How is it going?
The “scenario” of the holiday in the old days necessarily included such moments as:
- washing the bride and her friends in the bathhouse . It was believed that girls washed away adversity and possible illnesses and “cleaned” the body and soul. In the bathhouse, slander was read about beauty and health , about the birth of numerous strong children in a future marriage, about the love of a husband and harmony in the family. In addition, it was believed that the one of the girls who would be hit by drops or splashes of water that was doused on the bride would also soon get married - and this event was always considered desirable;
- dressing up the bride . The girl was dressed in her best outfits, and most of the available jewelry was hung. The most elegant and expensive girl's accessory and headdress was considered to be a ribbon (the so-called “maiden beauty”) or a crown . At the end of the bachelorette party, the future young lady gave this dress to her best friend or younger sister, thereby blessing her for a happy marriage;
- parting words for the bride . They were given by unmarried friends/sisters and older, already married relatives and neighbors. As a rule, this happened in the form of songs, and songs began to be sung even when the bride was being dressed. Sometimes this part of the ceremony was called “the howling of the bride”, since the girl certainly had to cry. It was believed that the more tears the future newlywed shed at the bachelorette party and during preparation for the wedding ceremony, the less she would have to cry in her married life . The songs of the friends included complaints about the “clear falcon” who is taking away their “dove”, regret about the former maiden will, a description of possible hardships in the new family - insults from the mother-in-law, hard work, lack of opportunity to walk freely and have fun;
- were always part of the holiday - preparing gifts for new relatives, the groom and his friends . Most of the gifts were made in advance by the bride herself, but the participation of friends was welcomed;
- The final part of the event is food and entertainment . The girls sang, danced in circles, danced with each other - there were no men at the festival. There was no longer a place for tears here; the bride tried to “finally” enjoy the last evening of her free life.
Where to start?
Start by choosing your environment, that is, those whom you would like to see on such an exciting and, perhaps, the most important evening in your life. Invite your close friends, regardless of age and status, invite those with whom you feel comfortable not only in communication, but also in everyday life. After all, at a bachelorette party you will probably share your secrets and youthful adventures, so you should only trust “trusted” people. Do not forget to notify all invitees in advance about the place and time of the bachelorette party, because with the current pace of life, such an event must be planned in advance.
Now that your treasured list of girlfriends has been determined, think about where you would like to spend this evening. For a traditional bachelorette party, it would be appropriate to choose a country house with a bathhouse or a trip to nature to a pond.
Set a rich table using old Russian recipes.
What to wear?
The choice of outfits largely depends on where exactly the event will take place . If in the fresh air, away from prying eyes, you can “play”, dressed up in sundresses and crowns, or pretend to be forest/field maidens with a minimum of clothing, but with lush flower wreaths and garlands. In public places, it is better to limit yourself to suits or dresses stylized as folk ones.
In the warm season, wreaths or head decorations made of flowers and herbs are almost obligatory . It is better to use live plants collected personally, but artificial substitutes are also acceptable. During the cold season, it is better to remember the tradition of wearing scarves and shawls on the head and shoulders . And the girls are warm - and the style is consistent.
In this case, preference is given to openwork down shawls and stoles (Orenburg and analogues), colorful bright scarves (Pavlovo Posad), or, in extreme cases, ordinary white or colored scarves . They also look good with modern jackets, fur coats and sheepskin coats, the main thing is to tie them correctly.
Bright dresses with floral or floral patterns (long ones, reminiscent of a sundress in cut), large beads, ribbons in the hair, loose hair or braids are always appropriate.
If finances and conditions allow, you can rent costumes from the theater or from the organizers of folk-style celebrations. However, before the final part of an event at a club, for example, it is better to change into regular clothes.
By the way, we recommend watching the final part of the film “The Pig Farmer and the Shepherd” (from 1.13.00 to 1.16.00), there you can get some good ideas for songs, and for outfits, and even for the format of the bachelor party .
Photo: examples of outfits
Examples of attire for the bride and her friends can be seen in our selection below:
Entertainment
To entertain themselves and their friends, bachelorette party brides often choose traditional activities . In addition to the already mentioned bathhouse (a Russian steam room with a broom and a samovar is better than a Turkish hammam or a regular sauna), the girls will be occupied for a long time:
- fortune telling . Of course, at a bachelorette party, first of all, fortunes are told for the bride - the number of children, the length of the marriage, wealth, and some interesting events. For girlfriends, fortune telling about the betrothed, about the dates of the future wedding, about love is suitable;
- weaving wreaths . This option is only suitable for the warm season and holidays spent outdoors. The girls make wreaths for themselves, and for the bride - together;
- A logical continuation of weaving wreaths will be a round dance wearing floral decorations . In a cafe or a small room in a country house it is difficult to allocate a place for it, so it is better to organize a round dance “in an open field”, in a meadow, forest clearing, near a river or lake;
- During the feast or after it, girlfriends often dance and sing . Russian folk songs or ditties are perfect for a bachelorette party in a folk style. You can compose them yourself, based on events in the life of the bride and her friends, the groom, and future relatives. If the feast is taking place in a cafe or restaurant, it is better to avoid hints at too personal things, and in general this point requires approval from the administration;
- joint handicraft . A bachelorette party is a great time to make small gifts for guests and relatives, wedding decorations and decor. You can also come up with ideas for wedding competitions, ransoms and other things;
- If possible, it is worth organizing a walk in folk style - on a sleigh in winter, in an open carriage in summer, or even on horseback . However, adjusted for modern realities, traveling by car, motorcycle or bicycle is also suitable.
- Photoshoot. Not a single bachelorette party is complete without her. The footage taken in the bathhouse (of course, not undressed), while dressing the bride, while weaving wreaths and leading round dances, looks great. If photographs are taken by an invited specialist, you must agree in advance with him about the moments of shooting, locations, accessories and the nature of the images.
Options
If you are tired of the monotony and want to throw a bachelorette party on a grand scale, then you should choose one of the unusual styles. There are quite a few of these in our time. The party can be decorated in the style of a certain nation, direction and much more.
Hawaii
The best place for such an event would be the shore of a body of water.
If weather conditions or the time of year do not allow you to get to the water, then you can decorate any room in the Hawaiian style. Palm trees, fruits, and flowers will add color to the atmosphere. Each bridesmaid, including the bride, should be dressed appropriately. Themed clothing can be purchased at any carnival clothing store. It is recommended to complement the costumes with bright accessories in the same style. If you do not plan to hire a toastmaster for such an event, then you can hold fun competitions yourself.
The most common entertainment is the “Evil Monkey”. One of the girls should stand in front of the crowd and pretend to be an angry monkey. The task of the rest of those present is to make her a cheerful animal.
Another equally popular competition is “Liana”. Most often it is spent on the beach. Those present need to divide into two teams, after which rhythmic music is turned on. Representatives of the fair sex should take off those parts of clothing that are not embarrassing and tie them into a vine. The team whose vine is longest will win.
Russian party
What is the difference between Russian hen parties before the wedding? The advantage of a hen party in this style is that it can be held absolutely at any time of the year. In summer, the fair sex can relax in nature in a country house or near the river. In winter, you can visit a real Russian bathhouse, go sledding or skiing.
A universal option for hosting such a party would be at home. Only in it can one achieve a real Russian atmosphere. It is recommended to decorate the room in accordance with all traditions. To do this, you can use flowers, a horseshoe, weapons and much more. A good addition to such an evening will be real traditional dishes.
This is interesting: What do they give to the groom for a bachelor party? How to surprise a bachelor before the wedding?
You can brighten up this wonderful holiday with a variety of competitions. The first and most popular is called “Frying Pan”. It is necessary to draw a circle, after which those present are divided into two teams.
They stand on both sides, and active music begins to play. When she falls silent, one girl must push her neighbor into the frying pan. The representative of the fair sex who did not get into the frying pan wins.
Adult party
Bachelorette party before the wedding, how to celebrate like an adult? The girl who will soon become a wife has every right to party in an adult style. You can even do it in a strip club or bar. Some parties in a similar style are held in a sex shop. This allows every representative of the fair sex to learn something new.
Such a trip will be especially interesting for the bride, who in the end will be able to truly surprise her husband. You can also buy some toys for your wedding night.
Fortune telling
A bachelorette party in this style is held exclusively among close friends. And this does not mean that you should turn to a fortune teller or sorcerer for help. You can perfectly carry out various rituals in the circle of girls. Every representative of the fair sex knows different kinds of fortune-telling.
You can complement the party atmosphere with large candles, skulls and other accessories used by witches. It is also recommended to make unusual snacks and drinks.
Feast at a bachelorette party
Considering the folk style of the holiday, the following would be perfect:
- pies and pancakes with different fillings. It’s good if they were baked by the bride and her friends or relatives - this will give the holiday a special, ritual meaning;
- traditional Russian dishes - solyanka, dumplings, cabbage soup, porridge, baked and fried meat, fish, whole poultry ;
- desserts are always appropriate.
Additionally : The most complete instructions on how to organize and host a bachelorette party - read .
If girls follow a strict diet before the holiday, you can limit yourself to low-calorie dishes, giving preference to fruits, berries and vegetables .
And, of course, you shouldn’t get carried away with alcohol - after all, on the wedding day, the bride and her friends should please with a blooming appearance, and not with a “delicate” green face and circles under the eyes.
Light wine, fruit drinks, kvass, for lovers of traditions - mead and sbiten . The latter option is especially good in winter, after a walk in the cold.
Hosting a bachelor and bachelorette party together
It should be noted that a bachelor and bachelorette party together is somewhat reminiscent of a wedding in miniature . After all, the script, menu, table setting, costumes, location and time are also thought through. In order to hold such an event as economically as possible and without much damage to the bride’s free time and finances, you need to:
- Find a space that doesn't require rent or plan an outdoor party.
- Give each girlfriend a number of powers to organize the evening.
- Carefully consider the set of drinks and dishes for the table.
- Equally distribute expenses for the organization among all invitees.
It is not necessary to order expensive dishes at a restaurant ; if one of the girls bakes or cooks well, you can entrust them with this important task. A bachelorette party at grandma's dacha will be remembered by everyone present no less than in a chic restaurant. Moreover, you don’t have to buy apples, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, all this grows on trees and beds. Food at a bachelorette party is certainly an important aspect of the event, but its purpose is somewhat different - communication and fun.
Undoubtedly, before the wedding, a girl hardly has even a drop of time for entertainment or thoughts about extraneous events. Therefore, it is best if her friends take over the organization of the bachelorette party. This will be both a pleasant surprise and a memory for many years.
The video of the girls’ party before the wedding will tell you how to organize a celebration correctly and inexpensively: