Always an aspect of any Bachelor’s party that may be commonly overlooked is the thank-you notes and gifts to guests after the event. These have actually started to become popularized over the past decade and have always been a common gesture at weddings, bridal showers and the like. Along with the thank you gift, ensure each guest is individually recognized with his or her name printed on a tag attached to each gift. As well, include the Groom’s/Bride’s name and of course, the event’s date. It always says something when you thank your guests with a small memorabilia. As an added bonus, the thank-you gift is guaranteed to be something attendees would always remember your event by. Here are a few gifting suggestions:

Boys’ night in? Give several photos (framed) of particular past events he and the groom shared that was very memorable. I’m sure each of your buddies have a memorable moment captured in a photo of a particular time they’ve shared with the groom and what better way but to place that memorable moment – be if funny, serious, a club night, etc. – in a photo and frame they can keep permanently. Photos can be found and printed off your online social networking sites like Facebook and My Space. To give it that personal (and creative) touch, add some details; perhaps add text that describes the photo itself and/or when it was taken.

Maybe the above suggestion is too touchy-feely for the type of bachelor/bachelorette party you are hosting. That’s fine! Give a funny gift that is part of your group of friends’ inside jokes or something that will make your guests laugh at. After all, the bachelor/bachelorette party should be something memorable, so why not give the gift of laughter as a final remembrance for your guests? As mentioned, it could resemble an inside joke, a place where your group has been or anything that will really get your friends going as it reflects something between you and your friends.

You could always go in a somewhat simpler direction and give a gift that goes hand-and-hand with the bachelor’s theme. Bachelorette parties in recent times hold themes such as: Moulin Rouge, Tiffany & Co., and Diva parties. Try to get your guests something like a jewelry piece if it’s a Tiffany & Co. theme or if your Bachelor party were a sports event, a jersey or coffee mug featuring the Groom’s favorite team logo would work perfectly (note: you can get these specially made). Whatever the theme, make a list of possible gift ideas you could find that fit the party’s direction and consider the main ideas behind the theme to best fit its profile. Just a thought: if you buy in bulk, you’re sure to earn several discounts on gift prices!

Another gift idea that’s rising-in-popularity are thank you gifts that go to charity. You could hand out thank you cards, which include a small note inside to communicate that a certain amount was donated under his/her (guest’s name) name to a charity of your choice. What’s good about doing this is that it eliminates looking for particular items that go with your party’s theme, it eliminates the possibility of having extra gifts at the end of the night and finally, each donation can be made in a dollar amount of your choice all while supporting a great cause!

 They do everything together; vacationing, outings, the whole nine.  Why not plan the perfect Jack and Jill party for the pair who is always in sync?  Let’s not confuse this with the engagement party.  After all, the engagement party primarily involves each family in commemorating the couple’s engagement; it’s a meet-and-greet for both families and ultimately, it’s about parents welcoming a future son or daughter-in-law.  The engagement gathering is the official annunciation of the wedding.  But unlike the engagement party, the Jack and Jill is more relaxed; it can involve family, but it is mostly the couple’s friends who plan such a gathering for the soon-to-be spouses! 

Unlike your typical bachelor or bachelorette, the Jack and Jill is shared between the couple!  But like a bachelor/bachelorette, the event is to raise money for the wedding.  That being said, the last few blog posts about suggested bachelor party ideas can be considered, but of course, the bride’s input should count too.  I mean, if she likes sports as does her groom-to-be, then a night out to a sports bar could work… but the message here is that both men and women need to be enticed in the party’s direction.

 First thing you need to consider are guest numbers.  This will be an event with double the amount of people when you think about it; both the bride’s and the groom’s friends will be invited!  You will want to consider a venue that can accommodate up to 40+ guests.  Also, you may want to consider jack and jill tickets specially designed for the kind of event with the focus on it being a bit more formalized than your typical stag or stagette since both the bride and groom will be involved.  Make it clear that this event will not be your typical ‘wild party’ in celebrating singleton, but rather a time to celebrate with friends and share in many memories before the couple says ‘I do.’

Just because it’s not a guys’ night out, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun!  There are a wide range of themes that are associated with Jack and Jill parties such as a Western Theme, Moulin Rouge, and many more that are exciting for both men and women and at the same time aren’t too overly extravagant.  Consider raffles and prizes.  An idea would be to attach a perforated raffle ticket with a number to each invitation.  If there are any business owners in your group of friends, suggest they donate gift baskets from their companies for the giveaway.  Holding a mini auction to auction-off some of the donated gift baskets are a great way to raise money for the bride and groom.  Another money-raising idea (and quite fun, too!) is to have guests purchase game tickets or coupons upon entering (which you can have specially designed for the type of event).  Include several activities sectioned off in different areas of the venue and each guest would need to purchase game coupons/tickets in order to participate!

 Overall, the Stag and Stagette is meant for the couple – as the team they were always meant to be – to raise money in an innovative way for their wedding and new life together.  A recommendation for this special event (since it is more formal) would be to provide Thank You gifts/cards for each guest/family as a way to thank them for attending and giving their support.