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I don’t have bridesmaids or a maid of honor, but I was lucky enough that a close friend of mine from law school stepped up to plan my bachelorette party in Chicago. I can imagine how complicated it is to coordinate something like this, so I was really touched by her interest and initiative. I’m so excited for what promises to be a great weekend among close friends.
Since she’s not from the area, she asked for my suggestions on things to do. We’re looking for things to do (1) Saturday afternoon, (2) Saturday evening, and (3) Sunday morning/afternoon. There are so many ideas I have in mind: mani/pedis, dinner, dancing at a club/lounge, brunch, shopping, etc, but I love hearing from other Chicago city-dwellers. Any ideas or suggestions from Chicago girls would be greatly appreciated!
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What month? Will it be warm? Because then I would say rent a trolley and go bar hopping. You have to go to Violet Hour!!! Actually, the best bachelorette party that I have been to was a private party at G Boutique (not safe for work! http://boutiqueg.com/) We brought in food and drinks and were given a tour of the store and a… um… lesson. It was hilarious, my stomach hurt from laughing. Then we took cabs to Reserve.
There are people in Chicago who do strip tease lessons, so if you are getting a hotel for the night, that would be fun. Pedis/manis are a cheap option for everyone to sit and gossip. Shopping on Damen (Bucktown), Armitage and Halsted, or downtown is always great for girls.
Dinner: Carnivale, Rose Angelis, Sola
I think it’s strange beauty show that will a makeover (hair and makeup) for everyone before you go out. The you could do the Kit Kat Klub for a show or just go downtown and do the dancing/lounge scene.
I would definately spend an afternoon/late morning shopping in my ‘hood — Lincoln Park. Start out with brunch at John’s Place (Webster and Racine), followed by a MUST stop for cupcakes at Sweet Mandy B’s, then hit the boutiques along the Wesbster-Halsted-Armitage triangle. Other dining options that are good include Tillie’s and the new P.J. Clarke’s on Armitage (the upstairs is much nicer than the bar area downstairs). This web site is good for the shopping overview: http://www.armitageshopping.com/
Fun! As a former Windy City gal, here are my suggestions:
- chocolate fondue at Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge (conveniently located throughout the city!).
- purse making party (there was just a post on this) at the 1154 Lill Studio on Armitage. W/enough girls, you can reserve part or all of the private room upstairs PLUS the person who organizes the party will get a discount based on the number of purses made by the rest of the gals.
- dance/striptease lesson at All About Dance (they are GREAT): http://www.allaboutdance.org
- dinner out at the Melting Pot or, for somewhere a little more off the beaten path, A La Turka (live bellydancing on the weekends! It’s on Lincoln Ave. near Ashland).
- Howl at the Moon (dueling piano bar) is a great place for bachelorettes, although you’ll be one of many in the room. But it’s a place where you can drink a lot OR have a blast without a drop of alcohol.
- I think the best brunch in town can be found at Uncommon Ground at Clark/Grace. Orange is a city fave but the wait can take too long.
Ooooh, have fun Miss Jasmine! I just got married and moved to Milwaukee this past fall, so I still have lots of vivid memories of Chicago. Greatest city in America…
I planned my sister’s bachelorette party here in Chi-town and it was soooo much fun. First we rented a suite at the James hotel. Had the girls meet there and open gifts and start with a cosmo or two. Then we headed over to the Wildfire. What’s nice about the Wildfire is that you can plan a 5 course menu for $25 per gal. Then everyone can pitch in for bottles of wine. Then we headed over to the Baton club. It is a Drag Cabaret. I made reservations in advance so we can get prime seating in the front. (it was so fun to see our mom get into handing over $ bills to a drag queen.) Next stop was to the Hangge Uppe (open till 5) This place is always packed from midnight on. Most of the gals stayed out late, but the ones who wanted to turn in early just headed back to the suite and crashed. When we woke up the next morning we went out for a hangover breakfast. SOOOOO much to do in chicago.
Well, don’t you have perfect timing? My bm’s and I just last week confirmed that my bachelorette weekend will be March 7-9 in Chicago - and Miss Peacock, thanks to you, the Violet Hour was first on my short list of requests!!! 
And after Miss Penguin’s post yesterday, 1154 LILL was also added to the list. I need more ideas though, so I was thrilled to see this post this morning. I’m so excited - all of my girls but one live out of town now, but three of them used to live here, so it will be like a Chicago girly reunion!
I just helped out with my friend’s bachelorette party in Chicago this past weekend. It was lots of fun (despite the freeeeeezing cold temps!). We had a suite at the Sheraton (at columbus and Illinois), and for going out on Sat night, went through a company called VIP Bachelorette ~ http://www.vipbachelorette.net/ We had a package that for $20 got us into 3 clubs without cover or waiting in line (though lines weren’t that much of a problem with the weather) and included things like free champagne and shots at the clubs. I’d recommend using this service, they were really helpful and we got TONS of free alcohol at the clubs!
As for specifics of what we did - Sat included breakfast at West Egg Cafe, then seeing 27 dresses, then meeting up at the hotel suite for a lingerie party game, pregaming, and snacks. Then we went to Cafe Iberico for dinner (tapas) and then to the clubs at Rush and Division - specifically, Bar Chicago, Funk, and Leg Room.
Hopefully it will be warmer at your party, so you could always do some shopping on Mich ave instead of the movie. All of these recommendations are in the downtown area - it kind of helps to narrow down the location, but you could also check out the fun stuff in the neighborhoods mentioned above. There’s so much stuff in Chicago, and I agree it can be overwhelming to plan - but the plus side is that you have tons of options and are bound to have a great time
KitKat Club is soooo fun and perfect for the occasion.
Obviously you could hit all of the bars at night. A limo would be a good way to go if it’s cold, or trolley if it’s warm (like already mentioned).
have you thought about Baton Lounge? I’ve gone there a few times for b-parties.
Personally, we did a dinner/cocktails at Minis, then did some bar hopping. My friends originally were thinking of a spa day, but it could be pricey and I didn’t want to have any friends left out because of that (or felt obligated to pay).
Another fun thing is tapas for dinner. The one on Fullerton can be pretty fun (did that for my BF awhile back) and sangria is oh so good and a great way to start the night!
For Sunday, you could always hit up great brunch places (all over the city) and then shopping and I second making a stop at Ethel’s for hot chocoloate in their lounges (again, all over). However, if you do hit Ethel’s, and want some fun, secluded girl time, stay away from the MI Ave location. It’s pretty open and not too private. I think the Armitage one has separate rooms and the Evanston one is nice.
Hands on cooking classes are also fun for bachelorette parties, tho a bit pricey ~$100 pp! I recently went to Sur La Table (off of Michigan Ave) for a bachelorette party - it’s BYOB and the dinner menu was sooo yummy!
Ohhh I just went to the Baton Club last week! It was a riot, hahaha.
I went to one in Chicago in which we went on the lake michigan boats at navy pier. There’s dinner and dancing. Plus, you cant beat the views of the sky line!
Great recommendations so far!
If your party is in the spring, check out http://www.architecture.org for the river cruise tour. We did this for a girls weekend a few years ago and it was a fantastic way to see the city and learn a little history while you’re at it. I’ve also done one of their walking tours and while educational, it’s not as fun as the cruise and might be a drag for a bachelorette weekend.
The Original Billy Goat Tavern of Saturday Night Live fame is a fun dive bar and a great place for a greasy hang-over lunch. If girls in your party don’t know the SNL skit it might not be as fun because then it’s just a random dive bar :=)
I think http://www.millenniumpark.org is worth a visit they have skating in winter and other events when it’s warm and at the very least lots of fun photo ops.
I know you’re going to be at the clubs on Saturday night but if any one gets there Friday and wants something to do I highly recommend Second City’s mainstage. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life and they have bar service during the show.
I am going to Chicago for my bachelorette party in July or August….your post has answered questions I didn’t even think I had! Thanks so much!
Thank you all for your suggestions and recommendations— you are all so wonderful! I’m so excited for the weekend and will let all of you know what we end up doing!
Definitely look look into this place.
Flirty Girl Fitness
http://www.flirtygirlfitness.com/
Basic Package
$50 per person minimum of 12 people
One of our amazing instructors will lead your group through one (1) hour of sexy dance instruction. Choose from Pole Dancing, Lap Dancing, Striptease, Chair Striptease, Belly Dancing, Video Vixen, Burlesque or Coyote Ugly Bar Dancing.
I just read all the comments and love all the suggestions!
My bachelorette party was in Chicago and was had such a great time! As a bride I was so happy with how the weekend turned out.
We started out Saturday morning by going to my sister’s place for a group cooking lesson from Cook From Scratch (www.cookfromscratch.com/). That was my first cooking lesson done in someone’s home and it was so much more relaxed than being at a facility like the Chopping Block.
We rented a suite from the former House of Blues hotel (now Hotel Sax) and I would definitely recommend it.
Then we did dinner at Sangria on Weed street. I think tapas is great for a large group dinner because it’s all small plates and it’s easy to order and pass food around.
We went to many bars afterwards, including the Redhead Piano Bar (I am a redhead) and also went to Hogs ‘n Honey’s (www.hogsandhoneys.com). I would not go here on a regular night but it is perfect for a bachelorette. We all rode the mechanical bull and we got a lot of attention from the crowd which was fun!
You cannot go wrong in Chicago! Everyone will have a great time!
I saw a pretty good site for bachelor parties and a lot of the restaurants are good for bachelorette parties. All in Chicago.
I saw a good place for bachelor and bachelorette parties online. It’s all just free info but it was helpful.
I am a maid of honor and am throwing my friend’s bachelorette party in Chicago. Everyone’s idea are GREAT!!! I have one question, who can I contact to find out about renting trolleys?
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Mrs. Jasmine, Chicago/LA
Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Attorney
Engagement Date: March 24, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: September 20, 2007
Venue: Hotel on the westside of Los Angeles
About Me: I'm a happy-go-lucky, imaginative spirit trapped in the body of a lawyer. I love reading, shopping, dining out, and exploring my beloved adopted city of Chicago with my fiance. We're planning the wedding of our dreams in my hometown of Los Angeles and we're excited to incorporate our cherished Indian/Pakistani customs and traditions.
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