as i mentioned last week, i was originally opposed to having a bachelorette party. but in reflecting over how full this weekend made my heart feel, i am so grateful that my friends convinced me otherwise.

the celebrations kicked-off when my friend of 17 years (M) flew in from san francisco on friday morning for a day of girl talk and pampering. we grabbed lunch and coffees and ate them on my living room floor while watching dvr’ed episodes of real housewives and project runway. the day continued with manicures and pedicures, trips to j.crew, anthropologie, and madewell, take-out greek food, and a good old-fashioned netflix binge. in short, it was the perfect day and looking back, the harbinger of the fun that was to come.

on saturday morning, M and i met the rest of the gang at the omni la costa for a day at the spa. we arrived at 10:30 a.m., were assigned lockers and changed into white robes, then gathered in the lobby to await our massages. my 50-minute massage was a little slice of heaven and i left feeling relaxed, refreshed, and ready to enjoy the duration of the day.

the weather could not have been more perfect -a quintessential san diego sunny and 75. the spa was a bustling place that afternoon, but luckily we managed to stake claim on seven lounge chairs so everyone had a place to sunbathe. at 1:00 p.m., we were escorted into a private seating area adjacent to the spa cafe. if you followed along my instagram stories, you may have seen the personal details. there was a sign at the entrance welcoming me as bride-to-be, paper pom poms in the surrounding bushes, and personalized menus with the three pre-selected entrees and bellinis. i opted for the black kale and roasted vegetable salad and the raspberry thyme bellini. both were delicious. as we finished our meal, i opened the kind of gifts you may expect to receive at a bachelorette party and was very pleased to learn that my friends know me very well. everything was the perfect mix of sassy and sweet.

i had requested to keep any incriminating or embarrassing paraphernalia to a minimum, but my girls couldn’t let me get off without a little hazing. so as soon as we got back to our lounge chairs, they presented me with a “panty line” and an accompanying poem that described the significance of each piece of unmentionables. i had actually seen this done at another bridal shower and thought it was particularly clever. the only difference between that bride (who was one of the ladies in attendance at my dinner!) and myself was that my poem was not read in the privacy of someone’s home, but instead to the entire audience of omni la costa spa pool-goers. i was grateful that i had selected to wear both my straw hat and glasses because in that moment, i’m fairly certain i turned about 50 shades of pink. my favorite part was when the lady near the jacuzzi that shouted “can you speak up?!” when the narrator’s voice trailed off in certain sections. clearly, our group wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the razzing.

in the midst of the embarrassment, my best friend from nashville arrived from her early morning flight and the group felt even more complete. we ended up playing another game before retiring to the locker room to shower and get ready for our wine tasting and dinner at solterra winery + kitchen.

at solterra, we were joined by our eighth bach babe and the nine of us spent the remainder of the evening on the restaurant’s patio, sipping varietals, sharing orders of brussels sprouts, and relishing in each other’s company. as i looked around the table at the gorgeous faces of women i’m truthfully so honored and blessed to call friends, i could not have felt more love. i was wrong when i thought bachelorette weekends are about penis paraphernalia and wild nights out in vegas. i mean, for some they are, but for me, a bachelorette weekend was an excuse to gather some of my favorite humans on the planet and share with them this incredibly special (and extremely fast-paced moving!) season of life.