Luminations of a New Wife

Bachelorette Ideas

SO, once you've picked a party your bridesmaids might want to start planning your bachelorette party.  In my opinion it's usually best to sit back and let your bridesmaids plan the party itself, because afterall this is a party for YOU. However, I do think it can be a bit strange to have your closest friends planning a party for you that you have absoltuely no role in.  I think it's nice when the bride helps direct her bridesmaids to the type of party she wants. Let your Maid of Honor know if all you've ever wanted is strippers, or a neon-lit limo escorting you to various bars, or just want to take it easy and spend a night in with your closest friends. 

My bachelorette party was an amazing night i'll never forgot. I wanted to be sure to do something fun that involved the entire party, not just centering on me. The girls hosted a sexologist to come to the apartment and teach us about sex! She gave out sex toys, had a raffle, answerered our questions -- it was a BLAST! Check out her website: http://www.duckydoolittle.com/

A great idea is to start a "Memory Book" for the bride. One of the bridesmaids can organize this, having close friends of the bride write funny memories of the bride when she was still single, a top 10 list of things you hope she brings into the marriage (or habits to kick to the curb!) I love the memories my friends wrote about me; it made the entire night for me much more special.

Afterwards we went bar-hopping in Murray Hill to our favorite old haunts, and ended the night at my friend's apartment nearby where we chowed on pizza and chocolate and yummy late night snacks. 

This was an amazing party because it was really not only what I wanted - but everyone had a great time. Just make sure to communicate the basics to your bridesmaids, then sit back and enjoy the ride. It will be a night you will never forget (or have trouble remembering the next day....)

Some other ideas for a NYC Bach Party:

Birdy's Bachelorette Party - for a cheesy good time! http://gonyc.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=gonyc&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.birdysbp.com%2F

Lucky Chengs - a New York Icon http://www.planetluckychengs.com/

How about a customized, all-inclusive girl's night dinner at Son Cubano?   http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/11488685/new_york_ny/son_cubano.html

If you'd enjoy watching boys sing naked in front of you for an hour and a half, then you'll have a romping good time at www.nakedboyssinging.com!

For a high-end weekend ala Sex and the City:

• Mercer Kitchen
• Blue Ribbon Sushi
• Harrison
• Canal Room
• PM
• Luahn
• Suede
• Marquee

Bridesmaid Dresses!

Choosing the right dress for your bridesmaids to wear is no easy feat.  The best way to tackle this, in my opinion, is to have some idea of what type of style and color you want the girls to wear.  Look through some magazines and see what stands out for you.  Go first with your Maid of Honor. In my opinion, it's much easier shopping just the two of you rather than bringing in your entire party all at once.  My Maid of Honor and I went to a few stores in New York before deciding on one. We made an appointment at Bloomingdale's at their bridesmaid's department (yes, they do have one!) This was a great shopping experience. Dresses were pulled before we even got there which made the entire shopping and trying-on experience so much less overwhelming. *I just heard that you can save up to 30% by getting your dresses here. Open up a Bloomingdales account and watch the savings add up!*

Next we went to Vera Wang; http://www.verawang.com/maids. Vera Wang has a wonderful selection of dresses in all shapes, styles, and colors. At Vera Wang, we narrowed it down to three dresses and then let the rest of the bridesmaids decide which one they liked the best to wear.  The nice thing about this store is they give you a 10% discount when you buy for six or more bridesmaids.

There are tons of stores in the city and online you can look at -- in my opinion, price and style mattered the most. In both areas Vera Wang really beat out their competition!

How to pick 'em and what they do

Choosing your bridesmaids can be a very difficult thing to do. You don't want to leave anyone out, and yet you don't want to invite every girl you've known since you were six. In my opinion, it's best to keep your party to no more than 6 or 7.

The best advice I can give regarding bridesmaids is to choose the friend you really want to be there with you during and throughout the wedding journey, and of course actually in your wedding. Choose the friend that you think would be honored to be in your wedding, will enjoy the responsibilities and make the day and transition to your wedding EASIER for you. Afterall, this is the primary role of the bridesmaid!

Because it is such a big responsibility, I think it's nice when the bride gives the bridesmaid a small gift when she asks her to be in her wedding.  For my girls, I gave them each "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" cards that you can find in most wedding-related stores. I bought mine at Kate's Paperie on www.katespaperie.com, but you should also be able to find them at www.papyrusonline.com. In these cards I wrote personalized poems to each girl signifying how important it was for me they would be with me on my big day.

I also gave them each cute books I found on Amazon related to being a bridesmaid, which I listed on the left.

As we got closer to the wedding, I planned a bridesmaid dinner at my apartment, which I catered (and my mom helped cook!) I gave the girls their presents on this night, as I felt it would be less hectic and more intimate than giving it to them at the rehearsal dinner. This was one of the ways I showed my gratitude and thankfulness for all their hard work!

These are just small things you can do to make your bridesmaids feel loved and wonderful - as special as their friendship with you has made you feel. And lastly - remember, this is YOUR day. YOU make the rules. YOU choose the friends that YOU want by your side. This is all about you (at least for right now!)

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

My sister-in-law sent personalized cookies to her bridesmaids when she asked them to be in her party. You can find personalized cookies such as these at www.thesecretchefonline.com

 

Bridesmaids Gifts

Selecting a special bridesmaid gifts for your girls is so special! I really enjoyed selecting gifts for my party. I went to Fortunoff's, www.fortunoffs.com, who have a terrific selection of crystal and vanity products. I individualized the gifts giving a different type of vanity table present to each girl -- perfume bottles, ring holders, and crystal boxes...

Other ideas:

You can design a Longchamp bag for each one of your bridesmaids with their own color selection and initials!http://www.eboutiquelongchamp.com/catalog/index_en.php

Tiffany's has a gorgeous selection of porcelain and crystal boxes. Why not give a different one to each girl?!

Groomsmen Gifts

Usually guys give their groomsmen gifts at their rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. I just heard of a great idea and wanted to share. Why not get the guys IPOD Nanos? http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/

Other good ideas: give them a Tiffany keychain based on his favorite pasttime. Choose from tennis, golf, or fishing.

http://www.theartofshaving.com/taos/the-blue-box.php 

The Art of Shaving makes a great groomsmen gift. Why not get them all starter sets?

 

The World of Golf is New York City's answer to all its golfing needs.  Give the guys putters and go home a happy man. http://www.theworldofgolf.com/sort.asp?start=0&search=1 

One-of-a-Kind Bridesmaid Gifts

For a unique and personalized gift for your girls, check out www.designsbyhillary.com - my friend Hillary will work with you to custom design the perfect accessories for your wedding, and create fabulous gifts for your bridal party to wear for years to come.

More Bridesmaid Gifts...

A reader just told me about a fabulous bridesmaid gift she received from www.Sleepyheads.com. She writes about the yummy bathrobes they sell and that it is one of the best gifts she has ever gotten! They do look really comfy....what a great gift idea!

Dazzling Bachelorettes

Oh boy these are cute. There's a lot of tanks and tees out there dazzlings the words "bridesmaid" or "bachelorette" encrusted in rhinestones, but there are few as cute as these! This is a nice touch for the bachelorette party - give each girl a tee and get her involved in the action. I love the pink bows and they're a good price too....get it done at Wedding Accents.

Bachelorette Party!

This is something I would definitely be into as both as bride and her friend. How much fun would it be to bring a spa AND a party into your own home? SPArty allows you to do both.  Dazzle and pamper your guests with massages, facials, even manis and padis! Book your next event at SPArty and be sure to invite me.