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Bachelor party guide

People partying at a bachelor party.

Honor the groom-to-be with an unforgettable night out (or weekend away). Whether you’ve got a bar crawl, poker game or both lined up for the night, our planning tips will help keep the party going.

Scheduling and invitations

Planning the bachelor party traditionally falls on the best man, but it can also be handled by the groom’s brother or another groomsman. Ask the groom to put together a guest list if he wants anyone there besides the groomsmen. (Note: Planning—and herding everyone around—is easier if the group is smaller.) You can even invite the bachelor’s dad and future father-in-law to a portion of the bachelor celebration.

Work around the rest of the wedding plans. Avoid scheduling the bachelor party the night before the wedding, which is usually reserved for the rehearsal dinner. If some groomsmen don’t fly in until the week of the wedding, consider hosting the bachelor party the night before the rehearsal dinner, but it’s generally best to hold it at least a week ad up to two months prior to the big day.

If you have an all-weekend bash or trip in mind, schedule it well before the wedding. The closer you get to the wedding, the more likely the groom will be busy with last-minute details. If it’s a destination wedding, you might want to skip the weekend in Vegas to avoid issues about travel expenses and needing to take time off work.

Whatever you have in mind, send out your Evite invitation at least a month in advance to ensure the best turnout. Check out invitation options in our bachelor party invitation gallery. Since those who attend will split the cost of the party, specify roughly how much it’ll cost right on the invitation.

Tips

Before you start planning, confirm with attendees about their budgets, since they will be chipping in and that will influence your activities. Keep track of costs as you're going to make settling up easier after the event.

Chances are that people will be drinking during the bachelor celebration, so safe transportation is key. Ordering a car via an app is an obvious choice, but public transport, taxis and even limos are options. Or, if you have someone willing to play designated driver, consider renting a large car.

We recommend making sure the groom’s transportation is covered by picking him up at home and dropping him off later. Likewise, bring extra cash to get guys home in case of an emergency, and don’t hesitate to confiscate keys if someone isn't in any condition to drive.

Finally, we're all for surprising the groom—blindfolding him between activities can definitely add to the fun.

Activities and ideas

Plan around the groom and ask him beforehand if he has any preferences. Once you have some guidelines from the groom, ask the attendees for ideas.

Stumped? Here are some more possibilities:

  • Drinking games
  • Bar-hopping
  • Casino
  • Shooting range
  • Paintball
  • Go-cart racing
  • Whitewater rafting
  • Skiing
  • Skydiving
  • Bungee jumping
  • Golf
  • Sports game
  • Camping
  • Fishing
  • Racetrack
  • Weekend in Las Vegas, Miami, New Orleans or New York

A word about bachelor party pranks: Every groom is different. Some guys may think going out in public in a police uniform or getting their chest hair shaved off is hilarious, but others might not.

Food

If you're eating out, pizza, burgers, nachos or barbecue anything are go-tos. If you're renting a house for the weekend, grilling up some steaks might be just the thing. Regardless, remember to eat if you're drinking—you'd be surprised how often this is overlooked at bachelor parties, especially when there are so many activities going on.

Drinks

You can’t go wrong with beer, but if you’ve got the budget, splurge on a bottle of single-malt Scotch. Serve it neat, on the rocks, with soda, or in a rusty nail.

Rusty Nail (Serves one)

  • 1 ounce Scotch
  • 1/4 ounce Drambuie

Mix and serve over ice.

If the party’s a 24-hour affair, start the day off light and save the shenanigans for later. Make sure there’s plenty of water available throughout the festivities to keep hydrated. Offer Red Bull as a nonalcoholic alternative to keep the energy up.

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