The Bachelor Party: A Guide For The Best Man

If you forget the ring, there is still a chance that you might be forgiven. If you throw a poor bachelor party, you might as well throw away your friendship.

Your good buddy is taking that final dreaded step. His days of freedom are coming to an end. Like a man in a coma, he is walking down the aisle and towards that proverbial bright light known as marriage.

As the good friend that you are, it is your job - NO - it is your duty to give this trooper the greatest night(s) of his life. And, fella, you are in luck because with our advice you will be able to plan the bachelor party of a lifetime. This is the type of trip that will spawn stories that will be passed down from generation to generation - and you my friend, will be a legend for putting this shindig together.

The first thing you need to do is determine the invite list for the real bachelor party. Now, the term "real" bachelor party indicates that there is going to be more than one bachelor party. The "real" bachelor party is the event which only the groom and his closest buddies will experience with each man sworn to a code of secrecy. The "decoy" bachelor party is the PG-13 version that is attended by the grooms soon to be father-in-law, her brothers, and any other individuals that the groom would prefer not to interact with whilst enjoying the usual wild bachelor party itinerary. As you can imagine, enjoying the entertainment is not really an option with your father-in-law sitting next to you.

As the Captain of this party, it's up to you to ensure that you have the whole play mapped out. Make sure to consult with all of the guys to ensure that you know their budget and their schedules. It's essential that the cost and dates of your intended plan don't eliminate any willing parties (you don't want to leave any soldiers behind).

Once you have the budget and date set, the fun begins. There are plenty of amazing spots for your bachelor party. There are the obvious locations like Vegas, Miami, and New Orleans that are always winners. But, there are also some gems like Montreal, Chicago, Toronto, and Scottsdale (especially for the golf enthusiasts) that offer superb backdrops to any bachelor party.

As important as picking a great destination, is selecting the activities that you are going to partake in when you get there. Vitally important to the success of your trip is ensuring that all of your plans are confirmed and ready to go. There is nothing worse than showing up somewhere and not being able to get in. And, when you are traveling in testosterone-packed, alcohol-powered groups of guys - it tends to be much more difficult to negotiate your entrance. Using a VIP party planner to coordinate the bachelor party will really reduce the planning burden on yourself and will ensure everything is confirmed ahead of time.

Some amazing day-time activities to get the day kick-started include golfing, go-karting, paintball, or fishing. The evening activities might start off with a great dinner at a steakhouse or sports bar (re-fuel for the big night ahead).

After chowing-down, it is time to light-up the night by heading over to the hottest patios, pubs, or clubs (depending on your group's preference). A great way to ensure entrance into these hot spots is to pre-register your group on a guest list or to reserve a table with bottle service (less expensive than buying individual drinks) - services that are offered by VIP party planners.

To heighten your experience (especially if you are in a new city), you might want to consider hiring the services of a limo for the night. Can you think of a better way to see a city? You and your buddies relaxing in a lavish vehicle, sipping on champagne and being driven to all of your nightly activities (and best of all you don't have to keep flagging down cabs). Plus, if you are on guest list or have VIP entrance, you might as well keep up your image by arriving to the club in a pimped out limo. Excuse me ladies, VIP's coming through!

Like all great bachelor parties, the next obvious avenue of excitement and fun leads to the Gentlemen's club. For best results, make sure that your VIP party planner has arranged a VIP table and some extra attention for the bachelor. After all he is condemning himself to one woman for the rest of his life - so you might as well make this memorable. Most clubs are more than happy to take your bachelor buddy and put him on stage for some extra added embarrassment.

As you can see the role of Best Man is more extensive than simply remembering the ring and making a speech. You have a man's last precious moments of single life in your hand. Pull off an outstanding bachelor party and you will earn that title of the Best Man. You might want to leave anything regarding your "bachelor party legacy" out of your speech - it never seems to be as impressive to the bride and her family - Go Figure!

Ryan Barretto is a co-founder of GuysGetaway.com, the web's first and foremost travel planning service for Men. GuysGetaway.com specializes in bachelor party planning, golf packages, sports packages and VIP services.