Planning the Ultimate Bachelor Party

A Step-by-Step Guide to Friends, Food & Fun

Organizing a bachelor party for a close pal is a great opportunity to demonstrate how much he means to you and wish him well in his new life as a husband—you know, without all that mushy “I love you, man” stuff. Below are ideas, tips, and tricks to help you create an unforgettable bachelor party for your soon-to-be-hitched buddy.

A Plan of Attack

The starting point for any event is nailing down the date of the big bash. You may be tempted to arrange a surprise bachelor party, but resist the urge. For starters, the groom may be under significant wedding-related stress, and having a party thrust upon him without warning may not sit well—even if he would be up for a surprise party under normal circumstances. The other potential pitfall is that often the groom isn’t fully in control of his schedule leading up to a wedding; surprising him also means surprising his bride, who may be planning a cake tasting or tux fitting for the day in question. Do everyone a favor and ask the groom-to-be what dates work for him, and then get input from the rest of the wedding party. Unless there are absolutely no other options, do not schedule the party for the night before the wedding. His bride will not be pleased to find a hung-over, sleep-deprived guy at the altar.

Usually, the best man is in charge of the bachelor party (hopefully with a lot of help from other friends). And if you’re the best man, you probably know the groom pretty well. When beginning to put together a plan of possible events, locations, entertainment, etc., keep these two litmus tests in mind at all times: is it what the groom would want, and is it respectful of his relationship with his bride-to-be? This doesn’t rule out a stripper (if that’s what the groom digs), but what kind of friends encourage a guy to do something on the night of his bachelor party that he’ll regret for the rest of his life? Not good ones.

Next: Choosing the right venue