pick A Venue AND festivities
The first thing we did was look into where we going to host the party. We decided to take advantage of the end of the summer weather and find a Resort. We landed on a popular tourist destination near us, Bridges Bay at Lake Okoboji. Resorts are a great option for big groups as it can be hard to appease everyone. A Resort with many amenities allows everyone a bit of freedom to enjoy different things. The girlies that want to pre-drink can lounge at the pool swim-up bar, the more adventurous girlies can enjoy the waterslides, and so on. I think you get the idea.
Research things to do in the area
We were so fortunate that Lake Okoboji offered so many fun events all over town; all day/night long. We chose to go on a Sunset Yacht Cruise around Lake Okoboji. We purchased our tickets through Parks Marina. The Sunset Cruise included a full cash bar, a DJ, and a front row seat to a beautiful Firework show. This was definitely the highlight of the trip! Hats off to Parks Marina! They also offer many other cruises, including a dock hop to local bars on the lake, as well as family friendly cruises.
Pick an Eras outfit
One thing Mallory was sure about, was wanting her friends to dress up in “Eras” themed outfits. If you are not familiar with all the different “Eras” Pinterest has endless Ideas! I’m still not entirely sure how all the Eras break down, but it was super fun to participate! Each Era is named after each of Taylors albums, and you dress according to the style she wore during that time. It is actually very easy to find an outfit as there are so many different styles!
CREATE TIMELINE
We chose to stay two nights at Bridges Bay. The resort offered beach life, bars, dining and entertainment. Which made our jobs a lot easier! After some deliberation with the girls we came up with the following timeline.
Friday Afternoon :
3PM – Arrive at Bridges Bay – pass out goody bags
5PM – Dinner and Drinks at the resorts Bracco Beach Bar
7PM – Stream Eras Concert and make friendship Bracelets to hand out on Sunset Cruise
Saturday Morning
11AM – Enjoy Brunch at The Okoboji Store
12-4PM Have free time to enjoy the Resort
5PM- Order Pizza and get ready for Sunset Cruise in our Eras Outfits
7PM- Sunset Cruise and Fireworks to follow
11PM- Enjoy Downtown Bars
Sunday Morning – Go Home!!
We had the best time celebrating Mallory. The trip was just enough of planned and laid-back. Don’t be afraid to allow for some down time in between! That will give everyone plenty of energy to get through the planned events. You don’t want your guests exhausted before the trip begins. Half of the fun is catching up with your friends and just being together.
Different staycation ideas
If you are into a more secluded and quieter vibe, you could look into renting an Airbnb. There are so many Airbnb’s that offer quite a few amenities as well! I’ve seen pools, and hot tubs included as well as game and theatre rooms. Imagine streaming the Eras Tour from a theatre room?! Or hosting a Karaoke Night and belting out all your favorite Taylor songs?! No matter how you plan on celebrating, there are quite a few ideas you can take and run with using this theme.
taylor Swift Themed Events
We were very fortunate to have many organized events near us by staying in Okoboji. If you don’t have that type of destination nearby, you could look into Taylor Swift themed events near you. We had googled a few getting started and there were many options near us in Omaha, Kansas City, and Minneapolis. Some examples were brunch, drag shows, burlesque, and even beer pong.
taylor swift party favors and links
Team Bride Friendship Bracelets / “I’m the bride” banner / Song Inspired Bracelets / DIY heart glasses kit / Bride Pearl bracelet / Bride Heart Sunglasses / Bride Era Sash
Kansas City Chiefs T-Shirt / Target Pleated Skirt / Keds Sneaker Boots
I got the Men’s T-shirt in a size Medium at our local Scheels. It was nice and oversized, and I was able to tuck it into my skirt for a more fitted look! My boots were old Dolce Vita Boots, but these Keds were the most similar option.
