While cocktails in Vegas (or cocktails anywhere actually) are a popular way to celebrate bachelorette parties, there are all kinds of other unique and fun ways to enjoy time with the girls. Here are just a few fun ideas that encapsulate more than just a night of partying and drinking.
1) Start your bachelorette girl time with some high tea and yummy treats!
The Secret Garden Tea Company is a local favourite, located in Vancouver’s Kerrisdale neighbourhood. The warm, cozy atmosphere, delicious tea and delicate tea cups provide a beautiful setting for the ultimate girlfriend bonding experience. One of the owners, Kathy Wyder, says many bridal showers are conducted on site. You can bring your own décor and request your favourite tea blends to make your shower perfect. But if having a shower on site is not your “cup of tea,” The Secret Garden offers a “High Tea to Go” package with tea and a set menu of sweet and savory treats, so you can surprise the bride with a lovely tea party picnic, including the aunties and grandmothers, before the real bachelorette partying begins! www.secretgardentea.com
2) Indian head massage anyone?
Perhaps after tea and yummy delights, it’s time to head over to a spa your South Asian grandmother would envy. 4 Angels Beauty Care Inc. is a beauty salon located in downtown Vancouver that offers all kinds of beauty treatments. What makes this place so unique is that in addition to regular massage treatments and waxing services, 4 Angels offers uniquely South Asian services such as mehndi painting, sari wrapping and the Indian head massage treatment (with hair oils and that familiar “thup thup” sound that accompanies a proper head massage). All in comfortable, South Asian-inspired surroundings complete with relaxing music. www.4angelsbeautycare.com
3) Get yourselves locked into a gaming room, and then work together to escape it!
For a bachelorette treat that engages your mind and gives you a real adrenaline rush, check out Xcape Vancouver. Located in Richmond, Xcape offers “5-D entertainment” and virtual gaming adventures in the form of game rooms and clue finding. Imagine being locked in a room where you must find clues that Sherlock Holmes has left behind, in order to escape! Or perhaps you must find the vaccine to a virus, which is plaguing the world or collect the treasures hidden in a criminal’s studio. These are just some of the game rooms at Xcape Vancouver that require intelligence and teamwork in order to make your escape. You can choose the number of players, the level of difficulty and the room theme. www.xcapevancouver.com
4) Or...escape to the great outdoor
Escape rooms, though fun and exciting, are not for everyone. Some people want to escape to somewhere scenic and outdoorsy, in the midst of gorgeous British Columbia nature. Why not rent a houseboat and sail the Shuswap? Waterway Houseboats rents houseboats in a variety of sizes, outfitted with hot tubs and fireplaces. The gathering can be as relaxing and tranquil, or as party crazy, as the gals want it to be. www.waterwayhouseboats.com
5) Bring your inner artist to the party!
Paint Nite is an innovative company that brings the paints, and the artist, to a venue of your choice or to local venues that they recommend. The evening is about two hours long with a 20 minute break. You sit back, listen to the artist instruct, then sip wine and cocktails as you paint the night away. Paint Nite utilizes non-toxic paint (kid’s paint) so clean up is a breeze. They even bring their own music! You just need to bring your inner artist, some creativity and of course the bride-to-be. www.paintnite.com
6) But of course, there is also the night out.
For some, the High Tea, Indian head massages, house boating, game rooming and painting provide wonderful entertainment... but for them, a bachelorette party is just is not complete without the actual... party. There are so many fun pockets of night life and adventure in Vancouver that you can hardly make a mistake; however, a recent crowd pleaser is the newly minted night life of Gastown and Chinatown. Make it a cocktail and appetizer crawl, where girlfriends walk from restaurant to lounge and explore the neighbourhoods easily by foot. Start or end your night off at a cool new Chinatown restaurant, Mamie Taylor’s – an unpretentious, modern American tavern. Come down for the sexy ambiance, the great food and the modern cocktails (and not to mention really cute bartenders...I can personally attest to that). www.mamietaylors.ca