Planning my bachelorette party was… complicated. I had envisioned Palm Springs, California for a girls’ weekend and had all the activities planned out in my head. Although it’s usually the case that girlfriends plan the bachelorette party, I quickly realized that most of the girls were busy with their own lives and it wouldn’t work out if I didn’t take charge. But the vision started to crumble when I invited my 10 girlfriends into a group chat to take over coordination. At first, everyone was on board, but slowly it became more chaotic. One by one, girlfriends dropped out and I wasn’t happy or excited about having to plan everything. I felt stressed and overwhelmed.

Eventually I got to a point where I didn’t know what to do anymore and said, “You know what, I’m going to treat myself to a weekend getaway because I feel like I need this.” Planning a wedding is stressful enough on its own and the added pressure of convincing 10 girls to go on a trip seemed pointless. I became more of an anxious travel agent than a carefree bride and decided to make my bachelorette party a moment of self-care that was all about me.

Putting myself first can feel selfish, but I realized that taking time for myself is important for my mental health. I wanted to think about my next chapter. Hen parties have become a “this is my last moment as a single” kind of thing, but I wanted to celebrate becoming a wife, not mourn my single life while battling a hangover.

Instead of flying across the country, I opted for a stunning hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, just a 1 ½ hour drive from my home in Miami, which was perfect. It was idyllic and peaceful, with the atmosphere of a wellness retreat.

I was a bit nervous because it was my first solo trip. The first dinner was the hardest. I felt like I would be judged for sitting alone in a nice restaurant – just me at the table. But I quickly talked myself out of that mindset with a little pep talk. “This is what you chose, what you wanted and what calms you down,” I kept telling myself. After getting over the hump of the first night at dinner, the rest was a breeze. Saturday was a full beach day, hanging out by the sea under an umbrella where I had some drinks and lunch. I swam, journaled, thought and of course took a whole bunch of pictures for TikTok. Sunday was all about the pool, starting with brunch in the morning and a cool DJ until the afternoon. It boosted my confidence to be in my own company and enjoy my own company. I think it’s important to enjoy hanging out with yourself so you don’t always have to rely on others to satisfy you. It made me realize how important solo travel can be to revive and regain strength.

Before I met my fiancé and got engaged, I was single for three years because I wanted to use those years to focus on my personal and professional development. I hoped to become a better version of myself. My solo bachelor party was about honoring how far I had come and how much I had evolved. It wasn’t a weekend to celebrate the end of my single life. I was ready to get married – really ready!

My fiancé wasn’t sure about my decision to go solo at first. He asked a lot of questions: Do other women do the same thing? Was I sure? Is this really what I wanted to do? He thought it was a little weird. But once he understood my thought process, he came around and supported me completely. He was just looking out for me and wanted to make sure my experience was unforgettable and I really enjoyed it. He didn’t want me to regret it. Still, he’s going the traditional bachelor party route and celebrating with seven of his friends on a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona.

My friends, on the other hand, were neither surprised nor upset about my decision to celebrate alone. In fact, they encouraged me and were thrilled. They know that once I make a decision, I stick to it, so they didn’t try to change my mind. It’s funny how much this aligns with my decision not to have bridesmaids. So luckily there was no resentment or bad blood.

If other brides-to-be are in the same situation, I would tell them to go with your gut. And if you want a solo vibe, go for it. I documented my experience on TikTok because I wanted to give any brides-to-be who may be feeling the same way I did permission to decide for themselves first. I don’t want anyone to feel pressured to have a wild bachelorette weekend if it’s not what they want. My videos definitely resonated because they went viral and people left comments with similar personal stories and what they went through. I loved reading those comments because I realized I made the right decision and that I might be helping other women feel less alone.

When planning a wedding, there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen who have different opinions on how you should do things, but ultimately you have to do what makes you happy. My relaxed bachelor party was the deciding factor for me. I wouldn’t have done anything differently – except skip the group planning and opt for a solo adventure from day one.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com.