Bachelorette Party, free online invitations
The bachelorette party is usually planned by the maid of honor, but any close friend can play hostess. Ask the bride to give you a guest list; it should include all the women in the wedding party and any additional close friends the bride would like to be there. Etiquette even allows inviting guests who aren't on the wedding invite list, but this can be tricky territory, and besides, keeping it a tight group (say, 10 or fewer) makes the party much simpler to coordinate. That said, if the bride and her mother are close, you could ask the bachelorette's mom (and, if you like, even her future mother-in-law) to come for part of the evening; for example, they might join you for dinner but go home before you trip the light fantastic at the clubs. The party usually takes place a week to three months before the wedding, but the only hard-and-fast rule is not to throw it the night before. That's usually reserved for the rehearsal dinner anyway, but even if that night's free, brides typically want to stay out till late and indulge for their bachelorette parties — not ideal wedding eve activities. If the bride's closest friends all live across the country, you might have the party the night before the rehearsal dinner, but otherwise, it's often better to schedule it at least a few weeks prior to the wedding date to give both the bachelorette and her guests a break between wedding celebrations, especially if you're planning a weekend trip. If the bride is nervous about the bachelor party, consider planning the bachelorette for the same night to keep her too busy having fun to worry about what her future spouse is up to. Send out an invitation at least a month in advance to give guests time to plan to be there — even longer if it's a weekend away. And since everyone chips in on the price of the party, specify right on the invitation how much those who attend will be expected to contribute.