Bachelor Party Ideas

You're the best man, the groom's old buddy, his lifelong pal. This should be your one chance to throw him the bash of a lifetime – don't screw it up! But where to begin? Here are some bachelor party ideas to get you started on planning a night he'll never forget.

Strippers and Strip Clubs

Inevitably, at least one person in the group will insist that it's not really a bachelor party unless naked women are involved. But don't let his voice be the deciding factor. Talk to the groom and see how he feels about it – after all, he's the one who has to face the bride. If he doesn't want strippers, don't force them on him. It won't be any fun if the groom hates it, and it especially won't be fun to explain to everyone that there won't be a wedding because the bride thinks the groom broke her trust (and really you were the one responsible.)

If the groom does want strippers, then you are faced with the decision of having strippers come to you, or to go out to a strip bar. On the one hand, you'll get more undivided attention, and less overhead costs. On the other hand, a strip club will ensure that you won't have to wait around for the dancers, other people will be responsible for attending to all the details, and you'll get the camaraderie and energy of a club setting. And, since it is public, it may be easier to convince the bride that nothing bad will happen. (Don't forget to bring a supply of singles to tip the dancers!)

I also advise that you do a mix of activities – perhaps dinner or a poker party followed by going to a strip club. This way, any guys who aren't as comfortable can still participate in the bachelor party, and go home before the naked ladies get involved.

A Bachelor Party for the Sports Lover

Sports will always be a great male-bonding activity. Why not organize a big tournament? You could print up tee-shirts saying "I survived Joe's Bachelor Party Golf Tournament and Bacchanalia" (in different colors to denote teams of course.) Remember that a thirst-quenching after party is an important part of any tournament. Some good organized sports for bachelor parties include:

• Tennis
  
• Basketball
  
• Baseball
  
• Football
  
• Volleyball
  
• Soccer
  
• Golf

If the groom and his friends aren't so athletic, you can also organize tickets for everyone to see the big game. Make it more fun by tailgating, organizing a post-game pub crawl, and/or getting the stadium to put the groom's name up on the scoreboard.

An Outdoorsy Bachelor Party

Picture it: surviving in the woods, hanging out with your buds, and attempting some potentially death-defying feats, all while drinking lots of beer. Rather than going the oh-so been there, done that route of a strip-club bachelor party, test the groom's limits in a different way with outdoors activities like camping, climbing and hiking, whitewater rafting, wakeboarding, dirt biking, parasailing, skydiving, hang gliding, bungee jumping, skiing, snowboarding, hunting and fishing. At the end of a jam-packed day, don't forget to sit around the bonfire and share embarrassing stories about the groom's ex-girlfriends and college adventures.

Click here to read about throwing a Las Vegas bachelor party, steakhouses, cigars, and co-ed parties