pay attention: this is for the best man and maid of honor.

the bachelor/bachelorette parties. that responsibility falls into the hands of the best and closest friends of the brides and grooms. yes, you could go totally wild and take the trip to vegas and relive scenes from the movie, the hangover.



or

you could hire firefly events who can plan

anything from that hangover trip to exhilarating extreme sports adventure.

many thanks go to nadine from firefly events who took time over the holidays to answer my questions. rest assured, nadine and james, the people behind firefly events are totally awesome. they not only have a fantastic sense of humor but also are toe-tapping amazing swing dancers...

Ever Ours: What is Firefly Events?

FireFly Events: FireFly Events is a bachelor party and bachelorette party planner. Our website is full of fun, crazy, and unique party packages for California and Las Vegas. We simplify the process of organizing a party by collecting the money from your friends, booking the vendors, and providing a custom event/party page. We make the Maid of Honor or Best Man’s job easier.

Ever Ours: What's the story behind Firefly Events and who founded it?

FireFly Events: Coming from England, Stag and Hen Do’s are very popular, but there was nothing like that here in California to help out Maid of Honors (MOH) or Best Men. America is still in the drunk and raunchy stage when it comes to bachelor parties. The rest of the world has taken them a step further with more elaborate weekends and lots of fun activities. Myself and my business partner James decided after working many years in the event and team building industries, to take the plunge and FireFly Group Events was born. We set-up shop in Orange County and spent the next year finding vendors, setting up deals, and working on the backend.

Ever Ours: What's a day in the life of Firefly Events?

FireFly Events: Nadine wakes up early to train for her triathlons, of course James sleeps in blissfully. After brekkie we usually have a meeting about the day ahead. Of course there is twitter, the blog and facebook to take care of. We will contact any new MOH or Best Men inquiries, send out quotes to our clients, speak to any vendors about upcoming bachelor or bachelorette parties, and then twitter some more. We fit in lunch and dinner, meet with any new vendors to check them out, before we know it, it’s the end of the day. Then we Twitter some more.

Ever Ours: Why should there even be a bachelor/bachelorette party?

FireFly Events: A bachelor or bachelorette party pays tribute to the friendships shared with the bride or groom. We find that the reasons vary for men and women. For Men, the bachelor party is a way for the best man, who's losing the groom to the bride, to say goodbye. It's a way for him to show the Groom(without saying it) how much he values their friendship. For the Best Man there's a feeling of loss and to a certain degree he feels replaced. The party is a goodbye to the old ways in a way that offers closure.

For women, we find it’s all about release. If you buy into the cliché that the bride and MOH do all the work for the wedding, the bachelorette party is a release valve. It’s a great way to release pent up stress, anger, and frustration. It’s also a chance for the MOH to place the bride on a pedestal in a way that demonstrates the strength of the friendship they have.

The best thing about a bachelor/bachelorette party is... memories you make, the photos that will never be seen, the blank spots in your memory, and your friends pick up the tab.

Ever Ours: There's a certain stereotype that goes along with these parties. What are some great alternatives for someone who wants a relatively low key bachelor/bachelorette party?

FireFly Events: There are some great alternatives for guys and girls. For the bachelorette party we have chocolate making, spa days, and cooking classes to name a few. For the men there is golf, deep sea fishing, or a shooting range. Our website features loads of different ideas for both. Just make sure your Best Man or MOH knows exactly where you stand on the party.

Ever Ours: What has been your most interesting event to plan?

FireFly Events: We had a group of “bad ass” girls that went Charlie’s Angels style for their bachelorette party in San Diego. They started with a Trapeze lesson followed by a Pole Dancing Class. But they weren’t done! They got their hands on a 9mm and let loose at a shooting range. They had so much Fun!

Ever Ours: What has been the most difficult?

FireFly Events: Everyone wants to hear about Bridezilla but our clients have been wonderful! The only difficult thing we have had is trying to co-ordinate several bookings at the same times with our most popular vendors. Although, we did have a hard time putting together the Married on MySpace parties. Production companies can be bridezilla-like. =)

Ever Ours: What have you enjoyed the most since Firefly Events was founded?

FireFly Events: Helping craft some amazing memories for our wonderful clients. We’ve also met some fascinating and very talented people within the wedding industry. It’s so great to share this journey with like minded people. The support has been phenomenal!

Ever Ours: What would be your best advice to give to a newly engaged couple?

FireFly Events: Be yourself. Speak for yourself. Think for yourself. Never hesitate to ask for help and stick to a budget. Enjoy the experience and forget to mention us to your MOH or Best Man.