It seems like your best friend is more excited about planning your bachelorette party than she is about you marrying Prince Charming, which is totally understandable. Bachelorette parties are the stuff of legends (and legendary hangovers). You already know that your female bonding will include a healthy dose of vodka and glitter, but have you thought about where to travel yet? We’ve put together a list of the top five bachelorette party destinations in the United States, so you and your gal pals can get ready to paint the town red:
New Orleans, Louisiana
Hurricane cocktails were created so that shy women could muster up the courage to sing karaoke in the French Quarter. Hold your bachelorette party in New Orleans, and you’ll definitely feel like you had a proper send off into holy matrimony. Rent a townhouse and engage in an evening of debauchery; grab colored wigs and Mardi Gras-inspired masks to don for the evening. From getting funky to live music on Frenchmen Street to the decadent red lounge at Saints and Sinners, ‘Nawlins’ will make your last hours as a free woman unforgettable.
Las Vegas, Nevada
I mean, this one’s a no-brainer. Pack your highest heels and kick things up a notch by transplanting the party to Las Vegas. Nothing is too grandiose in Sin City, so get decked out in the most outrageous dress you can find, and throw on a shiny sash and tiara. If anyone feels shy about wearing that many sequins, have them take a good look around The Strip. As there are so many strange things happening in Vegas (no matter when you’re there), this is the perfect setting for a bachelorette scavenger hunt. Who can find a street performer dressed as Elmo? Who can locate a cigar lounge that’s open 24 hours? At the very least, find your way to Marquee, a massive club in the Cosmopolitan casino that’s known for attracting the best performers in the biz. Still not satisfied? Work on your catcall at Thunder From Down Under, the Australian bloke stripper experience at Excalibur.
New York, New York
Looking for a glam getaway? Book your stay in Manhattan and follow in the famously heeled footsteps of Carrie Bradshaw’s gang. Get the girls together for a pampering spa day, and let go of any pre-wedding jitters. After you feel refreshed, put on your finest duds and take in a Broadway show (maybe hold off on drinking until after the performance, because you know how Brenda likes to sing when she gets tipsy). End the night by taking an unorthodox approach to tiaras and genitalia-shaped straws by winning big at Lucky Strike®. You’ll still be able to sip cocktails, but can do so from the confines of your bowling lane with just the girls.
Austin, Texas
Live out your Bridezilla moment in the land where tumbleweeds roam. Alright, Austin isn’t exactly in the middle of nowhere, but we’re sure that you can have a meltdown in the company of an armadillo and feel OK about it. Once you’ve confessed your feelings to a cactus, take the girls out for craft beer and live music in the Warehouse District, where the local restaurants and bars inhabit renovated warehouses. Sample mint juleps at Speakeasy, a tri-level club that will keep everyone in your party occupied. Head back to base and collapse into bed before trekking to Searsucker™ for a healing bloody Mary and delicious brunch, followed by girls-only shopping at The Downtown Austin Alliance.
Miami, Florida
Get rowdy in the Magic City, a sun-kissed land where the ocean will clean away the stress of wedding planning (or suck you up in a rip current). Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to let go of any anxiety and get out of your shell in South Beach. This wedding invitation will now self-destruct. After an afternoon of bronzing and boozing, saunter on over to Rec Room at the Gale Hotel for a frosty margarita. This upscale lounge combines cotemporary South Beach flair with the style of the 70s. DJs spin vinyl here, and you and your pack can chill out on luxurious lounge chairs. Think your mom’s basement circa 1976, but with a hip flair and lots of hotties.
Whether you keep it cool and classy, or opt for an evening of shenanigans, there are tons of ways to throw a killer bachelorette party. Stay calm and remember to take pictures at the beginning of the night, before things get too rowdy.
