Miami Bachelorette Weekend

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."

(Coco Chanel)

I was lucky enough to escape to Miami's South Beach last weekend for an intimate bachelorette party with 4 of my classy and fabulous bridesmaids -- Angela, Christine, Leslie, and Maureen (my long-distance bridesmaids had scheduling conflicts) -- and I am so grateful for the quality time spent with them, although it went by much too quickly. Everything about the weekend was kept under wraps until we landed in Miami and were en route to our mystery hotel. While it all seemed like such an effortless blend of relaxation and activity, I found out it was thoughtfully orchestrated.

Bachelorette Highlights

{Friday, March 30}

Afternoon flight from NYC to Miami / Arrival at Lords South Beach / Dinner at Indomania / Drinks at Shore Club

{Saturday, March 31}

Breakfast on The Porch at Lords / Agua Spa at Delano South Beach / Delano Beach Club / Dinner at The Dining Room / Party at Mansion

{Sunday, April 1}

Breakfast on The Porch at Lords / Afternoon flight from Miami to NYC / Korean dinner in Queens

Lords South Beach

We stayed at Lords South Beach, an "appropriately oriented" (aka gay-friendly) boutique hotel on Collins Avenue. We had 3 rooms for 5 girls, and were given tote bags, colorful sunglasses, and 3 bottles of Absolut Vodka; we drank a tiny bit from one bottle and my friend brought the rest back to New York.

Hello, Mr. Beach Ball Polar Bear!

Colorful seating and table with "appropriately oriented" magazines

Loving all the sunflower yellow

Some of our cute room keys

My Cleopatra room

Indomania

The first evening, we had dinner at a wonderful Indonesian restaurant called Indomania. I had never tried Indonesian cuisine before, but I am now determined to find good Indonesian food in NYC. We ordered a smorgasbord of dishes called rijstaffels and everything was delicious.

Indomania menu

Variety for real food lovers

I'm a big fan of Cava (anything Spanish, really)

Skybar at Shore Club

After dinner, we awaited the arrival of one of our friends back at the hotel. Later, we went to Shore Club's Skybar for drinks and had a low-key night out sitting by the pools.

Mojitos at Shore Club

Me, Bridesmaid L, MOH M, Bridesmaid C, Bridesmaid A

Agua Spa at Delano South Beach

I think my favorite part of the weekend was the time we spent at Agua Spa on the Delano rooftop. The spa staff were so welcoming and professional, and we all had such a pampering experience. Ahhh...

Antioxidant drops for water

"Bright Lights" coral mani/pedi and my faux tan

Lounging with a mimosa post-massage

Delano Beach Club

The original plan was to have lunch at Joe's Stone Crab after the spa, but we were all so soothed and contented that we decided to relax on the beach and eat there. The timing worked out well because we were able to enjoy the sun before it rained mid-afternoon.

View from Agua rooftop

Refreshing watermelon rum cooler

Tasty quesadillas, coconut shrimp, fries, and mahi-mahi tacos

On the beach (Bridesmaid L, me, MOH M, Bridesmaid A, Bridesmaid C)

The Dining Room

The second evening, we had a lovely alfresco dinner at The Dining Room, a Washington Avenue bistro featuring local, sustainable ingredients. Everything was great: the food, the service, and the company, of course.

The Dining Room menu

Cobia grapefruit ceviche with sorbet, king crab salad

Branzino with lemon-mash potatoes, artichoke escabeche, oregano oil

Key lime tart, baked Patagonia, chocolate mousse

Mansion

After dinner, we went to Mansion, a nightclub conveniently located right around the corner from our hotel. I didn't wear particular paraphernalia, so it was more like a special girls' night out than an obvious bachelorette party. We had a table reservation and the best seat in the house for the endless array of Cirque du Soleil-esque performers, which was pure entertainment: female acrobats in pasties, bald tutu- and makeup-wearing men, giant robot-like dancers, and more.

Mansion marquee

Too much to drink

Moët & Chandon with strawberries

One of many unusual costumes

Miss Zebra and the ladies

Breakfast, or the Beginning of the End

The final morning, we woke up after not enough sleep at all, and had breakfast on The Porch of the hotel, where we had also gone the previous morning. I did not want to leave the warmth of South Beach, but what made it worse was that we returned to cold, rainy weather in New York.

Cha Cha Rooster menu

Apple pancakes

Now some details of the weekend will remain private, but there you have my last trip and final hurrah as a single girl, and I could not have imagined a better bachelorette party!