We sat down with Christina Clement, owner of Desert Boho Events, to discuss bachelorette parties, current trends, and her insider tips for throwing an unforgettable party.
Christina, bachelorette parties are often planned by the bride's closest friends or family. How do you ensure you meet the bride's expectations and create the perfect event without involving the bride?
I would say when planning a bachelorette party or bridal shower, really take into account what the bride likes and what the bride would want to see. Is the bride lowkey, or is the bride boujee? Does the bride like neutrals, or does the bride like colors?
The person planning the event can get to know the vision by understanding the bride and communicating with the planner. Involving a planner definitely takes out a lot of stress. We know the things to plan for, like preparing the food, planning the desserts, hiring the bartender, planning the experiences, and the best venues.
Now that bachelorette parties have evolved from nights out at local bars or a nice dinner to weekend vacations and destination holidays, what are your tips for planning more elaborate events?
Modern-Day Etiquette
Definitely, a big no-no is a destination wedding and a destination bachelorette party or bridal shower. If you are having a destination wedding, you need to stay local for your bachelorette party and bridal shower. Asking people for two vacations and time off work twice in a year - well, your friends will not like you.
Planning Events Without The Bride
Typically when I am putting together a bachelorette party or bridal shower, I ask questions to really get to know the bride through the mother-in-law or maid of honor’s eyes to understand what their vision is for this day. I then play out a couple of key points. The aesthetic of the event is my zone of genius. The tables, the desserts, and the incorporation of special elements.
Planning a
Multi-Day Bachelorette Party
If you are going to do a destination bachelorette weekend for an all-out boujee bride, I am loving themed nights or themed days. So, for example, the Friday you come in - I always think the Friday should be the lowkey day because everybody has been traveling all day - so, a private dinner at home with a private chef or order-in catering with a nice tablescape. Just an intimate night where you and your girls play games, hang out, take pictures, and relax for the day.
But, for the rest of the weekend, I am loving themes. So, on Saturday, if you are going to go on a boat, everybody wears a cowgirl hat, and the bride wears white. Or, that night, you have a themed night out like everybody dressed up for a country theme. It can be really fun and add a special element to the day.
Managing The Budget
Budgeting is tricky because most people who are pre-planning an event don’t really have an idea of what things cost. Right now, with the way that inflation is, everything cost more. The event planning service doesn’t necessarily cost more, but products and gas and things like that have to be factored in.
I try to stay within a budget if it’s communicated clearly. For lower budget events, I offer smaller services like a backdrop set-up with some fresh florals on the table. You can raise your budget by asking bridesmaids and other bachelorette party guests to pitch in $100-$300. With that, we might be able to plan a more elaborate event with a private chef, a mixology class, or private yoga. A larger budget allows for those key fun things, but not everyone has that budget, and that’s totally ok, that doesn’t mean you can’t have an enjoyable bachelorette party.
Ok, we love themed days and destination bachelorette parties, but what are the perks of hiring an event planner?
For bachelorette parties, the biggest thing is having a resource because a lot of people are traveling here to Lake Havasu City for bachelorette parties, so they don’t know the best place to rent a boat, the best place to stay, the best restaurants to go to, where to get custom cookies done, and where to find a private chef. So, having me as a resource that lives here and is knowledgeable in the industry, I can make sure they have a great time.
Let’s not forget bridal showers. How do event planners make them more special?
As far as bridal showers go, I think of showering the bride with love. I envision everyone being happy for the bride and sharing her joy while making memories with her. I provide an elevated experience for everyone by creating a relaxing and fun environment to celebrate the bride.
We love celebrating female entrepreneurs. What are your thoughts about owning and operating an event planning business?
I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported my business and has been on this journey with me. When people comment on my social media posts and tell me the event is beautiful or ‘like’ what I am doing, it really impacts me because I have hard days, too. There are days when I’m feeling defeated because maybe I didn’t book a client or something. In those moments, the little things matter. It makes a huge difference for my business and me because I am human and have struggles too. So, thank you!