Party Planning 101: How To Throw a Classic Cape Cod Bachelorette Party

This weekend, a group of girlfriends and I traveled to Boston and Cape Cod for a bachelorette party. While I can’t disclose all of the details of the trip (my mom reads these blogs), I wanted to share the details of our amazing lobster dinner at the bride’s parents’ home.

We stayed in the small town of Cotuit—which feels like it is straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. After a day of beaching and boating, we returned to the house to find a picture-perfect seafood dinner, complete with lobster bibs and a gingham tablecloth, waiting for us.

I grilled the mother of the bride and maid of honor on every detail of the party and meal in order to provide an easy tutorial for anyone who wants to emulate this amazing bachelorette party. Here’s what I learned:

1. Set the Scene

What I love about this party is that while you might not be able to travel to the Cape for the weekend, you can easily emulate it at home. Set up some picnic tables in the backyard and go to town. Mismatched chairs and a red-checkered tablecloth scream “New England.” I suggest this vinyl tablecloth from Coghlan’s. It’s cheap and easy to toss in the trash after the party. Next, load up the table with a bunch of white votive candles and silver bowls (for the shells, of course), and voila! The scene (and table) is set!

2. Don’t Forget the Details

The mother of the bride purchased lobster bibs that were so much fun to wear (order them here) during the party. I definitely suggest these for any sort of lobster bake, or any party in general because they are hilarious. The maid of honor also got in on the theme with super cute nautical-themed “Survival Kits” from Etsy, which included a cute cup, gum, bandaids and several hangover cures. Seriously adorable.

3. Drink Up

No bachelorette party would be complete without booze! Mix up a batch of Cape Codders, a preppy cocktail named for, you guessed it, Cape Cod! Mix two ounces of vodka and three ounces of cranberry juice in a Collins glass with ice. Add the juice from half a lime and top with club soda. Not a liquor girl? Sip on some brews from Cape Cod Beer, a brewery located in nearby Hyannis.

4. Get Cooking

We noshed on boiled lobster, crisp corn on the cob and baked potatoes at our bachelorette bash, and I highly suggest you do the same. Short on time? Martha Stewart offers an easy, one-pot recipe for all three! Check it out at this link. Several of the girls were unsure on how to properly open their lobsters, which was equal parts funny and frustrating. To amend this, I suggest printing out this awesome tutorial (via Pinterest) to leave on the plates of each guest with a little note. Problem solved!

5. Relax and Enjoy

Bachelorette parties, like all events leading up to a wedding, can be expensive and stressful, but this sophisticated meal was the perfect ending to a crazy weekend that was short on sleep but filled with laughs. Reflecting back on this weekend and my own wedding, my biggest piece of advice would be to enjoy every moment with your girlfriends. Whether you are throwing an intimate party or a Vegas banger, hanging out and laughing with your friends is seriously the best.

  • Survival kit photo: Julia Dallas-Feeney
  • Other photos: Laura Hibbs McKenzie

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