Bachelor Parties: A Guide for Your Groomsmen

Long gone are the days when a bachelor party was strictly about drinking and taking in a show at the local strip club. Guys are planning weekend excursions where they can hang out, gamble or partake in their favorite pastime. If your groom's groomsmen, aren't sure how to start planning a bachelor party they'll never forget, send them the link to this article for tips on where to go, who to invite and what to do.

The Guest List

The bachelor party began as a gentlemen's party: A civilized evening of drawing-room drinking, smoking, and toasting to the bride's health. Boy, have things changed. While most of today's bachelor parties have ditched the civilized bit in favor of a raunchy night on the town, the list of attendees has stayed the same. The best man throws the shindig and invites friends and relatives of the groom, usually male-only. The only caveats: The list shouldn't include 100 of the groom's closest friends, nor should it include people who don't get along.

Pick the Location

Bachelor parties can take place almost anywhere. The typical bachelor party usually involves some combination of the following: booze, strippers, gambling (maybe not in that order). But, the trend these days is toward old-fashioned guyness -- a weekend spent bonding in the woods, for example. Others plan high-adrenaline adventures such as white-water rafting, skydiving, or rock climbing. Tamer bachelor parties might involve a weekend in Atlantic City gambling, a round of golf and a nice steak dinner, or a fancy night at a cigar bar. Of course, weekend trips involve travel and related expenses. If time is of the essence or all parties involved are on a budget, then a local bar, a hotel room, or the best man's apartment are fine bachelor party locales.