Bachelorette Parties - Idea #11: Atlantic City

Today's guest post comes from Jamie Stone, editor of Queen of a Quarterlife Crisis. Jamie used JSG's past bachelorette party ideas to plan her trip to the Chelsea in Atlantic City. Love!

Who is getting married?

My best friend since high school, Dawn

Why did you pick A.C. for your destination?

It was between Atlantic City and the Hamptons. We actually tried to book a cute motel in Montauk first but then realized that they all have three night minimum stays during the peak summer season, so A.C. it was! I had been a few times over the years and we thought it would be a good choice since it’s considered the Vegas of the east coast.

Why did you pick your hotel?

Well, I was actually perusing The JSG section for bachelorette parties and girl’s getaways when I came across The Chelsea in two of your posts! It sounded perfect- Dawn (the bride) isn’t really a gambler and it sounded like some kind of chic Los Angeles hotel between the salt water pool and the amazing restaurant and lounge. The other girls thought it sounded great as well and we crammed five girls into one room, making it decently affordable.

How would you rate the hotel?

I thought the hotel was fabulous. I love the 50s/retro-style décor and it’s definitely the trendiest hotel that I’ve seen in A.C.- no old people in track suits allowed!

What did you like the most about the Bachelorette Party?

We took the ACES train down from the city (another JSG recco!) and those 2 hours and 40 minutes were probably some of the funniest of the trip. We bought first class tickets (oh yes, we’re classy like that) which includes waiter service for drinks and snacks. The bride opened up some of her gifts on the train and tried on some of the lingerie over her clothes…it was hilarious. (and sadly, the bride would also kill me if I let anyone see the pics, sorry!)

What surprised you the most about the destination?

I was obsessed with the idea of their salt water pool but sadly, it was deemed the “kiddie pool” while we were there. Not that the rooftop pool wasn’t amazing (it was) but I really wanted to swim in salt water!

Funniest moment?

I mean, it definitely has to be the male strip club. Had to do it! The bride was nervous at first but by the end of the show, she was totally into it! We bought her the special VIP package that gets you a private lap dance and a photo will all the guys. It’s slightly disgusting but good, honest fun.

Oh and also when the bride wore a white dress with her "bride" veil and people on the boardwalk kept saying "congratulations!" to her...thinking, we assume, that her white cotton dress from Express was her ACTUAL wedding dress and she had just gotten married. Seriously!

What didn't you like about it?

Wrangling a group of girls, no matter how old or how good of friends, is always a task. I’m a type-A crazy person who tends to move fast and get ready quickly so waiting around for two or three people who “forgot” to put on deodorant or “forgot” their cell phone can be infuriating, to say the least. The bride and I are very similar that way and by the end of the weekend we were both saying “why do I feel like we’re constantly waiting for everyone?”

Any advice for ladies planning a bachelorette party to A.C.?

This was my first time planning a bachelorette party but I would say planning an A.C. version is probably comparable to planning one in Vegas or NYC. Just do a little research (like how I checked the JSG) and try to find things you know the bride will like. Like I mentioned, Dawn isn’t a gambler so I knew staying in a hotel like the Chelsea (that doesn’t have a casino) wouldn’t matter to her.