If you’ve been keeping up with the blog, then you know that I haven’t shared that much about my recent trip to Charleston for my friend Sophia’s bachelorette weekend. Today you’ll be getting more than you’ve bargained for with a full itinerary of our Charleston trip plus other activities that Sophia and I did on Sunday and Monday just the two of us that would still make great activities for a Charleston bachelorette or girls-trip weekend.
As maid of honor, I did most of the planning for the trip and was thrilled once it finally arrived since I had been envisioning things for so long before actually arriving in South Carolina. Although her wedding isn’t until the end of July summer gets busy, and this was the weekend that worked best. I’ll be sharing more tips on planning a bachelorette party on Thursday so be sure to stop back by the blog then for advice. I hope you’re prepared for loads of pictures, plenty of ideas, and just a glimpse of all the fun that we had during Sophia’s bachelorette weekend.
Friday
Since we were all traveling from various locations to Charleston, we figured that a laid back Friday night would be the best choice for everyone. With staggered arrivals doing this would also help to make sure that no one felt like they were being waited on or holding the group back from other activities. And after a long day of travel, a quick turn around to look decent and feel energized enough for activities didn’t sound like the most relaxing way to begin the trip.
Check in to the Inns
I was the first to arrive in Charleston (around 5) and drove straight to the Inns to check in. We had access starting at 4:00 that afternoon so luckily there was no waiting around once I arrived. I’m not sure I would have been the best at being patient when it came to stepping inside to discover just how cute the place we stayed was. To avoid boring y’all with all the details of where we stayed I am going to direct you to last week’s blog post all about the Inns here in case you’re interested in seeing more of our home base for the weekend.
Decorate
Y’all know I love a theme, so there was no way I was going to host a bachelorette party without one. I’ll be sharing my tips for planning a bachelorette party plus more on our theme on Thursday so definitely check back then for all of those details. I tried to keep things relatively minimal but wanted the girls to have a few mementos of the weekend and an itinerary waiting for them once they arrived.
Set up Charcuterie and Dessert Board and Stock the Fridge
Opting to stay in that night meant that we needed to have food on hand at the Inns. It also meant that this food should be able to sit out from around 6:00 until we went to bed. Since Sophia loves cheese (and it’s not a party without some sort of sweets), a charcuterie board and array of desserts seemed like the best choice. Fortunately, there was a small wet bar situation in the Inns so I was able to keep hummus and a few other snack dips cold until we wanted them while also cooling down the wine and prosecco brought along for the weekend.
Wait for Everyone to Arrive
This may have been the hardest part about Friday. Once everything was set up, I was ready for everyone to arrive so that we could enjoy it! The next girl arrived around 6:00, and then everyone else staggered in between 7:30 and 8:30.
Bridal Shower
Once everyone was settled in with a plate full of snacks and a full glass of wine we did a little shower for Sophia with the gifts that we brought. After that, we stayed up talking and snacking way later than anticipated and finally went to bed around 2:00.
Saturday
Saturday was most of the girls only full day in Charleston, so we did our best to make the most of our time without exhausting ourselves after staying up late the night before. Since there were five girls, it took a little bit to get everyone dressed and ready for the day, but once we were good to go, we walked to breakfast.
Breakfast at 132 spring
This cute coffee shop/restaurant was only two blocks from where we were staying which was perfect. The line began to get long after we had sat down so if you have set reservations during the day you may want to arrive with plenty of time to spare. Everything our table ordered looked delicious, and we all perked up a bit after ordering their cold brew coffee. Once we were finished, we walked back to the Inns to head to our next stop.
Deep Water Vineyard
I figured that we needed some sort of activity for Saturday and Sophia happened to find this Vineyard about 35 minutes outside of Charleston. We drove there and arrived just in time for their 11:00 wine tasting (that only cost $7). Once that was over we purchased a bottle of our favorite from the tasting to enjoy while sitting outside where they were setting up for live music. Oddly enough the vineyard also had a bunch of animals, so we wandered around looking at the pigs, chickens, and cow before eventually heading back to Charleston.
Airbnb for a Snack
I didn’t make lunch plans for Saturday since I wasn’t sure how hungry everyone would be after a later breakfast so when we got back to Charleston, we stopped at the Inns to snack on some of the food from the night before which held us over well until our earlyish dinner.
Shop down King Street
Sophia and I would have been perfectly happy shopping down King Street all day, but we weren’t positive that would be everyone’s cup of tea. Having a couple of hours to wander ended up being perfect since we were able to head to the Lake Pajama store which was on the top of Sophia’s shopping list. The interior of the store is gorgeous and worth going just to take it in. We popped in a few others as a group, but Sophia and I hit more when it was just the two of us.
Some of our favorites included: Lake Pajamas, Skinny Dip Charleston, Candlefish, Hampden, Grit & Grace.
Get Ready for Dinner
After walking back to the Airbnb, we had just enough time to change and get ready for our dinner reservation. It was insanely humid on Friday and Saturday, so it was nice to have time to freshen up before the night’s activities. Before we left for dinner, we got a few pictures on the porch of the Inns.
Rickshaw Ride
Since we had already walked a decent bit during the day and I knew that we wouldn’t want to do that in wedges, I scheduled Rickshaws to pick us up and take us to dinner. A co-worker told me that she and her friends had done that for a bachelorette in Charleston and couldn’t stop talking about how fun it was. I used this company, and it ended up being $6 a person every 10 minutes. Since the restaurant was close to where we were staying it wasn’t too pricey for us and ended up being a blast.
Dinner at the Darling Oyster Bar
With so many restaurants to choose from in Charleston Sophia and I ultimately decided to book a reservation at the Darling Oyster Bar because of the rave food reviews we’d heard and the aesthetics of the interior. Every detail was so well thought out inside, and we ended up having a great booth that made for great people watching of the bar. We all started our meal with oyster shooters (I had never had a raw oyster up until this point) and delicious cocktails. Order the Basil Daisy for me! I’m dying to attempt to recreate it since it was that good. We ordered some raw oysters and a few other appetizers for the table before eventually placing our dinner order. I decided to get the shrimp and grits which came with crispy Brussel sprouts.
Jeni’s Ice Cream
After finishing at dinner, we walked next door to Jeni’s for some ice cream despite how full we all claimed to be. The line at Jeni’s is always long but worth it! Since I’m not great at picking a single favorite flavor here are a few of my favorites: Brown Butter Almond Brittle, Salted Peanut Butter with Dark Chocolate Flecks, Savannah Buttermint
Live Music and Drinks at Republic
Earlier in the day, we had walked past the courtyard at Republic where live music was playing. We spent most of our time out and about on Saturday night there and had the best time. Sophia sighted a bowl drink and claimed to want one, so we ended up ordering one for our group even though I’d guess they are intended to be shared among more people. Either way, it was delicious. Once we finished most of that, we left our spot to get up and dance closer to the band. They didn’t play any of our requests but had the whole place singing along.
Rooftop View from Stars
When we left Republic, we went across the street to Stars (per the recommendation of our rickshaw driver) to get a rooftop view of the city. After staying there for about an hour, we eventually called an uber and headed home for the night. When we got back, we ended up eating leftover desserts from the night before and went to bed close to 2 yet again.
Sunday
Charleston seems pretty quiet on Sunday morning which makes sense given how late everyone stays out on Saturday. Our group slept in a bit before heading to our brunch reservation at 10:30.
Brunch at Parcel 32
I believe Parcel 32 is a relatively new restaurant on King Street. When looking at their brunch menu the fact that they had $3 mimosas sold me on it as our food stop that morning. We had reservations, but I’m not sure if they were actually necessary that morning. We all got coffee, drinks, and split their French toast before ordering our dishes. I got the chicken and waffles which were very yummy and filling.
Departure
Once we got back to the Airbnb everyone but Sophia and I headed back home after the most fun weekend. Sophia and I had plans to stay until Tuesday and did some other activities that would be equally as fun for a bachelorette group or girls trip.
Other Ideas & Activities
Gel Manicures at Mylk Bar (in Mount Pleasant)
Mount Pleasant is a short drive from Charleston and is where Mylk Bar is located. This is the cutest salon that Sophia and I went to and had our nails done. They have the option of booking a group on their website so if you’re planning to pamper yourself a bit on your trip go ahead and make your reservation in advance.
Stay at Hotel Bella Grace
If you’re looking for a hotel option while in Charleston Hotel Bella Grace is centrally located with plenty of amenities and gorgeous rooms. See more about our stay there in this post.
Candlemaking Class at Candlefish
Since the cost of this was $55, I didn’t want to schedule this for the whole group since I wasn’t sure it would be something that everyone would want to do. Sophia and I had a blast doing it and were both able to make two candles. The classes are held at the Candlefish store on King Street, and there seemed to be a lot of different time choices when we booked our class the week before heading to Charleston. These classes are also BYOB and Candlefish provides cups and wine openers in case you want to add that element to your candlemaking!
Dinner at Le Farfalle
This was a recommendation from a friend and ended up being a fun meal. If you’re going with a group, you will definitely need reservations, but we sat at the bar. We split a salad, ricotta, and some chicken pasta. According to the bartender who was our waiter, the last people at the bar on a Sunday night get a free limoncello. It’s strong, so you’ve been warned!
Dinner and Drinks at The Watch
For a great view of the city, good small plate options, and delicious cocktails go grab dinner at The Watch located on top of the Restoration Hotel. We went around sunset and were able to get a table outside with an amazing view of King Street and the water. Everything we ate was really good, and it’s a good place to order a few items to split if you want some variety.
Walk Around the Historic District
It’s not a visit to Charleston without taking in all the brightly colored houses and historic charm the city offers. Tradd Street and the battery are my favorite areas for a bit of house hunting.
Feel free to pin the image below to save these suggestions!
Writing all of this out made me want to plan another trip to Charleston stat. If you’ve never been before add it to your list and if you have a trip planned hopefully these suggestions were helpful! If you do have a trip planned you can see what I packed in this post and I've included some of the items worn in the pictures below for you to shop.
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