Ellington

Other than the props, traditional bachelor or bachelorette parties are essentially the same for men and women. Women have tiaras and tacky boas, and the guys have … well, the guys have dollar bills. All the rest is pretty much the same: barhopping, clubbing and carte blanche to make an idiot of yourself, none of which you're likely to remember the next morning.

There's a good chance that those in attendance have been to multiple lush-fests just like that. Why not buck the trend and do something everyone will remember and won't end in awkward, drunken, tear-stained "over-sharing" looking into a bar toilet? (And that's just the guys.)

I've listed several alternatives for bachelor and bachelorette parties. Have fun, be safe and remember: It's your party; don't be afraid to try something different!

For the Ladies
Kicks Mix You know that pair of shoes you have in your closet that you just had to buy because it was BOGO time, but you've never actually worn? And that other pair you bought that is two sizes too small, but you bought because they looked slammin' on you? You know, the ones you force-fed your feet to that time and, one gi-normous blister later, vowed never to do again? Well, rummage through your closet and find those babies. Get everyone else to do the same and have a shoe exchange. Buy a gift card to a swanky shoe store (get everyone to bring $10 or $15 to pay for it), and have a drawing for a shoe-pping spree. Throw in some rom-coms, set up a dessert bar, and you've got yourselves a bachelorette party Carrie Bradshaw would be proud to attend.

"Bachelor" Party Why should the guys have all the fun? Get all the ladies to dress up in their favorite manly man clothes (think stereotypically macho: gangsta, trucker, plumber, etc.) and have a "guys' night" in. Why? Because chicks dig pizza, beer and cards, too.

School's In Always wanted to learn to roll sushi? Knit? Belly dance? No time like the present! Buying a group lesson defrays the cost of private instruction and can make this a fun, affordable way to learn something new. Don't want to go out? Consider hiring an instructor to bring the party to you. That way there's still plenty of opportunity for pillow fights in your underwear after the lesson. Right, ladies? Right? Oh, well, I tried.

For the Guys
Poker Night Themed parties aren't just for the ladies. You have several options here. You could have everyone wear their tackiest poker/casino wear. Or, if you prefer the real deal, get them to go the hoodie/shades route, and pop in a DVD of the poker show of your choice (I recommend "High Stakes Poker" or "World Series of Poker" reruns) to play in the background. Then, of course, there's the slick Vegas mobster theme. If you can't feel manly with cards, Scotch and a pinstripe suit, then why even bother with a bachelor party in the first place?

Video Game Marathon Everyone brings their favorite games, and you play until your eyes bleed, stopping only to relieve your bladder and refill your beverage. 'Nuff said.

Paintball Be a real man and leave the kiddie toys at home, opting instead to celebrate the impending demise of your bachelorhood with a high-powered splatterfest. Don't think of it as war games. Consider it brutality as performance art.