The power of the tiara

After the shower, we did a quick wardrobe change and we were on our way to Pittsburgh for my bachelorette party.  I'm not going to fib - I had some mixed emotions going into this evening.  I don't go out very often, and when I do, I'd much prefer a cocktail and good conversation than a crazy techno beat and a mosh pit of sweaty limbs.  I was kind of anxious to see how all of my different worlds colliding would work out -- my bachelorette party guest list had a good mix of family, high school friends, and college friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in a hefty handful of months.  How would everyone get along?  Would I be pushed way out of my comfort zone in the name of bachelorette-ing?  Would my embarrassingly low alcohol tolerance level get the best of me?  See?!  All of these concerns made me eager to see the night come and go, hoping for the best, I suppose.

I am proud to report that the night was completely amazing.  We started with a little celebratory bubbly in the hotel room and my guests bestowed the requisite bachelorette party apparel upon me - sash, genitalia necklace, and tiara with veil.

I'm usually not one to have my outfit and accessories thrust me into the center of attention in each and every room I enter, but I figured you only get to bachelorette once, so genitalia jewelry it is!

We all hopped into some cabs and headed over to grab some dinner at Brik Room in the South Side before hitting the town.  Our first stop was Charlie Murdoch's, a piano bar which was exciting because I've always wanted to go to one!  Shockingly, only a few minutes after our entrance, one of the pianists announced that for a few extra bucks, you could have your friend called up on stage where the musicians would "embarrass the sh*t out of them."  I don't even think the pianist had finished his expletive by the time my friends pooled their funds together to get my up on stage.  A few minutes later, I was plopped onto a piano on the stage and serenaded with R-rated marriage advice. 

After the piano bar, we scooted down the strip to another bar, Carson City Saloon, where we ran into some high school classmates (who I didn't even know went to our pretty small school).  Thankfully, some of my party-goers recognized them, and the random classmates were... friendly enough to be persuaded to buy some cocktails for their dear friend from high school who was celebrating her bachelorette (who they had never met before).  Shortly thereafter, we headed over to Elixir Ultra Lounge, which was probably the highlight of the evening.  The music was the perfect blend of today's popular music and goodies from a couple years back.  Plus, none of the songs were played in their entirety, which prevented you from getting tired of a song during a boring instrumental break or slogging your way through the third verse, pretending you still know all the words.  The dance floor was crowded enough to not feel self-conscious, but spacious enough that there was room to move, breathe, and not find yourself coated in others' perspiration.

All in all, it was a fantastic evening.  Everyone got along swimmingly, the drinks were plentiful, and I didn't stop smiling until I passed out back at the hotel.  It's one of those things where I look back on my preconceived worries, and I can't get over how stupid I was to assume the worst of the entire thing.  There's something about being a bachelorette... maybe it's the power of the tiara or something, but when you're surrounded by your best ladies from all of your different chapters of life and random strangers are congratulating you and plying you with drinks, there's not a care in the world.  High heels hurt a little less, songs sound a little better, and unexpected occurrences are launch pads for more fun instead of cruddy tailspin-inducing snafus.  All of this was well worth the penis necklace, and then some.

Any wedding events not mirror your expectations?  What's your favorite bachelorette party memory?