Hen parties are a fun last hooray for the bride before the big day and typically will include activities in line with the bride to be’s taste & sense of adventure. While it is lovely to keep the itinerary somewhat a surprise for the bride, the bridesmaids might wish to discreetly check with the bride what she would like to do.
- Guest list: The guest list doesn’t need to involve every female known to the bride generally it will be close friends, her own family, grooms family, bridal party and perhaps some close work colleagues & neighbours. A group that will have fun together while making the bride the centre of attention. Remember hosting less people means you can do something more personal!
- The schedule: The best party will have an itinerary which will be distributed to guests well in advance of the day so guests know exactly where they need to be at a given time. Always allow some time for hair & make up!
- The Costs: Ensure everyone knows in advance what the costs are including accommodation, food & activities, no one likes surprises on the day nor do the bridesmaids need to be left with the bills!
- Communication: Good communication from the outset will ensure the hen party is a success and ensure everyone feels involved.
- Theme: For extra sense of fun introduce a theme or colour to the party, perhaps everyone wears the bride’s favourite colour to dinner & dancing! Or if there is water/ or a cruise involved perhaps a nautical theme where everyone dones a sailor hat & shirt for the afternoon!
- Novelties: Don’t forget novelty gear for the bride – veil, white dress, plates.
- Food: To keep everyone stable & to avoid people becoming intoxicated ensure food/meals are a feature of the itinerary.
- Go offline: The bride may prefer a social media total blackout ie what happens on tour stays on tour!
- Activities: Your activity choices depend on the bride’s personality. An adventurous bride might like to do something outdoors with some rough and tumble eg archery, clay pigeon shooting, day on the farm, hill walking… While a girly bride to be might prefer pampering herself, a cruise down the river, afternoon tea downtown abbey style or cocktail mixing.
- Invite both sexes: Feel free to invite some guys to part of the hen event; friendships don’t obey the gender rules.
- Make it private: If you’re in a town to have fun, the bride might like part of it to be private book a speakeasy-style cocktail bar for example.
- Slideshow /This if your Life : Always lovely to slot in some time to learn more about the bride & grooms story particularly as many of the guests may not know the groom well – perhaps a his & her quiz /slide show /storybook . This works particularly well if you have some private space.
- Holiday Hen: While most likely not feasible for all of your friends & family to attend an overseas hen, perhaps your close friends & wedding party can and you can still have a hen party in your home country afterwards . Pick a destination with things to do, offering: culture, gastronomy, great atmosphere, fun, sunny climate, shopping…
While the Hen Party is all about the bride , always nice if the bride /bridesmaids do consider the other guests when planning ensuring that they too will enjoy the event nearly as much as the main lady !
Download our tips: Some Tips for a Chic Hen – Bachelorette Party
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