The ultimate guide to throwing a Bachelorette Party in Palm Springs
Since it's the beginning of "Wedding Season" I'd love to reflect on my own Bachelorette Party and Wedding and share my tips and tricks and advice for throwing your own!
My bachelorette party was a little unorthodox in that I had it after I was already married. I was one of the many "Covid brides" during 2020 that had to rethink and re-plan my wedding and bachelorette party very quickly.
Stay tuned on my guide to changing everything and throwing a wedding last minute, during Covid!
How to plan the best Palm Springs Bachelorette Party!
Planning a bachelorette party in Palm Springs? Look no further!
Find a place to stay
Palm Springs has endless places to stay; and where you stay all depends on what you are looking for.
For my bachelorette party, we chose to stay in an Airbnb. I've always stayed in Airbnbs for the previous bachelorette parties or any other time I've visited Palm Springs. I feel like you get more bang for your buck and most of the houses come with a pool, which you are going want if you are staying in the months of April - October. There are a lot of hotels based on what you're looking for - resort style, boutique, luxury, so it really just depends on your budget and where you want to stay.
Things to consider when looking for a place to stay in Palm Springs:
Location/ proximity to downtown Palm Springs - are you going to be venturing into downtown Palm Springs multiple times during your trip? If so - you are probably going to want to stay somewhere in the town of Palm Springs itself or no further than Palm Dessert (one of the next towns over). You probably won't be driving so you don't want to pay for a bunch of expensive Uber rides back and forth to your Airbnb.
Amount of bedrooms/ baths/ etc. - You should know how many people are coming on the trip -and think of how many people will need to share a bedroom. I wanted everyone to be able to have a bed to sleep in and didn't want people to have to sleep on the floor or on a couch. And if you are having a group of 6+ girls, you are definitely going to need more than one bathroom! I also like having a kitchen so we don't have to go out for every meal, especially if you want to cook for a few meals and save money. There are a few different grocery stores in the area so you can stock up for the weekend.
Outdoor space - I think 99% of houses in the area have pools and you will definitely be using it! Also FYI - There is a noise ordinance for the city of Palm Springs so we weren't able to play loud music outside. It depends on the host as well and how strict they are and/or the neighbors. Always read the reviews on Airbnb to see what others have said!
Budget - Find out what everyone feels comfortable spending and factor in the cost of food, activities, etc. Usually, the bride does not pay for the accommodations, so factor that in as well!
All things Palm Springs activities! And place to go!
I can only speak to summer activities but Palm Springs has tons of things to do, depending on what time of year you visit!
For my Bachelorette Party, I just wanted a chill weekend with my best friends in Palm Springs. Because of Covid, we were still a little apprehensive about going out and doing too much, so we spent the majority of the time relaxing at the house - which was exactly what I wanted. How often do you get to spend quality time with your friends when you all live in different towns? Especially, after being so isolated in 2020!
The main street in Palm Springs, S. Palm Canyon Drive, has tons of shops, restaurants, art galleries and bars. Pretty much all you'll need for a fun weekend! There are also a few resorts, casinos, golf courses and hiking trails around Palm Springs. You can also venture out to Joshua Tree (about an hour away) to visit the beautiful Joshua Tree National Park.
That being said- these are all the places we went during the weekend:
Food
Brunch - Cheeky's - this place is first come-first served and they don't take reservations. We went out to brunch on our first morning (Friday) when our whole group hadn't arrived yet. And I don't remember having to wait that long. They have a yummy bacon flight and a cinnamon roll that we all shared!
Dinner -
Tac/Quila - a yummy Mexican food place right on the main street in downtown Palm Springs! They had delicious drinks and food.
Eight4Nine - A super bougie/ girly restaurant also on the main street in downtown Palm Springs! It had a very old Hollywood feel to it and I loved it! This is where we went all out and had a fancy dinner with all the girls before our night at a drag show!
Entertainment-
Toucan's - If you weren't already aware, Palm Springs has a very large gay bar scene. I had heard great things about this Cabaret/ Drag Show bar that is a fun night out with a group of girls! When we went, I think there were at least 5 other bachelorette parties in the room. So it was a popular choice! The drag queens performed (lip-synced) to a bunch of classic and new songs and the entire crowd was dancing and singing along! Highly recommend for a night out!
Have a photoshoot! It was the best decision I made
This activity gets its own section because it was my favorite part of the whole weekend! Because I had a Covid wedding, my bridesmaids couldn't travel to come to the wedding.
I never got the typical bridesmaids photos at my wedding - getting ready, in our dresses, etc. My sister-in-law was the only bridesmaid at the wedding. As much as I was so thankful to have her there, it wasn't the same as having my other best friends there with me. Especially since they all already got their dresses and I wanted them to be able to wear the dresses at least once. So I was researching bachelorette party activities and I kept seeing photoshoot ideas. Everyone takes photos nowadays with our phones, but how fun would it be for a professional photographer be there to capture photos of everyone?! After a lot of research for Palm Springs photographers, I found Meggy Weggy Photography.
My idea for the photoshoot was to do all the typical bridal party photos that I didn't get at my wedding. I got everyone robes and pjs for the "getting ready" photos and then we also took photos in our wedding outfits. I re-wore my wedding gown and all the girls wore their bridesmaids dresses. The weekend was also 90s themed (my favorite decade) so the night we went to Toucan's everyone dressed in 90s attire. My maid of honor even got us all faux tattoo choker necklaces and butterfly clips to add to our ensembles. If you are looking for a Palm Springs wedding/ bachelorette party photographer, I can't recommend Meghan enough!
All the gifts/ theme ideas we used
Like I mentioned above, the theme for the weekend was all things 90s! My friends got posters of my favorite shows and movies, we had a FRIENDS Central Perk themed photo backdrop and had custom matching shirts as well that said "The one where Alexa gets married." If you are a Friends fan, you'll get the reference!
It's pretty common for all the guests to get welcome gift bags with fun stuff and necessary items like Advil and hydration packs.
This is everything that we had in ours:
- Custom trucker hats - link here
-Custom F*R*I*E*N*D*S tank tops - link here
-I made tumbler mugs with everyone's names on them to use throughout the weekend. Mugs linked here
- Matching pj sets (I wish I had the link to them because they were so comfy!)
- Knot bracelet - link here
-ring pops - link here
-choker necklaces - link here
-butterfly hair clips - link here
-90s decorations - cups, plates, decorations link here, photo backdrop here, and photo booth props (similar) here
-temporary tattoos
-FRIENDS socks - link here
-tissues - link here
-makeup wipes - link here
Most of the small stuff we got on Amazon (linked above) - you can buy custom "Bachelorette survival" packs on Etsy but it's so easy to make your own!
I hope you have the best Bachelorette Party! Let me know if you have any questions or if you go anywhere I recommended!
- Lex
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