Bachelorette Weekend in Conneticut?

tmarie288

Hi everyone! I am the MOH in a wedding and were planning on a bachelorette weekend in April. Were looking into Connecticut and Ive read that they have lots of wineries and even a wine trail. Anyone have any experience with this? Where would you recommend for a great bachelorette weekend?

Thanks in advance!

missJeanLouise

First I would start by asking all the participants (individually, not in a group message) what their budget is. Then once you know how much money you are working you will have a better idea of what to plan. Wine tours sound awesome to me! 

Lulawife

I did a day of CT wineries for my bachelorette but I live here so we didn't do hotel stays or anything like that. We did rent a small party bus to take us around for the day so that no one had to worry about driving; I would definitely recommend that if it's in everyones budgets. Many of the wineries website's recommend limo companies who do special wine trail packages. Make sure to do your research depending on how many people you have, many of the wineries have very small tasting rooms and don't allow large groups without reservations or at all. Also, a lot of the wineries are not in close proximity to each other so you may be able to only do 2-3 without a lot of driving. 

banana468

To echo the others I'd ask around for a budget and then start to figure out what that budget gets you.   There are a lot of wineries in CT and there's a decent cluster in the Eastern CT area near the casinos.   You'll want to call ahead and you'll also want to find out what the cost is for tastings.   That's going to start to creep up in the budget when you're out $15 or so at every winery before you ate or slept. 

Because the wineries aren't that close together I'd look into the style of bachelorette you want along with the budget that takes.   You can go all out of Foxwoods or Mohegan after you do wine tastings or you could rent a house and be casual or chill in Mystic.  

A lot of the recommendations will really depend on your budget.   Also, CT in April can have a temperature swing of 30 degrees.   We could have a beautiful spring with temps in the 60s or even higher feeling like it's almost summer - or you could feel like winter never left.   Keep that in mind in case your plans involved anything outdoors.

tmarie288

The budget isn't really an issue I'm just looking for places that have a lot of wineries around it and maybe some nightlife.. We are considering a house to rent

MobKaz

tmarie288 said:

The budget isn't really an issue I'm just looking for places that have a lot of wineries around it and maybe some nightlife.. We are considering a house to rent

How can budget NOT be an issue? 

You are planning an event that requires lodging, multiple meals, and perhaps more than one "event".  It sounds as if you are in the initial stage of planning.  Have you already asked the bridal party how much they are interested in spending?  Are you treating the entire bridal party?  Budget is always an issue that needs to be discussed prior to making plans of any kind.  Budget is typically what drives everything else.

missJeanLouise

tmarie288 said:

The budget isn't really an issue I'm just looking for places that have a lot of wineries around it and maybe some nightlife.. We are considering a house to rent

Everyone has a budget. It can be 50$ or 50,000$ but there is always a budget. If you are paying for the whole thing then you already know your budget because it is what you are willing to spend. If you are going to be asking people to contribute or pay for travel/ housing/ food/ activities then you need to ask them what they are willing to spend. It might not be the same for everyone.

banana468

Yeah, I think you really need to pull figures together.   As I said above with the wineries, the tasting flights are around $10 - $15 per winery and that doesn't include cheese.   You need to put some kind of protein or carbohydrate in with the wine or you'll find yourself silly quickly.

What are you looking for in nightlife?  At the casinos you'll have a lot of options but you can expect them to be on the pricier side.   If you want a club and a table you're out nearly $200 for a table.   Looking for a more casual place?  Some other pubs are a bit more reasonable but you're still going to be spending upwards of $10 per beer / wine and more than that for cocktails. 

If you want a nightlife that's fun but a little less flashy Mystic can be great.   It's not where I'd go where you're out in a feather boa and penis bracelet but I love living near the water and like the restaurants that are available.   Again, if you want to go out for dinner I'd probably budget at least $50 pp and then add drinks on top of that.  You can make it less costly but I'd rather over budget than try to eat a salad.

Look into the options for rentals of air BnB.   The advantage can be all of you in one house but the disadvantage may be that you're spending a lot and still going out and a hotel may actually be more cost efficient. 

I love this area but I think a bit more information would be helpful so we can give you ideas. 

southernbelle0915

tmarie288 said:

The budget isn't really an issue I'm just looking for places that have a lot of wineries around it and maybe some nightlife.. We are considering a house to rent

Well if that's the case, I would charter a jet to Tuscany and rent a castle with a private chef.

sparklepants41

southernbelle0915 said:

tmarie288 said:

The budget isn't really an issue I'm just looking for places that have a lot of wineries around it and maybe some nightlife.. We are considering a house to rent

Well if that's the case, I would charter a jet to Tuscany and rent a castle with a private chef.

This. 

I agree with PPs that you definitely need to ask each attendee their budget in private so that a) you're not expecting anyone to shell out more than they can and b) so that when people who were not asked their budget get sticker shock, you and the other attendees aren't left with a bigger tab per person at the last minute. 

But seriously, if budget isn't really an issue, I would recommend you go somewhere other than Connecticut for a wine tasting. No offense to Connecticut (I grew up there).

banana468

sparklepants41 said:

southernbelle0915 said:

tmarie288 said:

The budget isn't really an issue I'm just looking for places that have a lot of wineries around it and maybe some nightlife.. We are considering a house to rent

Well if that's the case, I would charter a jet to Tuscany and rent a castle with a private chef.

This. 

I agree with PPs that you definitely need to ask each attendee their budget in private so that a) you're not expecting anyone to shell out more than they can and b) so that when people who were not asked their budget get sticker shock, you and the other attendees aren't left with a bigger tab per person at the last minute. 

But seriously, if budget isn't really an issue, I would recommend you go somewhere other than Connecticut for a wine tasting. No offense to Connecticut (I grew up there).

That's still my turf!

But if I had to pick a bachelorette I'd head to Newport.  

Still, in April the winery vibe is still going to look fairly sparse.   The leaves aren't really on the trees yet so just be prepared that you're going to be bundled up.   That can be fun but I'd still be aware.

Also, rather than CT, you could head to the North Fork.   Hop one of the ferries and then rent a limo.   Again, make sure that plays into cost. 

OR, do one or two wineries and then decide if you feel like ending the night in a casino or a place like Mystic or Stonington.  

If I didn't have kids or a job I would be in the Daniel Packer Inne NOW. 

MesmrEwe

southernbelle0915 said:

tmarie288 said:

The budget isn't really an issue I'm just looking for places that have a lot of wineries around it and maybe some nightlife.. We are considering a house to rent

Well if that's the case, I would charter a jet to Tuscany and rent a castle with a private chef.

Absolutely THIS!!!  Really OP - Destination ANYTHING requires working with people's budgets (this includes vacation time!) unless you're picking up the tab for travel and events personally.  AND - get ready for this - sober activities for those who don't partake.  Also, April is not exactly winery tour season in Connecticut, js...