Not Quite a Bachelorette Party....

BeckyHusband2012

I am eloping with my long-time boyfriend to another city.  Everyone has been very supportive of our wedding plans even though only the two of us will be there.  We are in our late 30's and I have been married once before.

I want to have an evening out with some close friends....not really a Bachelorette Party so much as just a nice evening with dinner and drinks.  All of the girls I'd like to invite are married and have children themselves and are between the ages of 27-40ish.

The problem is that all of the ladies I plan to invite are all so different!  They don't all really know each other that well and don't have much in common.  I want to invite them all and not pick certain people off the guest list, but I also want us all to have a fun time together.

Does anyone have any ideas for how to make the evening flow well and avoid any problems?  Has anyone else faced the dilemma of trying to combine friends from several different avenues of life for such an event?

I appreciate all of your input!  Best wishes and happy planning to you all!

right1thistime

Invite them and let if happen.  People enjoy meeting new people, and what they will have in common at this event is YOU!  If they aren't having fun, they will leave.  Oh well. 

Since you are the hostess, I assume you are footing the bill for this, right?  And I assume you aren't expecting gifts at this event, as well.  So it sounds like a lovely evening.  Have fun & relax.  ~Donna

BeckyHusband2012

I don't expect gifts, no, but I didn't think I would need to foot the bill.  Am I wrong?

Sue-n-Kevin

In response to your second question, if you do the inviting, you are the hostess, and the hostess would be paying. This is generally true whether the party is in your honor, or someone else's.

I suppose you could ask everyone over to a pot luck, where they bring a dish, but if you were planning on having alcohol, you would have to supply it.

I think what you are looking for is a "Gals night out" to celebrate your singlehood, or enjoy some time with your female friends before the wedding. If it isn't someone else's idea, then yes, you would be paying.

Another alternative, to answer your initial question as far as something to do, our plans for my "Bachelorette party" that my friends were going to throw for me were to go to a great artsy store near here in a cool downtown district that has a room in the back that can be rented by a group and do craft things. They have glass plates, jewelry making items, pottery to paint, things you can design and leave there for firing. It was my bridesmaid's idea, but then the plans had to change because of real life intruding. IMO that is a fun activity that could be planned if you have something around there similar to that. Even if you are not crafty, they have instructors and people to assist with selection.

boaznruth

I've been to a couple of bachelorette parties that were organized by people other than the bride and involved each person paying their own way.  I think we paid for a few drinks for the bride together.  In my opinion, as long as you're upfront about who's paying for what, that should still be called a "bachelorette party" as much as anything else.  I'm not sure how strict on ettiquette a crazy night out with the girls needs to be.  

If the bride herself were organizing her own party, I could see that being a different matter for various reasons.

Myself, I've never had a bachelorette party or a shower, but I was just happy that people wanted to come to the ceremony.  For me, it's all about the part where we are married...at last.  The rest is just details and maybe some "nice to haves".