Planning a Bachelorette Party in Nashville

Nashville is quickly taking over as the bachelorette capital of the US with multiple groups of girls in matching tees flocking to Music City every weekend. I recently had the chance to attend a Nash Bash and I can completely understand why the city has gained so much popularity so quickly. Aside from its central location and major airport nearby, the city offers the perfect scene for both laid back girl's time and wild nights on Broadway.

Read on to find out how exactly how we spent an amazing long weekend in Nashville celebrating our bride to be!

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Where to Stay

Most bachelorette parties involve multiple ladies so finding a place that will accommodate everyone is key. We rented the most adorable Air Bnb for the weekend which was the perfect home base for our trip. Unfortunately, our listing isn't showing up any longer to link out for you guys but I highly recommend checking out Air Bnb to find a house that can fit your whole party. You'll end up saving a lot of money as opposed to booking multiple hotel rooms and you'll all be able to stay in the same spot which only adds to the fun.

Also, don't be afraid to book a place that isn't directly downtown. Our Air Bnb was located in a a subdivision outside the city in East Nashville and we were still only a short (and affordable) Uber ride from Broadway at night. The house was also a very centrally located to drive to other areas of the city to explore during the afternoon. Having your own kitchen is a huge plus and we stopped for groceries on our way into the city and were able to get enough food and drinks for the entire weekend to have a few meals at the house. Not only did this save us more cash, it was also a great way to kick off the weekend with a Mexican fiesta on Friday night while people were arriving and getting settled. By staying in, playing games, and enjoying the Air Bnb's hot tub, patio, and fireplace we had a relaxing first evening and were ready to hit the town on Saturday. 

If you're new to Air Bnb - click here to use my code for $4o off your first booking. 

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Sample 3-Day Itinerary 

Before I share more of the details from each activity, I thought it would be helpful to give you a brief rundown of our full weekend itinerary. When planning your Nash Bash, one thing to keep in mind is flexibility. With that many girls it takes longer to do just about anything so plan for extra time. We also had a general idea of where we wanted to head each day but were able to make changes depending on what we were feeling or stop in at new places that we stumbled upon. Also, keep in mind if you plan to spend time on Broadway you're likely going to have a later start the next day (at least we did LOL). 

Friday: 

• Arrive in town - wahoo! We were all coming from different parts of the country so we all arrived at slightly different times which was another reason why staying in on Friday night was ideal.
• Mexican fiesta - margs and tacos! 
• Games - not everyone in the bridal party knew one another so we played some fun games to get to know each other and the bride a little better. 
• Gifts - once everyone arrived we played a fun game with the bride to have her guess which gift each person brought. 
• Hot tub - perfect end to the evening! 
  
  

Saturday: 

• Brunch at the house - during our grocery run we planned to eat in one morning for breakfast (with mimosas of course)
• 9 girls getting ready (it takes time, okay)
• Exploring the Gulch
• Lunch at Peg Leg Porker
• City Winery
• Nashville Party Barge Tour
• Night on Broadway 
  • FGL House
  • Kid Rock's Honky Tonk
  • The Stage

Sunday: 

• Late brunch at The Tavern in Midtown
• Exploring 12 South 
• NoBaked Edible Cookie Dough
• Night two on Broadway
  • Wildhorse Saloon
  • Coyote Ugly

Monday: 

• Early wake up, clean and head back home

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Nashville Party Barge

If there was one activity that really made our trip we all agreed it was this. Seriously so. much. fun! The bride was debating between the party barge or a pedal bike tavern and I'm so glad we ended up going this route. The Nashville Party Barge is a pontoon boat on wheels and rated as a must do in Nashville. We had 9 girls so we rented a private tour and the back of the truck comfortably fit us all. You're able to bring your own drinks and snacks and they have coolers for you on board - which once again saved us a ton of money before hitting up the bars on broadway that evening. They have tours scheduled throughout the day and we ended up going with the 4 to 6 p.m. tour which seemed like the perfect time. It allowed us time to explore in the afternoon, got the party started that evening, and ended at a perfect time to grab dinner before heading out to Broadway. 

Aside from the dancing, music, and constant "woo"ing - what really made this ride worth it was our driver (ask for Donnie if you can!). He was such a blast and the best sport for putting up with us crazy gals. He was also our personal photographer for the evening and did an AMAZING job at capturing group shots at various stops throughout the city which we wouldn't have got otherwise. Our favorite stop on the tour was across from Nissan Stadium, which offers amazing city skyline views. The tour also makes a bar stop about halfway through the ride but we opted not to because we were having too much fun! 

12 South 

If there's one neighborhood that is a must visit for any Nash Bash, it's 12 South. This is one of my favorite areas in Nashville and offers so many insta-worthy stops including murals, coffee shops, restaurants and shopping - all within a 1/2 mile stretch which makes it easy to park or Uber to and see everything all in the same afternoon. 

My complete guide to 12 South is available here.

Some of the highlights include: 

• Bartaco - the most amazing tacos you'll ever eat and they offer margarita pitchers which are perfect for splitting with a group of gals. There is typically a long wait here so if you're heading here for lunch or dinner I would suggest making this your first stop to put your name in and then checking out the rest of the neighborhood while you wait. 
• Draper James - Reese Witherspoon's store filled with Southern charm and sweet tea. The side of the store is also great for photo ops with the iconic blue and white striped wall. 
• Jenni's Splendid Ice Cream - Ohh how I dream about this ice cream. There are a number of locations down south including the store front along 12 South. This is a great after-dinner stop and, trust me, you'll have a hard time walking past the smells wafting onto the street without wanting to pop in and grab a scoop. 
• Amelia's Flower Truck - This adorable flower truck is typically located outside White's Mercantile. Aside from an adorable photo op it's also a great excuse to surprise your bride with a beautiful bouquet. 
• Frothy Monkey - No Nash Bash is complete without a coffee run and this is the place to be whether you want to dine in or grab a cup to go and drink it while you walk. Nashville Looks Good on You mural is also located in the alley behind the coffee shop so you can knock two things off your list at once. 
• 5 Daughters Bakery - Home of the famous crounut (crossaint/donut) as well as the most insta-worthy building. They do sell out quickly so this would be a good early morning breakfast stop before you start exploring. 
• Shopping - SO many cute boutiques line the streets here. A few of my favorites which offer super unique clothes and gifts are White's Mercantile and Imogene + Willie. 
• Murals galore!​ - If you have limited time in the city but still want some iconic mural shots 12 South is perfect for you. Within this small area you'll find Nashville Looks Good on You, Lookin' Pretty Music City, I Believe in Nashville, Flower Wall (outside Green Pea Salon) and the Draper James wall. More details on each here.

The Gulch

This area has only recently become popular within the last several years but now it seems like there are new shops or restaurants popping up on every corner. This is another great area to dedicate an afternoon to exploring - you can grab brunch, shop, hit up a winery/brewery and snap more mural photos all in a few hours. 

Click here to read my full guide to exploring the Gulch. 

Some of the highlights include:

• What Lifts You Mural - Kelsey Montague is an international artist famous for her #WhatLiftsYou murals. The Gulch is home to one of the largest (and maybe the smallest) wings which stand at 20 feet high and took over 60 paint pens to complete. Located at 302 11th Avenue S. you won't be able to miss it.
• Uncommon James - The store has the most simplistic, glam vibe featuring her jewelry, home decor, and Little James line. Here you'll also find their devil/angel wall mural and the iconic couch under the Uncommon James sign both of which make for another cute photo op. 
• Kittenish - The store had the cutest all-pink everything vibe, was rocking 90s pop and the walls gave ode to some of the other female boss babes. The prices were surprisingly affordable and the store is also home to the adorable Nashville Stole My Heart balloon mural which is worth stopping for a photo even if you're not looking to shop. 
• City Winery - walkable from the main Gulch area offering an adorable taproom serving up a variety of wines, cider, and beer. Offers indoor/outdoor seating and an insta-worthy wine bottle staircase.
• Grace's Alley - located just past Urban Outfitters and features a colorful stairs mural and cute seating areas to take a break from all the walking you'll be doing or sip a cup of coffee. 
• Peg Leg Porker - we were looking for a place to grab a drink and have lunch and when we walked past this bbq joint we had to wander inside. We had a large group so it was a bit difficult to find seating at first but we discovered the Bourbon Room (upstairs) and were able to get an entire table to ourselves. Amazing BBQ platters and the cherry whiskey slushie is a must. You order your food and drinks up at the counter and it was served in record time which was great because we didn't have to spend our entire day waiting like we would at more popular places like Milk and Honey or Biscuit Love.

Bars on Broadway 

​You can't come to Nashville and not spend at least one night (or two) downtown on Broadway! This strip of town offers your choice of countless bars and restaurants - all with their own flare. We grabbed an Uber and headed down town with no real destination in mind. It's a very walkable area and easy to hop from one bar to the next. And the best part? No cover which means you're free to stop in and if you don't like the vibe you can head back on out. This is by far the most popular area of Nashville with thousands of people flooding there each night. You're guaranteed to see at least five bachelorette parties and sometimes even walking into a bar, much less trying to get a drink can be a bit overwhelming. My biggest advice? Always head up. Most of the bars have three or four stories with multiple stages. The bottom floor is always packed to the gills and by heading up you're sure to enjoy your time more and even grab a seat. 

A few of our favorite stops on Broadway were: 

• FGL House - our favorite band of the weekend playing both country and other top 100 hits which made for a fun dance scene. 
• Coyote Ugly - a must if you have a bride with you as they get all the attention and a fun surprise (I won't ruin it)
• Kid Rock's Honkey Tonk - this place is always rocking with four floors and a rooftop patio with live music on each. 
• Wild Horse Saloon - if you're looking to line dance this is your place. They offer basic lessons in between the live band and there are some serious skills to watch here. This place is HUGE but we went on Sunday night and could easily find a seat and space on the dance floor.

Brunch at The Tavern 

No bachelorette party is complete without brunch and the Tavern is the place to be. The cool-casual, gastro-pub features 2-for-1 brunch drinks until 3 p.m. and fun and creative food options. They do accept brunch reservations for groups of 6-8 at specific times (Friday-Sunday) but if you don't have a reservation, expect to wait. It was around an hour and a half for our group and  we ended up at two different tables but it was totally worth it. Start at the bar and grab your first brunch drink (I went with a classic mimosa) and head to the outdoor patio/fire pit area to sit and chat while you wait. When you pay at the bar you'll get a token for your second drink which made it so easy when we did finally head to our table. The menu features a number of tapas style options which are great for splitting with the table - including the famous maple fondue with warm maple syrup and fresh fruit, red velvet waffle, blueberry cornmeal waffle, pain perdu, and grilled sausage for dipping. 

NoBaked Cookie Dough 

This was a quick stop for us after exploring 12 South but I wanted to include it because it is such a cute place and great for a group of gals to get a sweet treat. They have a number of flavors of edible cookie dough, a pink butterfly mural, and an insta-worthy greenery wall with a neon "don't mind if I dough" sign. There are multiple locations throughout the city so be sure to find one near you.