The Maid of Honor's Bachelorette Checklist
Being maid of honor is a project-management job that pays in love and mimosa. Here's the whole project, sequenced, so nothing surprises you at the worst possible moment.
12–10 weeks out: decisions
- Get the bride's honest vibe brief: wild, cozy, or "surprise me but not really"
- Lock the guest list with the bride — before anyone else hears a date
- Poll dates in the group chat with THREE options max (more = chaos)
- Set the per-head budget expectation early and in writing — it prevents every future awkwardness
- Pick the city and book the Airbnb/hotel block (sleeps everyone, has a living room that fits the group)
8–6 weeks out: bookings
- Book the one or two "anchor" activities first — the things that sell out: the boat, the chef, the hosted experience (Bride Vibes books 4–10 weeks out; Saturdays go first)
- Book restaurants for the full headcount — 12 women on a Saturday needs real notice
- Collect the first money: flights/accommodation shares. Use one payment app and one spreadsheet
- Order the bride's outfit pieces and any matching things now (shipping always betrays you)
4–3 weeks out: logistics
- Build the itinerary with white space in it — one anchor per day-part, max
- Confirm dietary needs and who's pregnant/sober (affects more bookings than you think)
- Arrange transport between venues (the most forgotten line item in bachelorette history)
- Collect activity money round two — easier when it's itemized against actual bookings
- Brief any hosts/vendors on your group: shy ones, conservative aunts, the surveillance-state future sister-in-law. Good vendors calibrate (ours literally ask for this)
1 week out: confirmations
- Reconfirm every booking by email — two minutes each, saves entire evenings
- Share the final itinerary in the chat (time, place, dress code, cost — no surprises)
- Assign one deputy for the weekend so you're not the only adult on duty
- Pack the boring kit: painkillers, electrolytes, a phone charger that lives in your bag
Day-of
- Eat something before the first drink. That's it. That's the tip
- Delegate the music, delegate the photos, keep the timeline
- Be where the bride can see you during the surprises — your face is half her memory of them
The one-booking cheat code: if you want a single anchor activity that handles its own entertainment, education and gift moment — and gives you an hour off duty — that's literally why Bride Vibes exists. Packages from $299 + tax, host comes to you, $265–$461 of VUSH goes home with the bride (guests play for prizes on top), you take the credit.