If bright lights, cocktails, and the appearance of a surprise mystery guest leave you feeling less than inspired by the typical bachelorette party, don’t worry. There are plenty of other ways for you and your girlfriends to celebrate!

Indulge in a Day at the Spa

Everyone knows that planning a wedding can be exhausting and stressful. Combine a bachelorette party with some much-needed relaxation and you’ve got a winning event! Many spas supply a light lunch, dessert, and wine, and are happy to offer a discounted group price. As an added bonus, you and your bridesmaids will look and feel wonderful on the big day!

Rent a Cabin or Timeshare
Pick a great nearby destination and make it a bachelorette mini-vacation. Even if it’s only for one night, a quick girls-only escape from the chaos of wedding planning can be a wonderfully relaxing way to decompress. Rent a cabin in the woods, a beach cottage, or a timeshare villa at a great resort. Discounted accommodations can be found on Airbnb.com or VRBO.com. If you decide on a timeshare in a prime location, be sure to book it as early as possible—they go fast!

Set Sail
If you live near a seaport, check out local “cruise to nowhere” deals. Many smaller cruise lines specialize in day or evening trips that take to the sea for several hours and bring you back home. They can be extremely inexpensive and offer food, live entertainment, dancing, and sometimes even casino fun all for one price.

If you don’t live near the ocean, check out sunset and dinner cruises on local lakes and rivers. They provide a nice meal or cocktails and most also feature live music. Group discounts are often available, too.

Amuse Yourselves
Looking for something fun and different? Try hitting your local amusement park! There’s one within a few hours’ drive of every metro area, and if it’s a larger park, booking a few rooms and staying overnight will only add to the fun. If hitting the park in the off-season, tickets and rooms can be had for deep discounts, too.

The goal of a bachelorette party is for the bride and her friends to have fun celebrating her pending nuptials—there are no hard and fast rules about where the party has to take place. Think outside the box and suggest something fitting to the bride’s lifestyle and her personality. She’ll be glad you did!

Photo by Special Operations.