80’s Gear & Granny Panties

A few weeks ago, my best friends whisked me off to New Buffalo {a small coastal town in Michigan} for my “Winter Wonderland” themed bachelorette party. The only details I knew were the packing essentials, guest list and that I needed to bring copious amounts of coconut water for what I predicted to be a hangover for the books. The anticipation was driving me crazy for weeks months before. What were they planning?! What shenanigans did they have up their sleeve? Perhaps a John Stamos appearance? I had no clue.

What I was met with was better than I could have ever anticipated.

Bananagram well-wishes.

My beautiful Co-MOHs knocked my socks off with their amazing party planning.

The first big surprise was the house itself. Nestled on the beach, the deck overlooked rolling snow-covered sand hills and just beyond that, Lake Michigan. I’ve honestly never been to the shore during the winter and was blown away by how breathtaking it was. My Co-MOHs {Matron of Honor and Maid of Honor} decorated the place from top-down with themed bachelorette gear, including a hot cocoa station, wall of awkward-Emily photos {Thanks, Mom!} and a handmade “EMV to EMC” shot-ski.

Once all the girls arrived, the fun began. The first night was met with games {look for a more detailed post coming soon}, hot tubbing and lots of dancing {Some may or may not have included dancing on the table.} None of that could have prepped me for the big surprise that came the next day, though.

If you follow along on Instagram, you probably already know that every girl brought 80s-inspired snow gear for a massive town-wide #Emiloug scavenger hunt. Every outfit was accompanied by pastel-colored granny panties that indicated what team you were on. It. Was. Awesome. My outfit was brought by my Co-MOHs and was arguably the most offensive of all. First, it was a onesie. Second, it had shoulder pads. Third, my “granny panties” looked more like a diaper and even had a nice little tulle “bridal veil” that resembled a tail coming from it. Fourth, I was wearing terminator-style sunglasses that were handed down from a friend’s sister after getting lasik surgery. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

We divided into teams and paraded New Buffalo checking off a task list that included things like, “Find a guy named Doug”, “Take a picture standing on the countertop of a local bar” and “Make a naughty snowman.” I’m proud to say that my team and I completed every task and even involved a cop car {lights flashing} while in the process.

When the hunt was over, we grabbed lunch at The Stray Dog and then went back to the house to relax and hang out. To me, those impromptu hang out moments always end up being the most fun. The sunshine was out and we were warm in our gear, so a handful of us ended up sitting in a circle on the snow-covered beach, drinking beers and taking in the scenery around us. There were even some long walks involved.

After we all showered, there were more games and surprises {I didn’t think it was possible!} and the rest of the night continued into even more dancing, singing and goofing around with the ladies. I could keep going, but I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

All in all, it was a hysterical and perfectly weird weekend that was the epitome of fun. I was surrounded by my family and best friends from high school and college – the ladies that have been there for every moment – who traveled from near and far to spend the weekend with me. Not to get too emotional, but it must be said, my heart felt so full and I kept looking around in awe at the amazing ladies that make up my life. I’m beyond lucky and feel so grateful to be surrounded by the friends that I am. <3