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Hey girlfranns!!
I am so excited to write this blog post to help you plan a bachelorette party in Scottsdale, Arizona! It’s going to be packed with info! I’ll probably break up some info into specific blog posts too so it’s easier to navigate, but here is the one stop shop for planning a bachelorette party in Scottsdale!
I have been to AZ 3 times now for bachelorette parties and I truly think it’s one of the best locations for bachelorette parties. It is SO FUN! I’ll be sharing all my recs from planning decor, food, theme to itinerary and travel!
A disclaimer first, there are SO many things to do that I have not done so I’ll simply be sharing my experiences!:)
First things first! Figure out your group size!
I’ve been to parties ranging from 12-25 people! I will say smaller groups are easier to do a little more with outside of the Airbnb! 12-15 people is a prime number IMO! Less than 12 would be amazing of course too!
Find a date to go!
Find a long weekend that works for the majority of your group. I’ve gone 2 times in April (weather was perfect: 80s) and I’ve gone in August (weather was of course warmer: 85-95s). All trips were Thursday-Sunday!
Find your Airbnb!
You can also find an Airbnb you like first and select a date due to availability! I will say the super trendy Airbnbs catered to bach parties book out FAR in advance, so book sooner rather than later!
When looking for an Airbnb there are a few things you should be looking for IMO! For starters, search in the Scottsdale area:)
If you plan to hit up the bar scene, there is one main party block called Old Town that you want to be close to! You can find many Airbnbs within 10 mins! Another thing to consider is being close to the airport and/or Camelback Mountain for hiking (to keep lyft travel minimal)!
Usually the airbnb listings have some info on what you’d be close to or you can view the map and see where it sits compared to Old Town Scottsdale! If distance info wasn’t available I would message the airbnb host to ask distance to Old Town, airport I was flying into and Camelback for hiking:) Being close to the bar scene is a must IMO due to lyfts and late night car rides after the bar iykyk haha!
Side note about airports and most airbnbs that are close to the bar scene: I have flown into both Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (in Mesa: ~45 min drive to aribnb) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (in Phoenix: ~15 min drive to airbnb). Please note these times are estimates depending where your airbnb is, but something to consider!
Linked here is the Airbnb we stayed at for my sisters! It was honestly perfect and would 100% recommend. The host was quick to respond, the house was stocked with everything needed, the street was clean and quiet and the home was clean and spacious!
Transportation!
You will mainly use lyft and they are always out! BUT something I would highly recommend is hiring group transportation! Especially to and from airport to ease the stress of finding lyfts when you are on a time clock (if you choose the lyft route it works completely fine:)).
This recent time we flew into Mesa so we had a 45 min drive to our airbnb (we didn’t have the other airport choice flying from Sioux Falls)! So I hired group transportation! We used Newman Transportation and they were awesome to work with!
The owner William (Bill) was very professional and made for a stress free transport to and from the airport during our trip. Here is his number as well to call and book! 602-475-1633! He has many options depending on group size and he was pretty affordable IMO! Having everything lined up in advance was truly amazing.
Decor and party favors!
The fun part!! If you have been to a bachelorette party you have probably helped decorate. Now, it’s something we all pitch in to help with and it always is worth the hassle haha. BUT planning my sister’s weekend I knew I didn’t want to deal with attempting a balloon arch. I wanted us all to arrive and start enjoying our time vs decorate:)
I knew that Scottsdale had many options for decorating so I started looking into the most popular being Scottsdale Bachelorette. They are a little more spendy so I decided to go with a newer small business No Basic Bach and she was incredible to work with!
I did a custom design with her for our arch backdrop and utilized her custom koozie and pool floatie packages. 110% WORTH IT. I was truly so happy with everything!
SO hiring the most important parts done was a must for me. But I also love any “extraness” so I also packed a few things to do myself! My older sister and I sent everyone outside to hang out by the pool while we tackled the decor we had while the arch was being set up!
Our theme was “Scottsdale Before the Veil” and I chose lots of pinks and daisies! It turned out SO cute. I will link everything I used for the goodies bags and the Bride’s room! Everything was simple yet decked out if that makes sense:)
Decor / Goodie Bag Links
- goodie bags
- eye masks
- liquid IV
- scrunchies
- mints
- makeup wipes
- straws
- glasses
- bride to be, ring, daisy balloons
- balloon pump
- daisy confetti
- champagne banner
- acrylic stand & tripod
- groom tattoos
Itinerary: what to do / plan for!
My biggest tip for the person planning the party is to BE ORGANIZED! I first created a FB group for everyone invited. After we knew who could go I put everyone in a group text for more important info. I also looked into The BACH app and actually loved the idea of it but didn’t use it as much as I thought I would, but definitely check it out, I think it could be super helpful! Below was the layout for our weekend and I loved it!! I wanted everyone to have an idea of expenses once there and activities!
Reservations!
If you want to do a group dinner out or brunch, call 1-2 months in advance and book a reservation! Things do book up quick! BE SURE to ask all details included in a group reservation. Some places have a high minimum to spend to make a reservation.
Truthfully, most meals at the house is the way to go! BUT it is fun to have 1 or 2 meals out on the town. Either higher class or a quick trip to In and Out Burger that doesn’t need reservations for example! For an evening outing, we went to Wine Girl for supper! Such a cute bachelorette vibe and it averaged $40-50 a person for our group of 12, which included drinks and apps so it wasn’t terrible but something to note on the price. I just messaged them on insta to book and it was super easy!
Their pizzas were great and drinks were yummy! I am not one for negative reviews but I want to be a good resource for you girls! SO, know it is a smaller space. The place was packed and loud around our 7:30pm reservation time and our booth we had was a tighter squeeze. The service was a little slow, but we knew it was busy too:) We still all had a great time and would say it is worth checking out. It might even be more enjoyable over lunch hours to see the vibe better since they have an outside setting:)
If you are interested in a brunch option I highly recommend Hash Kitchen! I believe there are two locations so look up what would be closest to you! Their group party minimum is more spendy so instead of that you can show up around the 9am hour and get your bigger group in! They don’t take reservations but if you go before the busy brunch time you should be good or have a smaller line to wait in! You could also try calling ahead and see what the wait time is:)
This brunch spot is SO cute, it’s like a breakfast club! Dj with music and a big bloody mary bar and super fun drinks. The food menu is amazing but know portions are BIG! At least they were when I went (we ended up not going this recent time but did in August and I LOVED it)!
I personally don’t have many recs on food places but googling or asking your airbnb host can be a great resource too:)
Pool parties!
As far as other planning goes: what I found is most enjoyable is having a plan but don’t overdo it. Previously linked above was our weekend itinerary, and it was great! This also totally depends on the vibe of your group, but having 1 outing a day is nice and doesn’t feel too overpowering!
Have the majority of your days spent at your pool and create either your own pool party or relax! One of each is always the perfect combo;) SIDE NOTE: if you are looking for a legit pool party to attend / get tickets for, check out the Maya Day Club! I did this at one of the parties I was on and we had so much fun! It’s a bar in the Old Town party block that has a pool inside!
For my sister’s, we had one day relaxing by the pool then another day filled with fun and games! We made up our own beer olympics / relay and it was honestly so funny and so much fun. Pregame before with Tippy Cup and take the relay to the next level;) You could also pinterest so many ideas too, but cards, dice, beer pong, and tippy cup go a long way too haha.
Hiking!
I highly recommend getting out and exploring AZ a little but with a hike! Camelback is a popular mountain to hike. It can get a little confusing though so please note there are different trails. Both times I have hiked I did the Camelback Echo Trail (this is what you would type in lfyt).
We learned that the other trail is harder from a driver but this could also be wrong info haha. But also note the Echo Trail isn’t the easiest thing ever either haha! Totally doable but you will actually be climbing! So wear good shoes and bring water! Also go earlier in the morning! It starts getting pretty hot around 10am!
If you are looking for a super easy “hike” / more of an area to walk around with pretty scenery, check out Hole in the Rock! It isn’t a hike really at all but it is a cool area to see and there are paths to get a good walk in:)
Some tips / extras I have learned that are helpful!
Bar related!
- When headed to the bars for the night, just type into lyft “Whiskey Row / Bevvy”. This will bring you to the same party block each time:)
- Table Service: most bars have this that you can pay for but DO NOT (unless you want to of course lol)! We got lucky a few times and got this for FREE! Recruiters for the bars are usually roaming around and asking if you want a table in a bar, you get free drinks and table service (a spot to sit and you are catered too). This is advertising for the bar so it is legit / real! The first time we were asked we didn’t believe it at first. Ask extra questions if you need to but this is a legit thing and its awesome for free booze;) You get vodka and different juice options!
- Thursdays, I have noticed the times I have been there, are the least busiest and drinks may even be a little cheaper in our experience (this might not be always)! But still recommend pregaming before you go because the bars are more spendy!
- PLEASE NOTE! They close down the streets / the bar block forsure on Friday and Saturday nights by 930pm ish. It can be challenging to find your lyft when the roads are blocked off.
- We learned from a driver there are different drop off / pick up locations. One being in the parking lot across from Bevvy / next to Bottled Blonde! Usually the lyft driver will message you to ask where you are, you could say that location or see what they prefer!
- On your way down to the bars if you have a good driver that seems like they know the area, you could also ask where the pick up spots are when the road closes!
More tips!
- Have the bride assign rooms! Sounds kinda silly but just trust me it is worth it:) Have her split her people into rooms and then there is no questioning / choosing where everyone is sleeping!
- Have one or two people in charge of expenses for the trip. A credit card comes in handy here! It is much easier to split expenses when one or 2 people are in charge of everything!
- When traveling in lyfts, create little pods to stick with to keep splitting costs simple. OR if the group is open to it, have 2-3 people in charge of ordering the lyfts, at the end, add up the totals and split evenly across the group!
- Heated pools! Please note not every pool is heated. When I went for the first time in April our pool was big so it was COLD. This last time we went in April again and pool was smaller so it was perfect from the AZ sun! But be aware of this for time of year you are going in case you want to find an airbnb / pay for the heated pool option if available!
- EXTRAS TO PACK (that are easy to forget and can be helpful): speaker, tape, string if decorating yourself, eye drops, tripod for pics, ping pong balls for beer pong, cards, dice, any extra games you want!
Tips for planning expenses!
- General rule of thumb I wanted to mention because I have been asked this! This is regarding trips I have been on, so this doesn’t mean it is correct, but I think it is most fair! Split expenses fairly. Guests that commit should be aware they are responsible for expenses such as airline, splitting alcohol and food in the house, lyfts and a gift if they want to participate! I also think it is okay if there are theme shirts to pay your way as well.
- BUT, if the bride / or planner wants to get decor, goodie bags, all the extras etc that should be on the planners or split with family/friends that want to chip in IMO. Keep it fair for your guests. If someone has food intolerances or doesn’t drink, don’t make them split the whole grocery bill for example. Be considerate as destination parties add up:) Again, not a RULE, but something to be considerate of:)
Game idea for the bride!
- If you’re into the extra spice for your bride…;) do a lingerie game. It is so cheap on Shein and something fun to spoil your bride with. If you have a night in, this is the perfect game. Two popular ways to play that I know of
- All lingerie goes into a bag / basket and the bride guesses who got her it, 3 guesses and every wrong guess is a drink for the bride / right guesses are a drink for the group!
- Another option is more of a spicy honeymoon game;) actually SO fun and creative haha. All items go into a bag / basket and the bride first guesses who got the item, THEN as a group you pick a funny or spicy name to describe the set. BE CREATIVE HERE! Have someone write down the lingerie description along with the made of name for the bride to keep track of everything! When it is honeymoon time, the groom gets to pick 5 (any number) names to be surprised with on the trip;)
Airbnb food and drinks!
Highly recommend ordering EVERYTHING to the house! Use insta cart to order alcohol and food. It is so handy and easy! We ordered most food from Costco and Safeway then liquor can be from whatever options pop up for you, all you have to do is show your ID when they drop it off!
Before the trip, I had all items already in the cart ready to checkout when we arrived in AZ. I also recommend planning meals / snacks / drinks etc in advance for what is most liked so you do not over order!
I made a google form doc for everyone to fill out to give me ideas! It was so helpful as I built the grocery list. Take a look if you want any inpso:)
Last comments!
If you made it this far, thanks for reading;) I hope it was helpful and that you have the BEST trip if you go to Scottsdale. This is all simply my experience in attending and planning a bachelorette party there so know there is SO much more to do and see! And it truly all depends on the vibe and intentions of your group and the budget you have set for it! In all honesty, all the extras aren’t needed to have a great weekend in AZ with your fav girls.
Since this blog post got lengthy, I plan to follow up this blog post with a few more AZ themed ones including outfit links from the bride etc! So stay tuned for those, they will be up ASAP!
XOXO!!!