Tag Archives: Forsyth Park

A Savannah Bachelorette Weekend Guide

Savannah has so much to offer as a bachelorette destination. The city has an almost ethereal charm, from the quaint oak-filled squares and colonial mansions to the scrumptious Southern cuisine and friendly locals. Below you’ll find our recommendations for a bachelorette weekend in Savannah packed with good food, gorgeous strolls and to-go cocktails (yep, you read that right).

A Savannah Bachelorette Weekend Guide: Where to stay, eat and drink and what to do for an epic bachelorette in SavannahA Savannah Bachelorette Weekend Guide: Where to stay, eat and drink and what to do for an epic bachelorette in SavannahA Savannah Bachelorette Weekend Guide: Where to stay, eat and drink and what to do for an epic bachelorette in Savannah

For classic upscale Southern elegance, we love the Gastonian. For the budget-conscious, the Hilton Garden Inn and DoubleTree are well placed near River Street and plenty of shopping and can serve as a good home base to explore the city. For more space and a bit of local character, opt for a home rental, like this modern townhouse apartment near Forsyth Park.

Explore the Downtown Design District for the perfect mix of eclectic boutiques and galleries. As the home of Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), it’s no surprise that Savannah’s shops are filled with unique jewelry, art and clothing from local designers.

Take a shopping break and savor a scoop of tutti frutti ice cream at Leopold’s, a Savannah institution. The classic soda counter has been serving up sundaes and cones for almost 100 years.

For a laid-back first night in the city, book a table at Moon River Brewing Company for casual pub food with a Southern twist. You may end up visiting an abandoned section of the brewery later if you happen to take a ghost tour…

Speaking of ghosts, we highly recommend booking a private ghost tour with Tara’s Tours. Savannah is known for being one of the most haunted cities in the country—almost every house has a resident ghoul and every local has a paranormal encounter to share. We recommend Tara’s Boos and Brews tour: Half bar crawl, half ghost tour, this is perfect for a bachelorette party. Take advantage of Savannah’s lack of open container laws by bringing along light-up to-go cups (yep, most bartenders will make you a drink in your own cup to go!).

End your first night at McDonough’s for all-night karaoke. May we suggest “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”?

Refuel after your night out by grabbing a table on the balcony at Huey’s on the River and ordering the crabcakes benedict with one of their famous Bloody Mary’s (plus a plate of pillowy beignets sprinkled in powdered sugar to share, of course).

Take a stroll. Savannah is an incredibly walkable city and the houses are arranged around lovely squares filled with trees and flowers. If you happen to be in the city at the beginning of April, do not miss the Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens.

Host a shower in Forsyth Park. The iconic fountain at the center of the park and romantic oaks dripping with Spanish moss is the perfect setting for a picnic shower.

A night out on River Street, the hub of Savannah nightlife, is a must. Start at the rooftop of the Bohemian Hotel for cocktails and tapas overlooking the river. If you’re feeling a little country line dancing, head to Saddle Bags (mechanical bull riding optional), or get your dance on at Club 309 West.

Photos courtesy of VisitSavannah. com. Images 1, 2, & 4 by Geoff L Johnson, image 3 by Dylan Wilson

Shower Suggestions: Savannah

For Marisa’s bridal shower, I wanted to take advantage of Savannah’s beauty. Forsyth Park, famous for its gorgeous moss-draped oaks and iconic fountain, seemed like the perfect location. I also liked the idea of a picnic because it would be casual and we wouldn’t be locked into a tight schedule with a restaurant reservation or feel rushed through a sit-down lunch (with a bill at the end). I think hosting a shower at someone’s house is always the best option because it’s more personal, but for a destination weekend this seemed like a great solution for creating a similar atmosphere. I asked girls who were driving up to bring camping chairs, blankets and folding tables. I had trouble finding a map of Forsyth Park to stake out a spot beforehand, but after a quick drive around the perimeter we settled somewhere near the middle of the park. We had views of the fountain and were under the trees, just like I wanted. The north park of the park has open fields and is less picturesque.

Theme: For a shower theme, we came up with “Stock the Closet.” Lingerie is a common theme, but I knew that wouldn’t fit Marisa’s personality. I’ve also seen showers focused on home goods, where each guest is assigned a room and asked to bring a gift that would go in that room. But since so many brides register for home goods, I didn’t want to do that either. I wanted the presents to focus on Marisa since the day was for her and I thought what girl doesn’t love clothes, jewelry, makeup and accessories? I was so impressed with scope of the gifts! There were tons of sundresses, earrings, and even a subscription to a site called Birchbox that sends monthly makeup samples so you can try new products.

I also decided that I wanted to have some kind of group gift for Marisa. I thought it would be a nice way to bring all the girls together. The idea I decided on was a friendship scrapbook. I really thought the weekend should be focused on friendship and girls. I asked each of the guests to buy a piece (or more) of 12×12 paper and put together a scrapbook page about their friendship with Marisa. I encouraged them to get creative and use as many or as few photos as they wanted. Some added captions or wrote silly poems. I bought an album and we just slid all the pages in before presenting it to Marisa. Not only was it an awesome remembrance of the weekend, but it was really fun for us to pass around at the shower. Not all the girls knew one another, so we were able to see pictures of Marisa from different eras, from middle school dances to recent nights out.

Refreshments: For food, I did a ton of research on catering in Savannah and settled on Thrive, A Carryout Cafe. Emma at Thrive was able to design a menu that fit my budget and also accommodated my requests for both gluten-free and vegetarian options. Thrive sources their ingredients locally and the lunch was delicious. Our hands-down favorite was the pesto pasta salad, which we all literally dug into with our hands later after a long night out on River Street.