Bachelorette Party: To Wear a Veil or Not to...

On Annie's bachelorette party, she nixed the idea of wearing a veil or other typical bachelorette party accoutrements. She heard from her friends that wearing a veil in Vegas didn't even get them so much as a free cocktail. Well, she did end up regretting her decision when, on Saturday night at Lavo, she was speaking with another bride-to-be who was wearing a veil. Out of the blue, a gentlemen came up to the veiled bride and handed her a $500 casino chip, wishing her good luck. Annie was left empty handed. Guess you gotta play the game to win!

Bachelorette Party Guides

We're so excited about the recent relaunch of AOL's Aisle Dash, especially as Annie will be contributing a number of stories on bachelorette parties to the site. Her first is up now, a New York City Bachelorette Party Guide.

Be sure to check it out--and, as always, feel free to ask us questions about planning your own girls' getaways.

Bachelorette Party Idea: Canyon Ranch

While our bachelorette party was a tad less wholesome, we can certainly see the appeal of a bachelorette party at a spa. This recap of a bachelorette party at the Canyon Ranch, Lennox, Mass makes us think we'll try to convince our next gal pal to get married to consider a spa weekend instead of Vegas. There's something to be said about not starting married life with a hangover!

Vegas Trip Coordinator

Planning a trip is hard work, even when you're experts like us. That's why we're happy to see that Harrah's is stepping up and helping those who are planning group trips to their properties in Las Vegas. (Harrah's properties include Caesar's Palace, Paris, Rio, Flamingo and Bally's), Tahoe and Atlantic City. Anyone who books five rooms or more gets complimentary access to a "Total Experiences" specialists, who will help line up restaurant reservations, spa treatments (including Crystal Body Art applications at Caesar's Qua Bath and Spas shown above VIP club access and much more. The coordinator can help you think of things you never even thought you could do, like after-hours shopping trips so you don't have to deal with the crowds, kitchen tours and backstage access at shows. Heck, we may even try this on our next Vegas trip!

Planning the Best Bachelorette Party Ever!

Anne had an unforgettable bachelorette party in Vegas with a handful of great friends. Here's the recap of all the best from our trip to Vegas:

Best place to stay : staying at the Palazzo made the trip easy. Its location on the middle of the strip made it an easy walk or cab ride to just about anywhere in Vegas. There were also a ton of great restaurants and two great clubs, Tao and Lavo, right in the complex.

Best makeup : sure we know a lot about makeup; but no one makes you look better than a professional. That goes for getting your hair blown out as well. The Palazzo had both a Guerlain store for a great makeover and the Canyon Ranch Spa where we had our hair done.

Best black nail polish : think you know the best color for Vegas? Don't judge until you see what Anne wore!



Best dresses for Vegas : we got a handful of sexy dresses that are hard to wear just about any place but Vegas, and that's okay. Have a great time, wear a short dress and lots of sequins. On second thought, you can probably wear your dresses in Miami too!

Best shoes for Vegas : Anne wore some sky high heels to Tao that looked great; but she literally couldn't walk in them after a couple of hours. Again, only in Vegas.

SushiSamba : a sushi restaurant makes the perfect meal for a group of girls, because it's communal, has numerous presentations, and bite size pieces. It's no wonder the girls from SATC frequented SushiSamba in NY.



Best clubs in Vegas : we had fun at Lavo, XS, and Tryst; but there are so many clubs to choose from. We'd recommend Pure and Ghost Bar as well.

Best pool scene : no matter how late you stay up, you have to make it downstairs to the pool the next day. We're proud to say did, even if we napped once we got there. Unfortunately, Azure at Palazzo was closed for the season; but we did get a great cabana by one of the small pools.

Melissa Rycroft at Lavo Las Vegas

Anne had a great party at Lavo in Vegas last month for her bachelorette, so we were excited to hear about fellow bachelorette, Melissa Rycroft, who did the same. You might remember Melissa as the latest Bachelor contestant to get jilted or maybe from her good showing on Dancing with the Stars; but she's found a new man. Personally, we're digging the dresses and the good times these girls are having together. Apparently, her hubby-to-be, Tye Strickland, was next door at Tao partying with his posse. Wonder if the two groups hooked up late night?

Photo credit: Al Powers

Vegas Makeup

We loved rocking a serious smokey eye in Vegas, but by our third night of Annie's bachelorette party, we were ready to mix it up. So we headed to the Guerlain store at the Palazzo. There, the charming Claire and Kyler did our makeup for our final night out. We actually got the party started early when they served us bubbly. Truly, they were so much fun, we wish they had come out with us too.

As for the makeup, Claire gave Annie a modified smoky eye, lining the inner and outer rim with black liner, and using a softer gray shadow. He finished her off with our old favorite Terracotta bronzer and a dusting of Sublime Radiant Powder for a touch of all over shimmer.



Hope shed her usual dark liner for a fresher palette of greens and golds. Kyler lined her inner rims with a white liner to brighten them up. The makeup was gorgeous, even more so in person. In this picture her eyes look a little small, turns out we forgot mascara, which made a big difference after a quick application. Afterwards, we dashed upstairs to watch the Yankees while getting dressed and then headed to meet the rest of our crew for dinner at Cut steakhouse.

On Our Radar: Las Vegas

We've been busy putting together an itinerary for Anne's bachelorette party in Las Vegas that's full of things great things to do and worthy of sharing with our readers. You can follow us on Twitter (Anne and Hope) over the next few days; but rest assured we'll be back next week to dish about our trip.

Thursday:

Arrive in the afternoon. Check in to our suite at The Palazzo (sure, all the rooms are huge; but it still feels great to say it!).

We usually start our trips at Mon Ami Gabi, otherwise we'll order lunch by the pool. We're excited it's going to be in the 80's since we're coming from cold and dreary weather so expect to find us poolside at some point.

Drinks and appetizers at Koi at Planet Hollywood, and Peepshow afterwards. We'd like to squeeze in CatHouse Lounge at Luxor as well.

Late Dinner at Khotan, Treasure Island. Club hopping from Christian Audigier to XS.

Friday:

Sleep in and recover!

Sushi and sake tasting at SushiSamba at the Venetian.

Poker lesson in The Venetian Poker Room.

Yankees watching at Lagasse's Stadium at the Palazzo on the 9ft x 16ft screen.

Get gorgeous for dinner at Sinatra at Encore. Sephora is right downstairs, so we may brush up on our smoky eye skills.

Table and bottle service at Tao Nightclub at the Venetian. According to her website, the saucy Kim Kardashian is holding her birthday bash at Tao.

Saturday:

Cabana time and recovery by the Palazzo pool.

Hair at The Canyon Ranch Spa.

Makeup at Guerlain in The Shoppes at The Palazzo.

Dinner at CUT, Wolfgang Puck's steak restaurant at Palazzo.

Table and bottle service at Lavo Nightclub at Palazzo.

Flights at 7 am on Sunday!

Vegas Outfits for Daytime

Whether you're shopping, having a leisurely morning-after lunch or playing Black Jack, you never know when you're going to meet a hottie or get slipped a VIP club pass. Your outfit for Vegas for the daytime should be similar to what you might wear on a first date. You want it to be flirty and sexy, but leave a bit more to the imagination than your dress for the evening does. (After all, you don't want to risk getting mistaken for the talent or look like you're on a permanent walk of shame.) It's always important to look your best. Our suggestion? A cute top and jeans. Here are JSG Vegas outfits picks for daytime:

Vegas Outfit #1: Sequins
We're pioneers of the sequin for day-time movement. Usually we only let a peek shine through underneath a cardi when we're at the office or running errands, but in Vegas, you can go full throttle and wear a sparkly tee to breakfast if you want. This Velvet sequined tee is from ShopBop.


Vegas Outfit #2: Fringe
Fringe is another item we can never get enough of. This tassle T-shirt from Top Shop subtly whispers, "stripper," without crossing the line into Pamela Anderson territory.



Vegas Outfit #3: Leopard Pring
A leopard print halter is another Vegas no-brainer. This Alice + Olivia silk-spandex one is just the right side of cougar.


Vegas Outfit #4: Off the Shoulder top
Don't be afraid of color, either. This trippy Elizabeth and James top is sexy and off the shoulder, yet still looks great with your skinny jeans and is totes comfy.



Vegas Outfit #5: One Shoulder Top
This one would be pushing the envelope during the day in any other city save Vegas. We love this Nanette Lepore top because it's purple, form fitting and named, "Skip School Top" on Piperlime.

Bachelorette Party Ideas: Scavenger Hunt

Annie's Vegas bachelorette party is only days away. She (smartly) ruled out penis straws and other X-rate paraphernalia, but did say she's game for a bachelorette party scavenger hunt. What should we put on the list for all the girls to do? Here's what we've got so far:

Talk her way into the VIP area of a bar
Do a tequila shot with a guy from Texas
Meet a guy named Leo (her fiancé's name)
Find bouncer who will carry her over the threshold of the bar
Dance with a groom-to-be who is on his bachelor party
Get a piece of gum from a celebrity--or feel his pec.

Getting Into Clubs: Las Vegas

Whether you're heading to Las Vegas on a bachelorette party or Miami for fun in the sun, planning ahead for your girls' night out makes your trip less stressful. A few things to keep in mind, any club benefits from a line outside the door. Try to avoid being line bait to attract other club goers by following one of these suggestions.

1. The best way to find great clubs is to search on line (with us!) to get reviews and suggestions.

2. It's easier to get into a hot spot earlier in the evening, before 11:00 is best. After that, you may have to wait outside until someone leaves the club.

3. Once you know where you want to go, check the club's website. You can find phone numbers for table service or the guest list. If you arrange table and bottle service, you'll get in the fastest and have a guaranteed seat. This of course comes at a cost, sometimes a high one. We called around for our Las Vegas trip and XS at Encore was offering table service which required one bottle for every 3 guests with bottles starting at $500. On the other had, if you're on the guest list, you won't have a chair and you'll probably pay cover; but it gets you in the club faster than waiting in line.

4. Look into a bachelorette party coordinator. Many clubs and casinos now have bachelorette party coordinators, like our friend Kiki at Tao or the Palms. The coordinators help make your evening as seamless and as fun as possible. Again--google is your best friend.

5. Ask your hotel's concierge. We've had great luck with concierges- they get their jobs based on their connections and knowledge of the area, that includes which clubs are the best on each night.

6. Our friend, Samara, has had good luck scoring VIP passes simply by being her adorable self. Most recently, she was hanging out in a casino earlier in the day and was offered passes to Cathouse Lounge for that evening.

7. When in doubt walk to the front of the line and ask if they'll let you in. Confidence goes a long way. (We've tried saying we're on the guest list when we're not; but that's pretty transparent.) This one works best if you're dressed well all the way to your shoes and you're in a smaller group of all women. If nothing else the bouncer will let you know how long the wait is.

Bachelorette Party: Vegas Shoes

Aside from your dress for your Vegas trip or bachelorette party, the next most important thing are the shoes you pack for Vegas. Given that it's Vegas, you may need to sacrifice some comfort for sex appeal.

Vegas shoes: Dominatrix-Style Stilettos
Strap on these black studded 4.5" Jimmy Choos and we promise you won't have to wait in line for any clubs!


Vegas Shoes: Metallic High-Heeled Sandals
Our love affair with gold goes way, way back--and with good reason. It goes with anything and is sure to get you noticed, even in a city as flashy as Vegas.
Vegas Shoes: Sexy Booties
Hope has been lusting after the L.A.M.B. Tuxedo booties for weeks now. These ruffled booties are provocative enough for Vegas with peeptoes and cutout sides, yet practical enough for everyday when paired with tights.
Vegas Shoes: Thigh High Boots
We can only wish we had legs worthy of thigh high boots. If you do, wear these for us—please!

Vegas Shoes: Fringe Sandals
Because the only thing more fun than fringe sandals are red fringe Louboutin sandals!


Remember to pack more than one pair of going out shoes: Dancing two nights in a row in the same pair of Vegas shoes can be murder on your feet!

Bachelorette Party - Vegas Worthy Outfits

You gotta have the right Vegas outfit when hitting the clubs on your bachelorette party if you wanna skip the lines. For us, that means dresses, dresses, dresses!


Vegas Outfit #1: Sequins
We always love ourselves some sequins, particularly on an understated, yet sky high mini that's sexy without being trampy, like this Haute Hippie dress.



Vegas Outfit #2: Cigarette Girl Dress
If you don't want to dress like a showgirl, perhaps this vintage cigarette girl-inspired dress is more your speed. The black lace and balloon skirt on this Camilla and Marc number are flirty, yet you're still flaunting miles of leg.




Vegas Outfit #3: Dominatrix Leather
You'll be fighting them off with a stick in this Cynthia Steffe Leather sheath. Guys love texture, especially when it's tight, black and smells like a new car.



Vegas Outfit #4: Gold Sequins
The only thing better than black sequins are gold ones! This Nanette Lepore dress is a little bit sweet and a little bit naughty. Just like you!



Vegas Outfit #5: Make a Sexy Exit
He'll be sorry to see you go in this open back, red Alice + Olivia dress.

Las Vegas Nightclubs

Keeping up with the hot spots in Vegas is a tough job if you're planning a bachelorette party. The successful clubs spawn other great clubs and so on. One group may manage a handful of nightclubs at different hotels. If you want table service or just your name on a guest list so you can avoid waiting in lines, a call to one number can often get you on the list at a few clubs. The Light Group is a good example: they manage The Bank, Caramel, Jet and more. The following are groups of sister clubs we're hoping to visit on our trip.

If you like Tryst at the Wynn, try XS at Encore. As Tryst wraps around a waterfall, XS surrounds a pool.



If you love to dance at Pure, hit LAX at Luxor with its grandiose dance floor, which is one of the largest in town.



Remember your great night at Tao? Next trip, go to Lavo next door at Palazzo.

Las Vegas Restaurants: Bachelorette Party Ideas

Whether you're planning your bachelorette party like us or headed to Vegas just for fun, you'll be overwhelmed with the restaurant choices. A few years back, celebrity chefs began their quest to take over the Sin City. They've provided us with a tremendous selection of fine restaurants. We've narrowed down our list and have started to make reservations which are important especially if you're going with a big group.

First, since we're going to see Peepshow at Planet Hollywood, we're looking at Koi for sushi. Yes, you can go to Koi in NY or LA, even Bangkok; but not all of us are from one of those big towns and even if you are, you may not go often. Don't miss the dragon rolls or the cod- they're delicious.




We love to go to a steakhouse, especially in Vegas. It's a great beginning if you're having a few cocktails and there are always a ton of men around. This time we're going to try CUT Las Vegas by Wolfgang Puck, who's never let us down in one of his fine dining restaurants.



We're curious to check out the Wynn's new tower, Encore, so what better way than dinner at Sinatra and a night out at XS? Sinatra's Italian food and retro styling with an ode to Frank seem very Vegas.

One more unique-to-Vegas restaurant is CatHouse, which is the first spot to equally fuse fine food and risque entertainment. It attracts celebs, is modeled after a 19th century bordello and encourages voyeurism. We're curious, aren't you?

Hair in Las Vegas - Bachelorette Party Ideas

If you're going to go to Vegas for your bachelorette party, you gotta go out with Vegas hair, meaning, big, voluminous, sexy--a la Sharon Stone in Casino. We generally get a blowout before we go, then like to schedule one while we're there. While we can usually rock our blowouts for 5 days safely; in Vegas, between the partying, late nights and sunning by the pool, we find we like a little refresher midway through the trip. Plus, Vegas salons are an ideal place to pick up celeb gossip (we once had our hair styled by the same person who had recently worked with Eva Longoria) as well as finding out where the hot spots are for that night.

We're fans of Michael Boychuck's COLOR Salon at Caesar's Palace. With it's all white decor, it makes us feel like we've "dyed" and gone to heaven. No matter how hungover you are when you enter, you'll leave energized and ready for your next night out on the town.



We've never been to Kim Vo at the Mirage, but we did interview the celeb colorist a time or two back in the days when we worked at Life & Style. Kim was on Shear Genius and cops to coloring a number of famous blondes, including, Britney Spears, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson and Pamela Anderson.


Finally, the Salon at the Bellagio has rooms set aside for bachelorette parties (weddings, too) so you and all your besties can get your hair, nails and makeup done at the same time.

Las Vegas Hotels - Best Pool Scenes in Vegas

Crossing our fingers that when we're in Vegas for our bachelorette party in October that the warm weather is still going strong so we can sweat off our hangovers by the pool. But which Vegas hotel has the best pool scene?

Since we're staying at the Palazzo, we're definitely planning a day at Azure, the adults only European-style pool. We'll be treated to frozen grapes and Evian misters and indulge in Canyon Ranch spa treatments, bellinis and food from Wolfgang Puck's.

For those looking for a daytime party, there's Tao Beach at the Venetian, sister property to the Palazzo. Check out Voyage TV's video on the crazy pool scene.


A visit to the Palms for a poolside spa treatment may also be in order. A Cherry Smash (a foot and calf scrub and massage) sounds like the relief we'll be needing after a night out of dancing in stilettos.


Our friends on Facebook raved about the pools at Mandalay Bay, which include a wave pool and a lazy river. We'll have to figure out a way to crash since it's guests only.

Bachelorette Party Ideas: Shows and a Night Out in Vegas

We've booked our plane tix to Vegas for Annie's bachelorette party, now we're trying to figure out what trouble we'll get into while we're in town, a Thursday through a Sunday. Our group on Thursday looks to be the smallest, so we're considering a show.

Of course when you think show in Vegas, Cirque de Soleil comes to mind first. Annie has already seen "O", so that was ruled out. After that, we're concerned about which casino the show is in. Getting cabs can be a pain when casino hopping, not to mention a buzz kill. We know we want to go somewhere we can multi-task: See a show, eat dinner and hit a club.

Topping our list is Criss Angel's Believe (or it was til we found out Criss is off the night we're in town). The show, described as a, "haunting exploration deep inside the inventive mind of mystifier Criss Angel as he hovers between the land of the living and a surreal," made the cut because it's at Luxor and we're curious to check out the new Cathouse Lounge.





Next on the list is KA, at the MGM Grand. Its acrobatic feats, Capoeira dance and martial arts sound sexy. Plus, we would like to dine at Joel Rubuchon's restaurant at the MGM and there are enough clubs in the hotel, we're bound to find one we like.






Then there's Le Reve at the Wynn. It's created by Franco Dragone and we don't know much about it, though the photo below almost convinces us it would be worth our while to see. Plus, we know the clubs and restaurants at the Wynn are all winners--especially the dreamy Tryst.


For some silly, sexy fun, we're considering checking out Peepshow at Planet Hollywood. Aubrey O'Day has joined Holly Madison in the singing, dancing, stripping extravaganza. Add in that we could start the night with spicy tuna on crispy rice at Koi and we may just have our winner!



Of course, if Cher were in town when we were, all bets would be off. We would head over to see her faster than you can say Diva.

On Our Radar: Justin Timberlake in Vegas

In case you can't make it to the Britney Spears concert in Vegas, another reason to head to Sin City this fall for your bachelorette party is to catch her former paramour Justin Timberlake when he performs on October 17 at Mandalay Bay. It's his annual benefit for the Shriners Hospitals for Children and so far, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys and TLC have signed on for the evening. Last year's concert attracted 50 Cent, Rihanna, Maroon 5 and many more, so it's reasonable to expect that a few more of JT's friends will show up to support his favorite cause.

If your a golf fan--or just can't get enough of JT--you can also hit the Shriner's Open at TPC Summerlin October 12-18 and watch JT hit the links.

Britney Spears in Vegas

Still looking for bachelorette party ideas? Britney Spears is appearing in The Final Act of the Circus Tour on Sunday, September 27th, 2009. We'd love to see if she's polished up her show and the Circus Tour would be a great way to kick off a wild ladies' night in Vegas. If you stay at Mandalay Bay, where she's performing, you get two tickets to her show on that night.

The Bellagio is offering the Britney Spears package which includes two tickets to the show and two nights accommodations in a deluxe room. Call (866) 770-6814 and use the code BRIPKG when booking.

Maybe you'll get lucky and run into Britney at The Bank (pictured below), the Bellagio's premier nightclub. It's possible, we saw K Fed across the street at Tao last time we were in town.


We stayed at the Bellagio a few years ago. and what struck us the most about the Bellagio were the spacious rooms, the acres of marble, and the fountains. What we know now is that the Bellagio is reaching out to women and bachelorette parties with great packages.

Britney's picture courtesy of People.com.