Melissa Rycroft & Ty Strickland Joint Bachelorette/Bachelor Parties

Celebrity Bachelorette Parties: Melissa Rycroft

The Bachelorette and her fiancee held a joint party where they flew out 12 of their closest friends for dinner, dancing and theater shows at The Palazzo and Venetian hotels in Las Vegas.  The couple and their friends each took in a separate theater show -- Rycroft  and her girlfriends saw Jersey Boys while Strickland  watched with friends the Phantom - Las Vegas Spectacular -- before coming together for dinner at Dos Caminos. Later in the weekend, the group played in a girls vs. boys poker tournament at The Venetian Poker Room.

Although they spent much of the weekend separated with their pals, Rycroft and Strickland were able to sneak away for some private time before their wedding. On Saturday, the couple enjoyed a gondola ride down the Grand Canal at the Venetian and enjoyed cupcakes from Sweet Surrender. 

Recreate their bachelorette party:

• See the Jersey Boys a musical about four blue-collar kids, Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Erik Bates, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi, working their way from the streets of Newark to the heights of stardom. Of course, the show features electrifying performances of the golden greats that took these guys all the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," "Dawn," "My Eyes Adored You," and more.  Want tickets?  If you're not going to be in Vegas, you can also catch the Jersey Boys on Broadway, London, Melbourne, Toronto, and through the national tour.

• Take in  "Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular" an all-new production of the most influential musical of all time. Phantom at The Venetian reunites Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Hal Prince, choreographer Gillian Lynne and others from the show's original creative team, who together reconceived their show into a 95-minute spectacular, including each and every song from the original production. 

• Head to Dos Caminos for an authentic Mexican dinner and try one of their 35 unique tequilas with custom flavored salts, sangria, or margaritas.

• Play some poker with friends at the Venetian Poker Room. At nearly 11,000 square feet, the Venetian Poker Room is among Vegas's largest venues for this classic table game with 39 poker tables featuring a variety of poker games including Texas Hold ‘Em, Stud, or Omaha.  There's free lessons where you can learn to play the poker games that are taking the nation by storm in the poker room and you can start your own game with your party.

• Even if the party is just girls, take a gondola ride at The Venetian where you can float beneath bridges, beside cafes, under balconies and through the vibrant Venetian streetscape as your singing gondolier sweeps you down the Grand Canal for a ride like no other.  

• Head over to the Palazzo's Las Vegas cupcake and candy store, Sweet Surrender which has a variety of sweet treats including the $750 Decadence D’Or.  Of course they also have other popular flavors including: Red Velvet, Lemon Strawberry, Chocolate Ganache, Carrot, Black Forest, Strawberry, Coconut and Chocolate Fudge cupcakes.  Pick some up for after a night of drinking.