There's a little bit of etiquette involved in planning a bachelorette party. Typically, the tradition is for the maid of honor and the bridesmaids to throw the bride a bachelorette party. Nothing is written in stone, but it is pretty customary for all the bridesmaids to chip in on the night of fun. The bulk of the responsibility usually rests on the maid of honor's shoulders, but often times there is a born party planner in the group and it can often be better for everyone to let that person take the lead.

When it comes to budgeting, I recommend setting a limit that is comfortable and reasonable for all the brides maids and then collect the money up front. This enables you to plan within your budget right from the start and eliminate hard feelings that will put a damper on the fun evening.

Another thing that you will really want to take into consideration is remembering who the night is really for. This means thinking about what the bride will enjoy. Is the bride the mild or wild? This will help determine what bachelorette gifts, games, apparel and decor will be right.

Once you've got a theme, It's a good idea to start planning ahead. I know this sounds silly, but it's amazing how quickly time slips away. Believe me, you don't want to find yourself empty handed when the big night comes around. You're going to want to start shopping a few weeks out and ordering any gifts a minimum of two weeks prior to when you need them. Most bachelorette gifts are ordered online nowadays. The internet has certainly made it easy to get great gifts at reasonable prices. You will want to take shipping into consideration when making your purchase. Ground shipping is often going to give you the best rate, but again, planning ahead is going to be a big help with this.

As with many things, the internet is a great place to get started with not only shopping but planning as well. Bachelorette parties have become big business, so just type in "bachelorette party" or bachelorette party ideas" into Google and the first page results should give you plenty of information to kick start your brainstorming.

Personalized or custom gifts have become very popular over the past few years. This is another area that online shopping has really made getting great personalized gifts like custom t-shirts at a fairly cheap price. Custom bridal t-shirts have proven to be a big hit. Match your theme or make'em bling. Sexy, funny or what ever you decide, your bridal party will look great.

Here is a quick checklist to help get you prepared:
1. Pick a date and send out invitations ASAP.
2. Collect the money from the bridesmaids.
3. PIck your party's flavor; mild, hot or super spicy?
4. Order your gifts and accessories with enough time to spare.
5. Are you going to need an ice breaker? If so, here are some game ideas designed to get the party warmed up.

• A scavenger hunt
• How well do you know the bachelorette?
• Bride and Groom Trivia

6. If you're going out, be prepared and take a little extra cash, because coming up short sucks!

Lastly, enjoy your time together. You are the bridal party, the bride's closest friends and family. Have fun!