13 Geeky Bachelor and Bachelorette Party Ideas

We’ve covered a variety of aspects of geeky wedding planning, from cake toppers to dresses to rings, so now it’s time to look at some geek bachelor and bachelorette party ideas. This time we won’t be focusing on what other brides- and grooms-to-be have actually done because let’s face it: what happens at a bachelor party stays at a bachelor party—even if it's a nerdy one.

While most of these ideas are Safe For Work, there is a sexy Pinocchio further down, so if you don't want to be caught reading that at the office, you might want to save this article for when you're at home.

Unisex Ideas

Some party plans work for both sexes, even if you want to keep the bride's and groom's parties separate.

1. Go on a Scavenger Hunt

Image courtesy of @heylovedc's Flickr stream.

Who doesn't love a scavenger hunt? The great thing about this game is that it can be as raunchy or as modest as suits the bride or groom—so your list of tasks can include anything from kissing a stranger and getting someone to give you their underwear to getting a stranger to buy you a drink and rubbing the name off of a tombstone. You also have the opportunity to document everything with pictures, both for task verification and for the memories.

2. Roast 'Em

Be warned: This option is only good for those with thick skin. But if the soon-to-be bride or groom has a good sense of humor and doesn’t mind being the butt of everyone’s jokes, roasting them can lead to some unforgettable and touching memories. Make sure everyone writes their jokes far ahead of time, as the guests aren’t comedians and you want to ensure everything is funny—not pointlessly mean or plain old boring. And of course, make sure everyone has plenty of booze in hand, just like they would at a real Friars Club roast.

3. Enjoy Naughty Reading Time

Image courtesy of Tiffy-doodle's Flickr stream.

If the party vibe you're going for is just slightly scandalous, have a bad erotica reading night. While you can always read your friends selected sections from some of the Worst Sex Writing of the Year champions, if you really want to geek things up, have everyone find some bad erotic fan fiction online instead. You’ll certainly get a great laugh out of it together.

Male-centric

Here are a few ideas best suited to satisfy male urges.

4. Ogle at Geeky Burlesque Shows

Image courtesy of The OC Weekly

Instead of a strip club, take the bachelor to a nerdy burlesque act. These shows take on fun subjects such as great sci-fi classics like Star Trek, childhood favorites like The Muppets and cult classics like Quentin Tarantino films. For those that have always wanted to see the sexy side of Harvey Dent, Jabba the Hutt, or Pikachu, there’s no better option than one of these specialty shows.

5. Challenge the Groom’s Honor

Enroll in a medieval swordplay class or other form of Western martial arts education. Learn to joust, fence and otherwise battle in the classic medieval fashion. Then just imagine the bride’s surprise when the groom sweeps her off her feet with all of his new historical battle skills. There’s no more chivalrous bachelor party option than this!

Just For the Ladies

These ideas are mostly for groups of gal pals, but some dudes still might enjoy tagging along.

6. Go on the Flying Trapeze

Has the gal getting married always wanted to run away and join the circus? Give her a taste of flying with a trapeze class. Many major cities have at least one acrobat school; the classes are performed with all kinds of safety equipment, so even those who aren’t very coordinated or who have too little upper arm strength to stay on the bars will still have fun falling into a cushy net. Classes run around $60 per person, which is cheaper than many bachelorette parties that take place at a club.

It should be noted that most schools have a weight limit, so keep that in mind when planning.

7. Host a Shoe Decorating Party

The great thing about geek fashion is that DIY is considered infinitely cooler than designer labels. To that end, get a group of your gal pals together and design your own shoes with geeky decorations of your choice—like the Rebel insignia from Star Wars, pages from your favorite comic books, or the emblem of your favorite house in Game of Thrones. The possibilities are endless—and if you need a little idea of how much fun this can be and how great the shoes can turn out, then don’t miss this post on Geek Femme, which is where I got the image above.

8. Throw A Slumber Party

If the bride isn’t the type who enjoys excessive alcohol consumption and strippers, then kick it old school—like, fifth grade old school. Grab some sleeping bags and a few air mattresses and enjoy a classic sleepover complete with pillow fights, pizza, popcorn, truth or dare, cheesy movies and, if you can find them, lame board games like Mystery Date and Mall Madness.

Of course, you can always add in a few adult touches like booze and classic bachelorette party games.

Co-Ed Fun:

These days it’s becoming more and more common for couples to throw their stag and hen parties together. This decision really makes sense when you’re both doing something super geeky instead of something sexy.

9. Dress Up for a Vintage Movie Party

Image courtesy of BADam's Flickr stream.

Find out if your local theaters have any good classic movies playing as part of their midnight movies selection, and then dress to impress for that era. Eat a themed dinner at home, talk in time-appropriate lingo, and then go out to the movies. For example, if they’re playing Back to the Future, wear terrible 80s clothes, enjoy Pepsi and Pizza Hut, and be sure to say “heavy” a lot. On the other hand, if they’re playing the 1959 classic House on Haunted Hill, don your best late-50s ensemble, enjoy a potluck filled with casseroles, and call each other “baby” and “daddy-o.” And if none of your local theaters play classics like these, you can always enjoy a big viewing party at home as well.

10. Treat Yourselves to Foodie Fun

Have a fondue party or go to a cooking class. While this can be a lot of fun for a party consisting of only one gender, it can be a great romantic treat for the bride and groom, who can learn about great dishes they can cook together. If you want to help the bride and groom save some money, you can even take a baking class scheduled the night before the wedding and make cupcakes for the reception.

11. Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

Simulated zombie attack experiences are becoming more and more common these days, and what better way to test the bride and groom’s dedication to one another than have them compete in a zombie survival situation? If you really want to give them a challenge and some harassment, make them each compete with a ball and chain.

12. Get Gaming

If your group of friends is into video games, then borrow as many consoles, PCs, TVs, and power splitters as you can and have an epic gaming night. If your buddies are into competition, then make it a championship event complete with prizes.

Alternatively, if you’re into old school RPGs, get everyone together for a major gaming session build around the bride and groom’s favorite game. Even those that think things like Dungeons and Dragons are lame will still go along with it for the sake of the wedding celebration and who knows, they might even enjoy it and join your regular gaming night.

13. Play a Custom Made Game Show

Set up a trivia show based around the bride and groom and have their friends guess the answers. You can help everyone learn more about the couple by sharing some of their odd quirks, strange fears, and hilarious stories about their past. Of course, this only works if the people planning the party actually know the bride and the groom really well, but since this role is historically filled by the maid of honor and the best man, hopefully this shouldn’t be a problem.

Got any other ideas for geeky bachelor/bachelorette parties or tips on what not to do? Or have you attended a nerdtastic hen or stag party? Tell us about it!