If hectic wedding planning has wreaked havoc on your bright and shiny chi, work out some of that pent-up energy with a calorie-free unbride-ling in the form of a great outdoors extravaganza with your very best besties. The trick to pulling off a feel-the-burn, back-to-the land bachelorette shindig is to prepare your guests for just-in-case scenarios and gently advise them to pack oh-so appropo. In the end, you and your gal pals get to choose to either kick-back and relax, or kick into high-gear, spirit-raising altitudes with the help of some char-broiled eats, Parent Trap antics, and berry bunches of laughs babbling-brook style.
teddy-bear picnic
Slip on a pair of your hottest shades and prettiest plaid get-up, and banish those bug blues away with a dousing of zesty citronella. Then it’s time to get down to business – the savory revels of an eat-or-bust picnic basket. Opt for a loaf of artisan bread or baguette, provolone cheese and prosciutto ham, cold roast chicken, or smoked oysters – garnish with chutney, calamata olives, and a bottle of chilled Chablis or Chardonnay.
Make sure you include all the tools of the trade – a cutesy cutting board, can opener, corkscrew, votive candles, and wet wipes. Unfold to your friends’ delight a vintage checked spread, a handful of drugstore bodice-rippers, and an artisan kite to help transform this seemingly simple bachelorette into a delightfully dallying day spent alongside the wood nymphs and the sprites.
climb every mountain
Edelweiss it up with a nature hike into national park heartland or a craggy mountain range. This bachelorette option is more about function than style so make sure that the Sarah Jessica Parker in your life has outfitted her toesies in good-quality footwear. Make sure everyone stays well hydrated (opt for sparkling water instead of the decanter of wine), and have plenty of potassium-rich yummies on hand - think bananas, avocados, and strawberries - as well as protein-packed powerhouses (yogurt cups, pumpkin seeds, and dry-roasted almonds).
fun on the range
If you’re a whistlin’ Dixie chick, round up your little doggies for a sun-swept, saloon-swingin’, hair-raisin’ adventure fit for the Dangerous Nan McGrew. Check into a glorious ranch resort for horseback riding, heart-warming campfires, and rustic eats like scalloped corn, chuckwagon chili, and venison parmesan. The highlight of this high-noon bachelorette is going to be the chance to play catch up with the girls. There’s nothing like a good gossip session in a set of Adirondack chairs, a pitcher of electric lemonade within easy reach, and an unobscured view of that not-too shabby stable-hand.
seaside getaway
As long as you slather on the sunscreen, a day-trip to the shore makes for a fabulous bachelorette, thanks to its youthful MTV appeal. Crack open a cooler of Corona, blast that boom-box, and get ready to get conch-shell giddy. Once you find your sea legs, risk a mussed-up do, and enjoy a little surf ‘n’ turf out in the water, or have a sand sculpture competition safe in the hot bed of the sand. Dance along the dunes or break out the hibachi for a mango shrimp satay. Without trying to burst any bubbles, chocolate should stay in your hideaway cupboard at home. Make sure to bring some melt-resist treats instead, like cherry chile fudge squares or a boysenberry compote.
snow games
If you’re going to be an Ice-Princess bride, you have to celebrate in winter-hinterland style. Head out to cottage-country for a snowy refuge by the lake, or go cross-country skiing gussied up like a 60’s snow bunny. Pass out thermoses of brandied-up hot cocoa and hit the sleigh rides with a handsome chap driver. Go skating in the heart of city central to the sounds of carolers and clock towers, or decorate ginger-bread cookies just like back in the day when side-pony tails were all the rage.