Today's bachelorette party idea comes to us from Kerri Butler, a wedding planner based in Denver. JSG is not using a wedding planner, but if we were, we for sure would want one who helped out with the bachelorette party, too! Kerri says, "I think most brides hire me because I’m like having a girlfriend of their plan their wedding! In many cases, brides ask me to assist the maid of honor with additional parties – showers, bachelorette parties, etc. to help with theme, invitations, and coordination."
Here's what Kerri says about Brooke Fogg's bachelorette party in San Francisco/Napa this past June.
Who did you go on the bachelorette party with?
18 of the bride’s closest friends. Brooke Fogg is the bride, Katie Cole and Meredith Fogg are the maids of honor. Katie and I planned the trip.
Why did you choose San Fran/Napa for the bachelorette party?
The bride wanted to go to a location that mixed the country and city. We had the best of the nightlife and the wine country – it was perfect!
How did you get there?
We flew in from Denver, and other guests flew in from all over the country, and one of our guests even flew in from Hong Kong!
How did you organize such a large group? What were the biggest challenges?
We sent out “passports” to all for the guests with their photos, luggage tags featuring the bride’s beautiful face, and an itinerary of the weekend. We used email communication to collect menu choices, etc. One of the best tools in organizing 18 ladies on a trip of that size was hiring a limo bus to drive us all weekend. It took us out at night, all through the wine country, and through the city. We had a buddy system and we used it to make sure no one was lost!
What were your expectations before going?
I knew it would be an amazing experience for the bride and her friends, because many of them had never been to San Francisco – it’s such a fun town to be a tourist in, and Napa is such a beautiful place to visit. We went to wine country on a day trip!
What surprised you the most?
How easily we got around town. We didn’t lose a single lady! Clubs and restaurants were very happy to host a group of our size, which we thought would be a challenge. We especially loved 5A5 Steakhouse, where we ate on Friday night.
Where did you stay?
We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square in San Francisco – they were amazing and accommodated our every wish. Plus, we enjoyed beginning the evening at the Starlight Room (below)at the top of the hotel!
What did you do on your trip?
We enjoyed two lovely dinners out and a lot of dancing in the city. We also took a wine tour of Napa, and visited three vineyards for tasting. On Sunday, we took a walking tour of San Fran – Fisherman’s Wharf, Lombard Street, and a bit of shopping!
How was the nightlife? The men?
The nightlife was a blast! We loved to dance and the people in San Francisco know how to have a great time!
Where were most of the people you met from?
Mostly from in town.
Would you recommend it for a bachelorette party/girls' trip?
Of course- it has the best of all worlds – tourist spots, shopping, and wine!
Anything you wish you knew before you went?
We should have organized a flickr account or a photo sharing system so that everyone could upload their pics from the trip to the same location!
how much did the weekend cost for eaach girl excluding the flights. And did you have them pay ahead of time? How did you take care of the money?
ReplyDeletesounds like you guys had a great time!!!
We used Paypal to collect money for all of the ladies, and they all paid abotu $250 for the hotel, and transportation for the weekend. I bet each guest spent another $200 on food and wine tastings!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds exactly like the trip I am currently planning for a group of six ladies. How did you guys get to Napa? Did you rent a bus/limo or was it included in one package?
ReplyDeleteI am going to link to you guys in my blog in hopes that this fabulous post will inspire my girlfriends - they already said no to a Bachelorette Cruise! :(
ReplyDelete