back and forth as you sort out what treatments everyone wants to receive, and lay out a timeline and schedule for the day or weekend. Once you have it all organized and confirmed, communicate the plan to all the attendees.
STEP 5: GATHER PAYMENT, IF IT MAKES SENSE
One of the biggest causes of bachelorette party drama is dealing with payments and money. This is true, even for a spa bachelorette party.
If you are able to, collect payment from the bachelorette attendees before the event. Now, of course, do this only if it makes sense. If the spa wants payment or a deposit ahead of the bachelorette, it’s probably easiest for the person organizing the party to collect payment ahead of time and just take care of everything for everyone. However, if the spa allows guests to pay day-of, and each guest can just cover what services they signed up for, than do that.
Basically, do whatever is easiest for you and your guests, so the day of the bachelorette party goes smoothly. We don’t want anything stressful to override the great experience.
STEP 6: PLAN THE MENU
What you eat at a spa bachelorette party will vary from location to location. Usually, though, spas will have some sort of food service provided.
If not, you’ll need to figure out how to keep everyone nourished while they spend the day at the spa. You may want to find out if you can bring outside food along with you to the bachelorette party. For example, you may want to bring champagne. Or, dessert. Work with the spa to find out what’s allowed, and if there are extra charges for food you bring in.
The point in planning the menu is to make sure that no one goes hungry while they relax and socialize. It’s all about catering to a pleasant experience, which always involves eating at the right time.
STEP 7: PLAN THE DÉCOR
You know what can differentiate a regular spa day from a spa bachelorette party? Decorations.
Look, I know. This is totally extra. And, not necessary. However, you may want to spruce up a space.
For example, you might be eating lunch with your girls in a private cabana. Perhaps some balloons, flowers, or signage would be fun to put around the space. Of course, if you’re eating lunch at a regular restaurant within a spa, you can totally skip extra decorations. It’s just an option, depending on the location.
STEP 8: PLAN THE ACTIVITIES
Alright, I know. You’re at a point where you’ve already coordinated a full day or weekend of activities at a luxurious spa, with a large enough group of people. What could I possibly be implying when it comes to more activities?
Well, I could be implying lots of things. Some spas have some down time. That downtime may be mellow, or it can be occupied by actually doing things. For example, if your group is going to lay by the pool, you may want to bring some pool noodles or a beach ball, if the spa allows it. If you’ll have some downtime in a private lounge, a raunchy game like Cards Against Humanity might be fun.
A quick search online will show you a ton of inexpensive and fun bachelorette party games that may fit with a spa day.
It’s worth exploring, just for fun.
STEP 9: DON’T FORGET TO COMMUNICATE THE LOGISTICS
The last step. All the planning in the world won’t mean anything if the logistics aren’t figured out and communicated to everyone.
For example, let people know what time to arrive at the spa the day of the bachelorette. Even better, arrange for transportation or carpooling. Tell them if there’s a plan for dinner or a meeting location after the spa, too. Be sure to share any tips or suggestions the spa provides to their guests. Always let guests know what they should wear, because many people appreciate that.
Basically, be a good host, before the spa bachelorette party even happens.
THOUGHTS ON SPA BACHELORETTE PARTIES
Friends, a spa bachelorette party can be so much fun. It’s a wonderful way to relax, spend some time with friends, and celebrate a bride. Spas range in prices and services, so be sure to do your research ahead of time. Don’t be afraid to branch out of your current location, if need be. Check in with attendees on their interest and price range, and have fun with it. Make it special. Happy bachelorette planning!
More From Hummingbird Wedding Advice
All About Avoiding Bachelorette Party Drama
11 Simple Bachelorette Party Guidelines
Hosting A Bachelorette Party In Waikiki, Hawaii?
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