Southern bachelorette | Ultimate Bridesmaid

I recently celebrated my bachelorette weekend in Charleston with my best girls and I am still buzzing with excitement. It was absolutely the perfect bachelorette for me, full of relaxing beach walks, classy specialty cocktails, delicious Southern cuisine, a little bit of dancing and hours talking and laughing with the ladies I love most. You can find my complete list of recommendations for a Charleston bachelorette at the bottom of this post.

The Details
I met up with my MOH Meryl and bridesmaid Michele at the Charleston airport Thursday evening and we headed straight to dinner at Leon’s Oyster Shop, a cool, eclectic space downtown that specializes in oysters and fried chicken. After a delicious meal, we made a pit stop at the grocery store to stock up on the essentials—aka copious amounts of wine, an entire watermelon, and breakfast foods—while we waited for the rest of the ladies to arrive. (Side note: We ran into what was clearly a bachelor party on the boy version of our grocery trip, filling one cart with beer and a second with canned chili.) Our home for the weekend was the Wild Dunes resort on the Isle of Palms. Meryl’s aunt and uncle own a three-bedroom beach cottage there and were so, so generous to offer to let us use it. It was absolutely perfect—gorgeously decorated in beach-chic blues and whites and the perfect size for our group. They even had party cups and a stuffed shark to act as our weekend mascot!

Meryl put together adorable Charleston-themed gift bags for all the guests and Michele was almost instantly dubbed art director for the weekend when I found her artfully arranging the items for a photo. And she did an amazing job styling our photos for the rest of the weekend! Personalized cup in the sand? Her idea. Constantly shifting us around to get good light? She was on it. Though assistant art director Lexy is responsible for the sand writing 🙂

Friday morning, after sleeping off way too much wine, the girls made an amazing breakfast at home and we headed out to the beach for a stroll, followed by pool drinks and snacks at the Wild Dunes Grand Pavilion. It was just a little bit too chilly for sunbathing or swimming, but it was still lovely and the perfect time to catch up, which is just one of the best parts of a bachelorette weekend. Fellow bride Jae and I got to compare notes on our upcoming weddings. I’m pretty in awe of her—she planned her wedding in four months whereas I will be coming up on a year of planning! Definitely more to come from her summer wedding soon!

After a very important power nap (what, we’re old!), we started the evening at Poogan’s Porch, which serves modern twists on Southern classics (I had the crab and shrimp linguini because, hi, learned my lesson from wine on night one: carbs needed!). All of Meryl’s restaurant choices and the schedule she planned for the weekend were amazing and spot-on me. This is probably the only vacation I’ve ever taken in my life where I haven’t planned one thing, Yelped one restaurant or pulled up Google Maps once in a fit of “where the heck do we go next.” It was heaven! Next, we had drinks on the roof of the Vendue and then headed to Trio for some dancing, where the DJ was spinning 90s jams as if he knew we’d be there (plus, JT’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” because I’m obsessed right now).

Saturday was my bridal shower brunch, and beforehand my friends planned a scavenger hunt for me in our beach house. Each clue was written by my bridesmaid Amanda, who is the queen of cute poetry and emoji usage—she created the poems for our popular wine basket shower gift. The clues led me to the shower gifts, which were all travel-themed, referencing places Andrew and I have visited together. The last clue led to my shower, hosted by my amazingly generous friend Nichole, in the back garden of Eli’s Table in Charleston, where we enjoyed a hearty brunch and some much-needed mimosas in the Charleston sunshine. I was so touched by the thought that everyone put into the shower—it was so personalized to Andrew and I and resulted in me making many silly faces while opening my gifts!

After our outdoor brunch, we were in need of a little AC time. Luckily, Nichole had wisely made a midday reservation at The Gin Joint. Because what’s the best thing to do after you finish two pitchers of mimosas? Have a specialty cocktail, duh! The Gin Joint makes cocktails for you based on a selection of words on the menu, so I asked for a “fizzy and refreshing” drink and received an awesome combo of gin, muddled strawberries, lime and ginger beer. Maybe one of my favorite spots we stopped in Charleston!

Next, we took a stroll along the waterfront of downtown Charleston and through the historic quarter to get a look at Charleston’s rainbow-colored homes. The city really has so much charm and there’s a gorgeous garden or wrought-iron gate around every corner. To end our weekend, we headed over to nearby Sullivan Island for a dinner of wood-fired pizzas and on-tap cocktails at the Obstinate Daughter. I cannot believe how fast the weekend flew by, and I already miss my girls. But I’m even more excited for my wedding this October!

My Bachelorette Guide to Charleston

Stay
Wild Dunes: We were lucky enough to have access to a house, but Wild Dunes has tons of vacation rental properties as well. The beachfront community has tons of pools, a golf course, tennis, dining—it’s a really wonderful home base with a lot of Charleston charm.

Eat & Drink
There are so many amazing restaurants in Charleston—you can hardly go wrong. We loved:

Modern twists on Southern classics in a historic Charleston home at Poogan’s Porch. Try the shrimp and grits and the fried green tomatoes.
Brunch in the back garden of Eli’s Table. Their hearty meals and pitchers of mimosas are perfect the day after a night out.
Fresh oysters and fried chicken at Leon’s Oyster Shop. We loved the eclectic vibe of this joint.
Wood-fired pizzas at Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan’s Island. Try the Old Danger pizza topped with pancetta, mozzarella, a white sauce and a farm egg and one of their cocktails on tap.
With creative cocktails like The Studmuffin and The Debutante, The Gin Joint makes for a perfect happy hour stop. We especially loved the “bartender’s choice” option.

Wear
My bridal shower look: Dress | Shoes

Thank you a thousand times…
Meryl Dann: COO/Team Captain | Michele Fogel: Art Director | Amanda Leith: Creative Director | Jae Haley: Stylist | Lexy Harrison: Medical Advisor/Asst. Art Director | Nichole “If You Won’t Do It, I Will” Burnap: Chief Instigator

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).

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