Most bachelor parties are flawed in some way -- boring, predictable, uncomfortable, expensive, unstructured. The culprit: bad planning.The Playboy Guide to Bachelor Partiesmakes a great gift for any man, whether he's planning a traditional raunchy boozefest or a more civilized affair of steaks and scotch. Learn what usually goes wrong and why; the who, when, and where of invitations; how much the night will cost; the ins and outs of cigars, booze, and limousines; and last-minute bachelor party ideas.There are more options than you think! Activities range from the PG-rated fishing, golfing, skydiving, and whitewater rafting to the R-rated strippers and shot glasses. Do you know how to toast the groom? How to call for a stripper -- and not get scammed? And what to tell your girlfriend the next day? Playboy, in its 50th year of celebrating bachelorhood, knows best. Contains complete listings of possible party activities and prices Includes complete city guides for hotspots like Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Tijuana Explains brothel terms and stripper scams Saves party planners money and hassles Offers a mix-and-match activity chart and to-do checklist Loaded with entertaining trivia, quotes, toasts, and classic Playboy cartoons

James Oliver Cury, former lifestyle editor at Playboy.com, is a regular contributor to Playboy magazine and has written for Details, SPIN, Entertainment Weekly, and other national magazines. He lives in New York City.

Planning Basics

Introduction

1

(1)

What Usually Goes Wrong---and Why

2

(3)

Who, When, Where?

5

(18)

How Much Will It Cost?

23

(6)

Limousines 101

29

(5)

Cigars 101

34

(5)

Booze 101

39

(9)

Last-Minute Bachelor Parties

48

(4)

PG-Rated Activities

Introduction

52

(3)

Outdoorsy/Athletic Activities

55

(20)

Swanky Activities

75

(20)

Inexpensive Activities

95

(23)

PG-Rated Do's and Don'ts

118

(3)

R-Rated Activities

Location: Hotel Room, Bar, or Strip Club?

121

(19)

Strip Club Scams

140

(6)

The Entertainment: Strippers and Belly Dancers or Midgets and Fat Ladies?

146

(10)

Escorts and Brothels

156

(20)

Videos

176

(9)

Gags, Novelties, and Props

185

(1)

Erotic Cakes and Candies

186

(3)

Open-Container Laws

189

(4)

R-Rated Do's and Don'ts

193

(3)

Hot Spots: Las Vegas, Tijuana, and New Orleans

Las Vegas, Nevada

196

(13)

Tijuana, Mexico

209

(6)

New Orleans, Louisiana

215

(6)

Beyond the Bachelor Party

Bachelor Party Toasts

221

(2)

Groomsmen's Gift Guide

223

(1)

``Reverse'' Bachelor Parties (aka Divorce Parties)

224

(2)

To Lie or Not to Lie: What to Tell the Bride Afterward

226

(9)

Combining Activities

235

(2)

Bachelor Party Planner's Checklist

237

(2)

Index

239

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

From Chapter 1

Planning Calendar

Two Months before Party

_ Confer with groom, decide what to do, where to go, how much to spend, and who to invite.

_ Establish budget.

_ Delegate some of the inviting and money gathering to a few select guaranteed attendees.

Six Weeks before Party

_ Invite all attendees and explain the details (when, where), including costs and how and when to pay.

_ Keep a log of RSVPs.

One Month before Party

_ Make all reservations: clubs, bars, limos, etc., based on estimated number of attendees (many will have RSVP'd by now).

Two Weeks before Party

_ Confirm reservations with limo company, entertainers, restaurants, etc.

_ Purchase booze, if needed.

_ Assess RSVPs and make changes to plans as needed.

One Week before Party

_ Have a "Plan B" ready, just in case.

_ Assess and confirm RSVPs and make changes to plans as needed.

_ Remind invitees that party is next week.

One Day before Party

_ Get one- and five-dollar bills from the bank so that you can make change for the fellas.

_ Call to confirm all reservations once again.

_ Buy the aspirin.

Day of Party

_ Show up at first destination 30 minutes early. Be prepared to call no-shows and later arrivals.

_ Collect fees from all invitees if you have not done so yet.

_ Remember to tip.

Day after Party

_ Remind deadbeats what they owe for last night.

_ Sleep.

_ Explain weird hand-stamp/lipstick stains to girlfriend.

_ Check on bachelor to make sure he is still getting married.

WHEN TO HAVE IT

If this were a locals-only party, it wouldn't matter so much. But these are your old buddies, many of whom may be flying in from other cities -- perhaps with family. You better make it worth their while. Your job is to plan a party that avoids crowds, last-minute reservations, and complications. At best, you'll also save your friends loads of money -- which means more booze/tips/food for the party.

No one would have a bachelor party on Christmas Eve, right? So don't forget to check the calendar before planning a party on Easter, Passover, Thanksgiving, or even major holidays when people are likely to travel or vacation -- like Memorial Day and Labor Day. The prices for travel and accommodations are higher on these days and your buddies may already have prior commitments.

Remember that the bride may be planning her own bachelorette party. Some couples prefer to have both parties on the same day -- and then report back the following morning. Yours may be far more risqué, but this seems to level the playing field. Finally, some grooms have the bachelor party in one city and the wedding in another. This is one way to cavort with friends who live far away and cannot make it to the wedding.

Weekend vs. Weekday

You can't host a four-day golf or camping retreat ifallthe guys have to take off a few days from work; their bosses probably won't let them go. Fridays and Saturdays are your safest bet, though most places are more crowded at this time. And you will pay more for a limo (and for reservations at hotels and spas) if you book at the busiest times. On the other hand, weekends bring out more women than do weekdays. If you do decide on a weekday, start early -- 6 or 7 P.M. -- so you can pack in six hours of fun and still get to bed before two in the morning (most guys don't want to drink too much on a week night anyway). Ask about off-peak discounts when booking your limos, tickets to shows, and strippers. Expect to pay 20 to 30 percent less than usual.

Seasonal Advantages

Seasons affect plane fares, what you wear, and how you get around town. Ask a local hotel if there are conventions in town the weekend you want to host your party. Conventions tie up rooms and cabs and they jack up prices. Think about whether you need good weather for the party: skiing requires snow or snow machines, while boating re_ uires mild weather. Indoor activities are more flexible. Poker, trips to Vegas, pub crawls, and Scotch tastings are ideal for the winter months. If it's a May party, for example, you might schedule a weekend at the Kentucky Derby. If it's a late summer party, consider a barbecue. And if it's in late January, you can try to score Superbowl tickets -- or at least catch the game somewhere on a big screen.

Too Much Lead Time

The couple could call it off. So don't have the party months before the wedding. The more lead time, the more often someone (the best man, most likely) has to remind everyone about the event.

Make Sure There's a Firm Wedding Date

Chances are this is a given, but wedding dates sometimes change and the bachelor party must precede the wedding.

The Right Answer

Anywhere from two to four weeks before the wedding is the ideal time to host a bachelor party. If the bachelor party must be scheduled closer to the wedding (perhaps friends are flying in), then make it happen at least two days before the wedding -- assuming all attendees will already be in town. Also, make sure you don't schedule the bachelor party at the same time that mom and dad arranged for their out-of-towners guest dinner. The bachelor can't attend both parties on the same night.

WHERE TO HAVE IT

Usually, the city is set -- it's where the groom either lives or plans to get married. If the groom is willing, the best man can plan a surprise theme in any city or state he likes. The idea is to whisk away the groom for one last weekend. This is fine unless the best man is planning a party in a city he's never visited or does not know well (hot spots include Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Tijuana). In this case, he needs to consider the following advice.

1. Gather all the relevant data: how many guys, how big a budget, and whether it's a PG- or R-rated party.

2. Contact someone who lives in the destination city. This will be your point person; he knows people who know people who can answeranyquestions (like: What's a good-but-affordable steakhouse?).

3. If no direct contact is apparent, call someone at a business you might employ (like a bar or restaurant) and pick that person's brain. Get a second opinion. Do not trust Web sites or even books on their own. Prices change, clubs close, and reviewers may not share your tastes.

WHO TO INVITE -- AND HOW?

When confronted with the task of assembling a list of invitees, the best man's first thoughts are: "Easy; invite the gang, right?" Not quite. If the groom is like most men, he has friends from his hometown, high school, college, and work. Rarely do they all know each other. So the best man has to consult the groom -- assuming this isn't a total surprise (which is a bad idea) -- and get those names and numbers.

You can divide the evening into two parts if you or the groom feel that half of the participants want to drink all night and ogle babes while the other half wants good steaks. If that's the case, start with dinner and drinks and dedicate the latter part of the evening to the debauchery so uninterested parties may leave early. The idea is to please the groom-to-be, not you and your buddies.

Excerpted from The Playboy Guide to Bachelor Parties: Everything You Need to Know about Planning the Groom's Rite of Passage - From Simple to Sinful by James O. Cury
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.