Bachelorette Weekend Part 2: Co-Ed Bachelor(ette) Party

Tweet this!

I was blessed to have a wonderful bridal shower yesterday and can't wait to share the pictures from my "Bridal Tea" with you. Here's a hint.

First, though, because I am blessed and blessed again, I've still got some Bachelorette fun to share! Check out this post for the low-down on night one, in case you missed it! On to part two... 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday was the big day, and we had a West Loop loft and rooftop rented out for our big, co-ed, Bachelor(ette) Party. But, after Bachelorette Party Part One, my bridesmaids and I were pretty tired. So, the morning started with the basics: lots of coffee, bacon and eggs, and taking the dog for a walk. Good things in life? Check.

We showed up at the loft a bit early, and had a bit of difficulty getting everything set up (a random string of SNAFUs made things a bit hectic!). But, the food and drinks finally showed up, and the party began.

Why did we do a co-ed bachelor(ette) party? After Friday night, when my fiance and I both had separate bachelor/bachelorette parties with our respective genders, we wanted to bring everyone together to celebrate on Saturday. I couldn't imagine celebrating without people like my brother and dad, and we also had a few relatives in town that we rarely see, so it just made sense to bring the whole crew together!

The inside of the loft we rented was truly unique, and reminded me of one of the Real World houses (Rest In Peace, MTV...). That said, we picked this particular space because of its ahhhhmazing rooftop views.

"Sears-I-Mean-Willis Tower"

Every direction featured a new view, a new scene, a new neighborhood. It was so picturesque that even the simplest photos are automatically turned into magazine shots. So, pretty much every photo I have from the rooftop is stunning.

My aunt and I discussing wedding bands

For example, how about a random picture of my cousin and brother? Having the Chicago skyline in the background just takes this picture to another level.

But truly, whether it was blue sky, the skyline, or various renovated meatpacking buildings, there was always something beautiful in the canvas of our cameras. Doing it right? Check.

The rooftop also had some great seating areas that allowed for a few different social vignettes for our friends and family. Toward the far end of the rooftop, there was a large circle of seating that could easily have sat 15-20 people.

As the night went on, different combinations of my closest friends and family could be seen congregating, socializing, drinking, and joking around. I wish I had a time lapse video of people moving in and out of this circle!

There were also a few picnic tables set up with umbrellas, which allowed people to congregate in smaller groups... and in the shade.

I had necklace issues all night long and had to keep switching it inside out to figure out how to make it stay put.

The picnic tables, perhaps most importantly, allowed people to eat! Our party started at 1 and lasted all afternoon and night, so we had a sandwich bar for lunch and grilled out for dinner.

My fiance became the official grillmaster. He's good at it. He loves it. It all made sense. My sister's boyfriend and a couple of the other guys helped him out as he grilled.

As the night went on, we had a blast celebrating with our friends and family. I felt so honored by the fact that so many people were investing their time and energy into celebrating us!

We had somewhere around 30 people and many of them stayed late into the night or slept over (the loft was equipped to sleep 14 people on beds, and I think we used almost every spot!). Talk about a party :)