Avoid bachelorette party planning problems and focus on taking the town by storm. (Source: Photo Stéfan)

Would you take advice from a man about how to plan a bachelorette party? If that man has read message boards about the best and worst of the bachelorette world for the past two years, then it might be a good idea.

The excitement about planning a friend’s bachelorette party seems to quickly fade after the planner realizes that everyone wants to do something different, go to a different city, and spend different amounts of cash (usually zero). Here is a quick guide to help you avoid the major pitfalls of planning a bachelorette party and get it done in 20 minutes.

Step 1: Get a list from the Bachelorette of girls that she wants to join. Do not ask those on that list what they want to do unless you want a major headache. Don’t waste your time using Evite and just send an email.

Step 2: Be sure to ask the Bachelorette what she wants. If she says she is up for anything, then game on. Here is what to look out for if she suggests the following:

Destination Bachelorette Party – Several girls will not be able to attend due to the travel cost and might become unhappy with you or the Bachelorette.
Clubs / Bars – Some will want to go dancing while others want to sit at a piano bar. If you are in a major city, find a Bachelorette Package company for discounts that include grouping bottle service with limo service, but still prepare to spend a lot of money. Make sure everyone is of legal drinking age.
Spas – Always a favorite. Negotiate a group rate with several in the area, or wherever the destination. Ask about alcohol if you or some of the girls plan on partaking.
Wine Tour – Be careful not to ruin the night with everyone getting drunk too early.
Painting / Pottery – Might have been a good idea when it came out or depending on the speed of the crowd, but most girls have done this already.
Dinner – Pretty much a must do option for as much of the group as possible. Overestimate the number of girls and take a reservation early – you can always change it.
Stripper – Have a plan to get rid of the stripper at the end of the night (if you want), as he usually just tries to stay around for the “after party”.

Step 3: When the invites go out, let the girls know 1) what the estimated cost is and 2) when you need to know who will attend. AVOID the “you bring the balloons and I’ll bring the alcohol” bit. Just take care of it all at once and include a PayPal link in your email. Sending 10 girls out to pick-up one of 10 items for a party is a crime.

Step 4: If you plan on going out to the Clubs / Bars in a city you are unfamiliar with, search “City Club Blog” and you’ll have a pretty good idea in a few minutes.

Step 5: If you are having a destination bachelorette party, you can research hotel packages on our site and save money while booking a Bachelorette Party Package. Get a final head count and book the rooms together for the best deal. This step is the most time consuming, yet can be done with a five minutes of research.

Step 6: Decorate the Party or Hotel Room with only the most popular bachelorette party items. Our research has discovered the best items from recent bachelorette parties and put them together in package deals. For a destination bachelorette party, Überoom will have the room decorated before you arrive.

Step 7: If you head out to the Clubs / Bars, use the scavenger hunt included in Überoom Bachelorette Party Packages. Save money by using a camera phone and if not everyone has one, team up in pairs of two.

Congratulations, you’re done! If you avoided most of the back and forth about who wants to do what and just focus on the Bachelorette’s desires, you can now get back to your busy life. Understanding that everyone will want to do something different is the key to saving your sanity. Good luck and have fun!