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My Simple Bachelorette Party: Ideas to Inspire a Zero Waste Bride

Weddings

Last Updated on June 24, 2024

Take a peek at my simple bachelorette party ideas to see how I pulled off a sustainable bachelorette party! Even though my hen party was a long time ago, I have had several requests for my top DIY bachelorette party ideas and all my eco friendly decorations — because throwing a zero waste party can feel impossible.

These zero waste bachelorette party ideas will show you what I did for my own party, as well as provide you with a springboard for throwing your own party with sustainable party decor and activities. These unique and DIY bachelorette party ideas keep all the fun of a bachelorette without all of the waste. We went out to sustainable locations so we didn’t even have to worry about too many eco friendly party decorations — we were just able to focus on fun!

Simple bachelorette party ideas: champagne being poured into a glass with overlay text reading "tips for a zero waste eco-friendly bachelorette party"

simple bachelorette party ideas

The party planning was completely out of my control, but my two best friends were in charge! I wasn’t worried about trash for one second. 

When you have awesome friends, they respect you and your lifestyle choices. All I wanted was a fun night out to celebrate our friendship! Seriously, they are THE best and didn’t disappoint with their fun yet simple bachelorette party ideas that kept our party sustainable.

Since I got married at the courthouse, I knew I wasn’t actually going to have bridesmaids. But, just because you have a simple wedding doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all of the fun.

An e-invite is a great DIY bachelorette party idea to save money and reduce waste

simple bachelorette party ideas

Simple often equals sustainable! Weird, right? It actually makes a lot of sense that simple parties produce less waste. But, people often try to pull off huge, extravagant, Instagram-worthy parties and keep them sustainable.

Wanna know what’s much more eco friendly? These simple bachelorette party ideas that cut out all of the unnecessary extravagance.

opt to rent

When I went wedding dress shopping, I fell in LOVE with a white jumpsuit. I was so torn between the jumpsuit and a dress. I wound up going with a dress, but I continued to lust after the jumpsuit.

All sorts of crazy thoughts ran through my head… “What if I changed into a jumpsuit for the reception? What if I got a jumpsuit for the cake? Or the honeymoon?”

And, I have to admit, I still really, really want a jumpsuit.

A rented jumpsuit for a zero waste bachelorette party

I was browsing Rent the Runway when I stumbled upon the PERFECT blush jumpsuit. The clouds opened, and I could hear heaven’s angels sing, “Ahhhhh.

I knew I had to rent it.

Unfortunately, it arrived in a plastic garment bag. I was pretty crushed. I’m not sure if I’ll rent from them again. But, I did LOVE the jumpsuit. It fit almost perfectly, and it was amazing for the evening.

I still think renting an outfit is better than buying, and it’s a good option if you tire of clothing easily. 

make it a whole-day affair

So, let me set the scene…

Saturday morning, I was whisked away wearing no makeup, jeans, and a white tank top. Danielle took me to the BART, where we hopped on and rode it all the way to SF. When we got out, we were surrounded by the March for Science on Earth Day. 

That’s right! How fitting. My bachelorette party fell on Earth Day. We watched and supported the marchers for a while before heading into my favorite zero waste store… you guessed it: Credo. 

A woman shopping at Credo for eco friendly party decorations

I bought some makeup for the wedding and for the evening. 

Then we found our hotel. We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake, and it was so lovely!!! You can see my Klean Kanteen on the counter. Carrying your own water minimizes single-use waste!

Photo of the Sir Francis Drake hotel with a Kleen Canteen on the counter for a fun, sustainable party decor on the go.

sustainable party decor

Ali had been up in the room decorating with sustainable party decor. Compostable crepe paper lined the ceilings, and she put together a killer playlist. I have to admit — being in musical theatre, my musical tastes are a little obscure. But, she nailed it. 

And we got to sing “Take Me or Leave Me” in perfect harmony… one of the highlights of my evening. 

We got dressed and drank lots of champagne in reusable champagne flutes. The hotel sent up a fruit platter all on reusables! I was also given several gifts. Danielle did an excellent job of sourcing classy, made-in-the-USA goods from Etsy. 

unique and diy bachelorette party ideas

An easy tweak to make your bachelorette party unique is to change up your verbiage! I made it clear that I wanted to call it a hen party because I think that sounds much classier than a bachelorette party. 

It also allows for different types of apparel and accessories than the typical bachelorette supplies. While we stuck to some basics (hello, crown and sash!), we also got unique items that were usable later on.

Focusing on sustainability means you can come up with some really unique or even DIY bachelorette party ideas that can last beyond the night.

I got the most amazing crown, which I will wear for literally any event I can get away with — including my backyard BBQ. Plus, I can also wear it for every birthday. 

I was also presented with the most beautiful sash that said, “Bride to Be.” I pinned it with the stinkin’ cutest little hen pins. We also got screen printed hen party cloth napkins! 

We opted not to do t-shirts. I think we all knew we would never wear them again. However, I love to wear my hen pin on all sorts of cardigans. 

Customized enamel pins and handkerchiefs as part of sustainable party decor for a hen party

evening activities

Then we kicked the night off with a Lyft to Asia SF where we partied for a while in the downstairs club.

Eventually, we made it upstairs where they served dinner, cocktails, and a burlesque-ish style show. It was SO much fun. 

Simple bachelorette party ideas at Asia SF, a club in San Francisco

After the show, we headed to the Speakeasy for the after party. Ali is an actor in the speakeasy show, so we got the hookups! I mostly spent my time at the blackjack table perfecting ways to count cards with the dealer. 

I had so much fun playing cards!! It was another highlight of the evening. 

At both places, we never had to worry about disposables. Even the restaurant had cloth napkins! They really took everything into consideration when booking the event. 

We got back pretty late from the Speakeasy, but we hit up the rooftop bar at the hotel for another drink before heading to bed. 

woman and blackjack dealer posing with eco friendly party decorations.

It was the most perfect zero waste bachelorette party I could have asked for. 

tips for planning a zero waste bachelorette party

1. take it easy on the favors

It’s a lot of fun to have little trinkets that are memorable and special. But, keep them to a minimum so they will be special. No one needs penis-shaped straws and wine charms. No one will use those again, and I encourage you to think outside the box with your bachelorette party ideas. 

If you really want some sort of penis-shaped something, I would do it in the form of a cake. You get the gag and then it can be eaten. Yum! 

I would even be skeptical of getting t-shirts. Will you really wear those again? 

2. keep it simple

There’s no reason to go overboard. A few eco friendly party decorations here and there, plus a few of your favorite people, are all you need. You can feel super special just being surrounded by those you love. I had the best night because my friends are so awesome. 

There was no need to fly half away around the world. And there was no need for lots of gag gifts and decorations that would only be thrown away the next day. 

3. plan ahead 

My bridesmaids double checked every place we were going to go for reusables. Yelp is a great way to check out menus and dishware at your next stop. 

Always make sure to confirm the place has reusables before booking! 

faqs about eco friendly bachelorette parties

what are your go-to eco friendly party decorations?

Confetti and paper decorations are perfect examples of classic party decorations that are typically made of plastic. However, you can find biodegradable confetti and rice paper decorations at decent prices to achieve the same look. As mentioned above, compostable crepe paper and streamers also exist!

Other ideas could include solar powered lighting, fresh flowers, or a homemade pinata!

what are other unique bachelorette party ideas that can be done sustainably?

Focus on activities rather than ‘stuff.’ A yoga retreat, pottery making, or wine tasting can make an amazing hen party memorable without creating a lot of trash.

Keep in mind the hobbies, tastes, and preferences of the bride-to-be. It’s easy to find sustainable activities to do with them that don’t require plastic twisty straws or penis confetti that will just end up in landfills.

how do you throw a hen party on a budget?

I think these simple bachelorette party ideas absolutely keep the cost low when compared to flights to Vegas, tons of alcohol, obscene gag gifts, matching tee-shirts, and gaudy jewelry.

While we did go to a club and enjoy some champagne, we were sure not to go overboard and opted for places that don’t do disposables! If you want to party on a budget, keeping it simple and sustainable is the way to go!

traditionally, who pays for a bachelorette party?

Traditionally, the cost is split among the attendees, and they often cover the cost of the bride as well. My hen party was small, with just the 3 of us, and simple anyway. So while they treated me to a few things, I paid for a lot of my own things because that’s just how I felt right doing it.

The key to keeping everyone happy and meeting expectations is to communicate clearly right from the start so no one gets surprised by an unexpected bill!


Most importantly, HAVE FUN! 

Unexpected trash can always happen but just roll with it. You can’t plan for everything in life. 

I had the best party and I can’t thank my friends enough. They are the absolute best. I met Ali while doing Midsummer Night’s Dream my first year in CA, and I met Danielle through blogging!! 

Life is crazy and wonderful. 

If either of you are reading this post right now, thank you so much for making my hen party amazing! I will remember this night of awesomeness forever. I love you both so much.

Hugs and kisses,

KK 


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  1. Looks and sounds like you had an amazing hen party. Love how your friends were even able to support your lifestyle in their choices for your party too.