Barbie’s Bachelorette Bash in Ocean City, Maryland
Christine Piotrowicz, 31, went to work one Friday morning thinking it was going to be just another average day. But when she walked off the elevator, she was shocked to find her bridesmaids there waiting to whisk her away in a convertible: “My bachelorette weekend was full of surprises! I thought it was awesome that they didn’t tell me where I was going. I trusted my girls to throw a party I’d love, and I was right.”

Their destination: A condo they had transformed into Barbie’s Ultimate Beach House. (The bride-to-be is an avid Barbie collector  — she owns about 40 dolls in total and still receives a Holiday Barbie every year for Christmas.) “There was so much pink, pictures of Barbie’s wedding hung everywhere, a beauty bar set up in the bathroom, naked Ken placed throughout, and even a playhouse set up in the corner,” Piotrowicz said. 

Her favorite moment: The pièce de résistance was a life-sized Mattel box (“we all lost it!”). The plastic fantastics hit the town and awarded a best-dressed prize. Piotrowicz, now a newlywed, cherishes the memories she made: “My girls worked so hard on this party that I’d like to give them the credit they deserve. Thank you to my bridesmaids Tiffany Wichert, Heather Rizzo, and Melissa Herman, as well as my Maid of Honor, Jennifer Groff.”

Photos by Appletini Photography Design.

Party Essentials:

• Barbie pillows: Purchased from the Salvation Army. Heather, one of the bridesmaids, spray-painted the Barbie silhouettes.
• Bridal barbie sash: Etsy seller Belleini.
• Barbie box: DIY. The bridesmaids made it out of two 42x42x42 U-Haul boxes and inexpensive pink wrapping paper. The letters were done in Barbie font and printed on sheets of paper.
• Guest book: Shutterfly.
• Martini glasses: They took glasses they already owned and sprayed them with chalkboard paint.
• Gift bags: Six-pack coolers purchased from Shirts in Bulk.
• Cake: Creative Creations by Amy. 

— Stefania Sainato