“We Hired A Guy To Strip”: Inside The World Of Zoom Bachelorettes

While bachelorette parties don't always feature phallic candy and bedazzled sashes, they do tend to include a group of friends getting together (or going away) to honor a beloved bride-to-be. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, bridesmaids are throwing Zoom bachelorette parties to celebrate love, friendship, and frisky fun — all from a (social) distance.

Amanda, 32, was all set to celebrate her friend's upcoming wedding when stay-at-home orders threw a wrench in their plans. So, the bridal party put together a Zoom bachelorette party, focusing instead on all the little touches.

"For the bridesmaids that were local, I dropped fun glasses at their doorsteps, as well as dinner for the bride," Amanda said. "The maid of honor showed us what items she had purchased for the weekend, like a fanny pack with the essentials (Advil, bandaids, Pedialyte, etc.)."

Although her friends are still planning on celebrating after quarantine is over, Amanda says that having a Zoom party on the night of the scheduled bachelorette made the best of a difficult situation. "This is temporary," Amanda says. "You can celebrate in person at a later date, but you can still stay connected and have fun."

I always wanted a wild party with strippers, and that's exactly what I got.

While getting your girls together for a Google Hangout may not have been part of your original plans, Mandy Connor, owner and lead planner of Hummingbird Bridal & Events, shares that an online bachelorette party can create fun and unique memories.

"It's all about how you embrace it," Connor tells Bustle. "There are plenty of opportunities for creativity here, you just have to think outside the box."

From shipping your friends DIY cocktail kits to getting matching pajamas or photo albums for everyone in the bridal party, Connor shares that adding IRL props to your virtual party can make all the difference. Additionally, creating a custom Zoom background or Snapchat filter, or making a collaborative playlist on Spotify that everyone can add songs to can make your Zoom bachelorette totally your own. "The ideas that we came up with were so special; it really eased the pain of not being together," Connor says.

After her three-day bachelorette cruise to the Bahamas was canceled, bride-to-be Gabby, 25, opted for a virtual happy-hour.

"Each of us went around and shared a high and low, and we all had our favorite drinks and snacks in hand," Gabby tells Bustle. "I wore the dress I was going to wear the night of my actual bachelorette party to make it a little more fun! Everyone is craving social interaction."

While you may want to gab (and drink) with your friends, Karen Norian, a planner for Simply Eloped, suggests planning a virtual "spa day" or craft night, where you order the supplies you need online, or hosting a Zoom "cooking class," where everyone prepares (read: attempts to prepare) a meal. If you're looking to laugh, Norian adds that having an internet dance party or playing classic sleepover games, like Never Have I Ever or Truth or Dare can be a sweet and silly way to celebrate with your bride.

Kristin, 29, a bridesmaid in a friend's upcoming wedding, says that wearing silly makeup, and decorating the wall behind her with a banner and pictures, made the night feel more festive. "We all wanted the bride to feel special and celebrated since a lot has happened with the plans for her wedding," Kristen says. "As long as you try to make it fun and about the bride, it will be a good time."

For bride-to-be Gisele, 29, seeing her bridesmaids incorporate elements from their original bachelorette plans made all the difference. "These ladies brought Arizona to us," Gisele says. "We had cacti left and right — from the invitation to the crafting to some mailed items." While a virtual bachelorette party was less than ideal, Gisele shares spending time with her bridesmaids lifted her spirits. "That's what it's all about, feeling loved by the special ladies you love more than the world!"

And if you've always dreamed about having a little R-rated bachelorette fun, you can still have your Magic Mike moment.

"We hired a cam guy to do a striptease," Jen, 28, tells Bustle. "I always wanted a wild party with strippers and penis hats, and that's exactly what I got."

Sources:

Mandy Connor, owner and lead planner, of Hummingbird Bridal & Events

Karen Norian, a planner for Simply Eloped