Ultimate Austin Bachelorette Bash
Giddy Up, We’re Going to Texas!
Let’s rewind to the end of April, and the best weekend of my life - my bachelorette party! After dreaming about it for so long, and counting down the days, I couldn’t believe I was going to be heading to Austin, Texas. And with 17 of my best friends for four days of pure fun and complete happiness!
When my sister and Maid of Honor, Lauren, asked me where I wanted to go for my bachelorette party, I hoped that we could make it to Austin. I had never been, and it looked like an ideal spot - reliably warm weather in the Spring, great bars and fun places to go out, delicious food, and a city that offers a wide range of activities. I described my dream to be a boat day with my girlfriends, and Lake Travis looked ideal for that.
And so my sister started planning my “last rodeo” way back last summer. And when I arrived to my bachelorette weekend I could tell that this was truly a trip spent months in the making. The attention to detail, and the care and love that was invested in making it special for me was beyond my wildest dreams.
If you want the spark notes, take a sneak peak at the gorg itinerary my bestie Chelsea put together for the full run down!!!
My sister, my bridesmaids, my cousins, and all my best friends came together and threw me the most insanely fun weekend. One that I’ll never forget!
These girls rallied around me for one hell of a party. They made me feel loved and special the whole time. I couldn’t be more grateful for this group and lucky to call them my best friends!
Brides, I highly encourage Austin as your bachelorette destination!
And for you party planners out there, I can’t take any credit for this one - the whole thing was a surprise for me! But I can’t speak more highly of it, or express how perfect all the details of this weekend were! If you’re debating Austin - let this be your sign to do it!!
Read on for more!
I’ll recap some of the highlights of my bachelorette weekend, and add in some tips for traveling to Austin! From where we stayed, to where we dined - where we went out, and some ideas for a fun Texas themed party.
Looking back to a week ago in some ways it feels like a blur. Was that even real? Or was too good to be true. But some moments in your life are just that sweet, and you gotta soak it all up. Every memory.
Day 1 - Traveling to Austin!
We had a 9am flight from NY to Austin, landing around 1pm there. To add to the air of mystery, my Mom bought my flight for Christmas so it wasn’t until the week before that I actually downloaded my ticket and it was then it hit me. I’m about to go to Texas!?!
For some reason the week leading up to it I was super nervous — I was fully packed, fully pampered, and fully ready. I couldn’t place my finger on all the jitters that were keeping me from getting a decent night sleep. But from the second I woke up to head to the airport Thursday morning I was on cloud 9, feeling all the excitement.
It didn’t hurt that I was traveling with some of my best friends!
Since the house was about 30 minutes away from the airport my sister rented a car to get us there, and around town for the weekend if we needed it! Super easy to pick one up for the airport if you’re not staying right downtown.
Welcome to Stepping Rock Ranch
Everyone told me the house was nice, so I was SUPER excited to arrive and finally see it!! I couldn’t wait. What I didn’t know was that this was a huge Texas ranch, we had full access to… and that it looked like it was RIGHT OUT OF A DAMN NANCY MEYERS MOVIE! Truly, someone scout this place and shoot a movie here.
Originally we had 19 girls on the trip and it is not easy to find a home for that many people! Even with 17 people there was plenty of living space for everyone. There were 7 bedrooms, an outdoor covered patio and living space, a fire pit with picnic tables, an outdoor shower.. the list goes on and on
The hosts were so wonderful, and helpful in planning our trip including letting my sister ship boxes down of decorations before we arrived! If you’re interested in booking the space for your gathering feel free to check out our home at Stepping Rock Ranch on Airbnb here!
I think the best part was the outdoors. The property was so cool, and I could not get over the fact that we had our own horses in the front yard!
Every day I would go on walks with a few of the girls down to the mailbox at the end of the road, and take in the views.
Even though we either went out to dinner or ordered in food, I think this house would be so perfect for a good old Southern cook out. Of course the kitchen is beautiful and perfect for making a big meal, especially if the idea is to have a chef come cook!
But there is also a grill outside by the couches and fireplace, and a bunch of picnic tables underneath some hanging lights. It was so dreamy.
All The Best Bach Party Decorations!
Even though the place was already beautiful to start, Lauren COMPLETELY DECKED out the house in the most amazing cowgirl decorations! Everything was so insanely perfect for the theme, and so thoughtful. She used all the sites to gather these goods:
Let’s be honest, girls love a good theme. Fun hats, body glitter, party outfits. And Austin is known for the Southern cowgirl vibe, but the girls executed it so perfectly!!
If you know me well, you could probably picture how excited I was… but if not. Please see below:
I couldn’t get over it all, and I probably never will. To top it all off, my cousins got me this amazing personalized denim jacket! It was so freaking cute and comfy.
A new name and a new jacket?!? How lucky am I!!!
Night 1: Dinner & Rainey Street!
The weekend got kicked off to such an amazing start. After greeting all the gals arriving to the house all afternoon we had some fresh homemade margaritas by the pool, and got ready for our first night out in Austin!
I was so excited to dress up, and wear this gorgeous party dress from Sisters The Label. It was maybe my favorite thing I’ve ever worn, and perfect for a bachelorette party. I really felt like a bride!
True to form, I took lots of photos with my girls before heading out to dinner… there were just so many back drops.
Around 7:30 we headed out to dinner at Grizzeldas!
It was the most delicious tex mex spot with a cute beach vibe. Perfect if you’re looking for a place that can accommodate a big group! They sat our party out back in their adorable courtyard, and served us endless amounts of margaritas and tapas dishes all family style.
I was definitely having too much fun to take pics, but my mouth is watering all over again just remembering the dishes. To think I planned on eating light this weekend… HA.
After dinner we headed to Rainey street to continue the fun! We got to a bar called Icenhauers around 11 and saw a crowd dancing on the front lawn while a band played music on the porch. It looked like a movie scene from a big college frat party - in the best .way. possible.
We arrived band was starting a performance of Mr. Brightside! Veronica and I danced our hearts out until the last song. It was so fun, and I loved all the little hang outs and spaces this bar offered - a scotch room, a backyard stage, a wine room.
There are plenty of bars on this fun strip that you can hop to, and I highly recommend heading to Rainey Street when you visit Austin! Though I wanted to save my energy for the next day, I had a blast here. And you can probably have a solid time checking out all the spots on Rainey, without a destination in mind.
Day 2: Boat Day on Lake Travis!
When I tell you I was excited about the boat.. I am not exaggerating. I literally woke up at 6am ready to go.
The weather was a little rainy, but I was optimistic the clouds would clear up eventually for us. In the morning we grabbed some sandwiches and snacks from the grocery store to bring on the boat with us. Though I originally wanted to pick up BBQ from one of the local iconic spots - this was just… easier all around (to store, to carry, to eat).
It was a bit of a long and windy drive out to the boat dock, but when we arrived we knew were at the right place. There were tons of groups just like us, mostly bachelor and bachelorette parties. We found our friendly captain, and he showed us to our private PONTOON!!!
We boarded the boat and our friendly captain sailed us out on the water to link up with some other boats.
We found another party boat to link up to, and in similar fashion we bonded with the people on the boats around us. We spent the day drinking, dancing, and (water) sliding off the boat into the lake!! Even though the sun wasn’t blaring like you’d expect in Texas, it didn’t rain - and we made the best of it!
Due to the weather I changed up my outfit at the last minute. I got this white one piece years ago from Revolve that I had only worn once before in Bali! Saving all my colorful bathing suits for Bora Bora :)
If you go to Austin, this is the #1 activity to book!! You will have an incredible time. 10 out of 10, highly recommend renting a pontoon on a lake with your best friends.
When we got home Tonia ordered the most amazing Texas Barbecue for us to all feast on from Green Mesquite BBQ in Barton Springs. As a starving drunk girl, I was as happy as a pig in shit.
It was the best day ever.
Night Two: Space Cowgirl Party
My friends and I firmly believe you never need a reason to throw a party.
And when your girls go to Texas for a bachelorette, the bride loves country music and Kacey Musgraves, it would be INSANE not to go IN 100% on a cowgirl theme.
Lucky for me, my people get me. Cowgirl hats were worn, and debauchery ensued! We started off the night with a little party pregame at the ranch! We played some fun bachelorette games that included some undies, a pink dildo, and some hysterical acting on behalf of the group.
We had a blast before even heading out for the night.
And yes… the girls kept the hats on and kept up the mantra #DAB4GAB all night long.
I think I really nailed the theme for my second night outfit which is funny since I didn’t know what the theme was. My white cowboy boots were from Amazon (steal) and my white fringe two piece set and Cowboy Boot Earrings were from Altar’d State.
Then we headed to Unbarlievable for the night, which was so fun! Michelle pulled some strings so we could cut the line and organized us to have our own area with bottle service so that we could stay all together. That was really nice since we were a big group!
This is a great spot for a day drink, or to spend a night out. It was huge, with plenty of bars indoor and outdoor. We danced on the couches, waved some sparklers, and of course went down their iconic slide! (had to)
We partied until the lights came on. What a night!
Day 3: Pool Party!
In my experience the last day is always the hardest since you’re a little tired from all the fun that’s already been had. We set no real plans for Saturday but to wake up, relax, and hang by the pool.
By mid morning we had all gathered in our swimsuits in the hot sun. Unlike Friday’s overcast sky, Saturday was nothing but bright blue above. We played music, games, and had some poolside drinks. In the afternoon we ordered some healthy wraps and salads to re-fuel. People cooled off in the water when they needed, and napped when they needed. It was a great way to spend the day.
Night 3: Dinner at Aba & Last Hurrah!
By the early evening everyone was re-energized for one last night downtown. We all got ready, had some drinks, took some final photos and headed to dinner on South Congress!
My last outfit was a retro halter mini dress from South Moon Under.
Funny enough, when I got the itinerary I instantly recognized Aba from my own search of Austin. And I was so excited to go there! Hannah knows my vibe, and picked this spot perfectly for me. I loved all the lush greenery and decor, but most of all the amazing Mediterranean food that was in abundance. It was a gorgeous environment for us to spend the last night.
It was also extra special because Ryan (who was on his own bachelor party in Nashville the same weekend) sent us some drinks to celebrate, as did my girlfriend Carly who couldn’t make it to Austin for the bach! I was feeling all the love.
CLURB Life
Did you know people went to clubs in Austin? Neither did I, but we had a blast.
We spent the last night with a table at Green Light Social aggressively waving a 3 foot tall cut out photo of myself dressed as a troll. I wish I could do it all again.
The night ended with another rain storm, and your girls covered in trash bags provided to us by the establishment.
Gratitude
I’ll never be able to properly express my thanks to these insanely kind, generous, loving, fun and amazing group of girls. Even though they so graciously treated me to this Southern bougee bash, I wanted to find a way to help contribute something.
My little gift to all the girls was buying the lunch for the boat on Friday! And then Saturday night I gave all the girls cards I wrote them, and a shot of Pink Whitney to kick off the last night in Texas… because I’m trash.
I was so bummed because one part of my gift never made it to Texas… sigh. It got lost on the ranch and just showed up at the end of the week after we left. But I made each girl a personalized photo booth strips with photos of us as a little keepsake to bring home. You can do these on Snapfish for cheap, or Inkifi.
They’ll get to you eventually ladies!
The weekend ended with a round of beers and burgers at the airport, amongst my sister friends and I. Mere, Mel, Tonia, Lauren, and I traveled back to New York with full hearts and bellies.
I leave you with this adorable class picture of me and the gals at Stepping Rock, night 1!
It was a big group of gals with the biggest hearts, and a hell of a BIG weekend! But as they say, everything is bigger in Texas right?
Well, what do you do after the best weekend of your life happens? Guess you have to just wait for the next one. Though I felt a day or two of the post-bach depression (and totally sick and run down) I tried not to shake the happy vibes after returning home to New York.
Plus, I I have a feeling more great days are just around the corner!
Xx Gab
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