#186 Getting Through A Bachelorette Party Sober#186 Getting Through A Bachelorette Party Sober
Happiest Sober Podcast
Madeline shares a detailed recap of her fourth sober bachelorette weekend and contrasts it with earlier, more anxious experiences. She offers practical tips and mindset shifts to help anyone facing a hen party while staying alcohol-free.
47:03•9 Jun 2026
How Madeline Made a Boozy Bachelorette Weekend Her Fourth Sober Win
Episode Overview
- Bring plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and snacks so you feel included and supported throughout the weekend.
- Plan in advance how you’ll explain not drinking, whether that means telling someone beforehand or preparing a simple answer.
- Give yourself permission to skip activities, leave early, or take breaks if you feel overwhelmed; your sobriety comes first.
- Treat early sober bachelorettes as practice reps—feeling awkward doesn’t make it a failure if you get through it without drinking.
- Use group events as a chance to observe drinking patterns around you and reconnect with your reasons for staying alcohol-free.
“It's not a failure. It's actually a win because it means that you're doing the hard thing and you're getting through a sober first.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol in the middle of boozy traditions like bachelorette parties? This episode of Happiest Sober Podcast follows Madeline Forrest as she talks through her *fourth* sober bachelorette weekend and what’s changed since her very first one. You’ll hear her contrast early sobriety nerves about being a “sober buzzkill” with the calm confidence she feels now, from happily sipping orange juice during mimosas to sitting out beer pong without guilt.
One of the standout moments is her “sober hero” turn as designated driver in the pouring rain—capped off by the deeply satisfying experience of passing through a DUI checkpoint stone-cold sober: “The freedom to be driving and see a police officer and have peace of mind… is such a good feeling.” Aimed at sober-curious women and those already alcohol-free, Madeline then shares practical tips: bring plenty of AF drinks and snacks, plan your answers about not drinking, give yourself permission to leave early or opt out of activities, and treat each sober ‘first’ as a win even if it feels awkward.
She shares how another non-drinker on the trip reminded her that simply being visibly sober can be a quiet lifeline: seeing someone “doing it all sober” might be exactly what someone else needs. Madeline’s storytelling style is casual, chatty and very honest. She walks through the wine tour stop by stop, from soft-serve ice cream in a wine glass to NA sparkling wine and fancy sodas, and explains why these days she actually prefers a cosy coffee over alcohol-free replicas.
She also suggests using events like this to observe drinking behaviour around you and reconnect with your own “why”. If you’ve got a hen do on the calendar and a knot in your stomach, this gentle, funny recap might be exactly what you need—could your next bachelorette be a sober win too?
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