Bachelorette Party Planning Checklist: A Month-by-Month Timeline
A practical bachelorette party planning checklist with a month-by-month timeline, budget splits, group chat scripts, and the decisions that matter most.
Most bachelorette planning stress comes from making decisions in the wrong order. Dates and budget come first, lodging second, one anchor activity per day third. Everything else is optional.
Use this checklist as the planner's working document. Share it with the group once the first three items are settled.
Four to six months out
- Confirm the dates with the bride. Get two workable weekends, not one.
- Set the guest list. Ask the bride for the must-invite names before anyone else is added.
- Set a budget per person. One number, all in: lodging, activity, meals, transportation. Say it out loud in the group chat before you book.
- Choose the city. Travel cost drives attendance more than anything else on this list.
- Book lodging. A rental that sleeps the group keeps the per-person cost down and gives you a home base.
A useful group chat script: "Weekend of the 14th, Charleston, roughly \\$450 per person all in. Reply yes or no by Friday so I can book the house."
Three months out
- Book the one activity the whole group will do together.
- Book Saturday dinner. Large-group tables go first.
- Decide on transportation: rideshare, a shuttle, or walking distance.
- Collect deposits. Splitting costs later is where groups lose money.
If you are planning in Charleston, a hosted indoor activity is the easiest anchor to lock early. Pencils & Pecs runs private figure drawing parties with a live male model, a female instructor, champagne, and all art supplies, either at a partner venue or at your rental. Check your date while the rest of the weekend is still flexible.
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Six weeks out
- Confirm the headcount. Give a firm deadline and hold it.
- Pay balances or deposits that are due.
- Share the draft itinerary with times and full addresses.
- Ask about dietary needs, mobility needs, and anyone who is not drinking.
Two weeks out
- Reconfirm every reservation by phone or email.
- Send the final itinerary and lodging address to every guest.
- Assign small jobs: one person on photos, one on the playlist, one on breakfast groceries.
- Build a rain or heat backup for outdoor blocks.
The week of
- Send arrival times and parking details.
- Buy groceries and any decorations the day before, not the morning of.
- Put every address in the shared thread so nobody texts you at 7 p.m. asking where dinner is.
A budget template that works
| Line item | Typical range per person | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Lodging (2 nights) | \\$150 - \\$300 | Lower with more guests per room | | Anchor activity | \\$60 - \\$100 | Usually one per day | | Group dinner | \\$50 - \\$90 | Ask about the gratuity policy for large parties | | Meals and coffee | \\$60 - \\$100 | Two breakfasts, two lunches | | Transportation | \\$30 - \\$60 | Rideshare adds up between neighborhoods |
Publish the range early. A guest who declines in month one is easier to plan around than a guest who drops out two weeks before.
The mistakes that cost the most
- Booking activities before lodging.
- Scheduling three activities in one day.
- Collecting money after the fact.
- Ignoring guests who do not drink.
- Leaving Sunday morning unplanned when everyone has flights.
If you want a version of this with hours attached, use the three-day Charleston weekend schedule and adjust the anchor activities to your group.