When it comes to bachelorette parties, I’ve been to a bunch—some in my 20s and some in my 30s. Right out of college, we had big groups and long nights out dancing at clubs. And now within the last few years, smaller, more low-key days at friends’ houses and spas. For my bachelorette weekend, I did not want anything wild. I just wanted a quick getaway where I could de-stress with close friends!
I tossed around some ideas with my girls, who all live in different cities around the country and are in their early- to mid-30s. Many of them have children, and one is pregnant, so I knew not everyone would be able to make it. I was totally OK with that. If you’re getting married in your 20s, typically your crew has minimal obligations and the freedom to take off whenever they want. But once pregnancy and kids come into the mix, I understand it’s a different story.
I ended up choosing to spend a low-key weekend in New York City with my friends Katie and Laura, who are both bridesmaids. Katie and I flew in from Chicago and Minneapolis respectively, met at the airport, and went straight to AIRE Ancient Baths to relax! Best described as a European-style bathhouse, AIRE has a steam room and pools at varying temperatures to hang out in. My favorite was the saltwater “flotarium.” Afterwards, we met Laura in Brooklyn at her apartment. She was an amazing hostess and cooked us dinner while we caught up.
We started the next day off right at SoulCycle with an indoor cycling class (I go to CycleBar in Minneapolis, and have always wanted to take a SoulCycle class). We then rewarded ourselves with brunch and the famous macarons at Ladurée. Later, we went to Drybar and Paintbox for blowouts and manicures. Paintbox is a super-cute nail studio that specializes in fun designs—I did a light pink nail with gold foil tips. Finally, we had dinner at Ms. Yoo, an amazing Korean-American “gastropub,” where we ordered shishito peppers, taro fries, pork belly, and, of course, Korean fried chicken. For dessert, we grabbed ice cream at Van Leeuwen.
The last day, we attended a hip-hop hot yoga class at Y7 Studio and indulged in brightly colored bagels afterwards at The Bagel Store. I got a cotton candy bagel with “Rainbowfetti” cream cheese, and it was like nothing I’ve ever had before. The weekend sped by too quickly, but it was so special to have girl time to catch up, especially as we get older and our schedules become busier.
My advice for bachelorette parties? Do whatever it is you want to do. If late-night bar-hopping isn’t your thing, there are lots of (more chill) ways to celebrate. For me, that meant spa treatments, fitness classes, and food with my best friends. It was the perfect way to relax going into the last month before the wedding!
Follow Jenna’s adventures in wedding planning on Instagram or Twitter @jennasbennett.
