Before we started planning my bachelorette trip, I had one non-negotiable: My mom was coming. I could imagine it in no other way. If it’s a trip for your best friends, then my mom was and is certainly a prime candidate.

From the moment we sat down at the airport bar at 5 a.m. on a Thursday, I knew I had made the right choice. My mom and my best friend Marit’s mom, Denise, were joining us. And not only are they so much fun, but they are moms. And if moms are around, nothing goes wrong.

Our weekend in Miami was serendipitous. Not because we were celebrating my upcoming nuptials—I’m not really a “wear a veil with a bathing suit” kind of girl. But because we were together having fun without the fear of adult responsibility, because, need I remind you, our moms were there.

Now that I am a mom, it makes me laugh to think that my kids, no matter how old, would think I had some Avengers-like control over the situations, and possible dangers, around us. But that’s what moms are for, right? Maybe I just haven’t reached my final mom form. After all, my kids are just 4- and 2-years-old.

From the bars to the boat to the beach bar, our moms stayed by our sides, buying drinks, ordering necessary food, and cheering us on. Problems were nonexistent with our moms as part of the party. And they had a positive impact on us, too. We packed sandwiches for that boat ride. We checked to ensure we had water bottles before heading down to the pool. And not one of us went home sunburnt. A true miracle that could only be performed by a mother.

Reflecting on this magical weekend, I can only think of how thankful I am to my mom and Mrs. Denise for joining us, guiding us and making sure we had the time of our lives.

If there is one bit of advice you take away from this issue, it is to do just this: invite your mom, aunt or grandmother on your bachelorette trip. There is joy in being with your best friends, but you will never have more fun than you will with your mom and your best friend’s mom. Yes, that is overly specific. But, I think I just might be right.

Looking forward,

Riley Bienvenu Bourgeois