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Everything You Need To Plan A Hen Do

March 31, 2021

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Everything You Need To Plan A Hen Do
So, as head bridesmaid you have all the congratulating & what seems like unlimited prosecco to toast this exciting news, out of the way.

Now the real albeit, daunting job of planning the hen party begins and your trying not to panic. We feel you.

So, we’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know about planning a hen party in 8 simple steps. Gather all the bridesmaids together, pop open some bubbly and get those thinking caps on.

Hen Party Tip 1: The Bride to Be


Before the real planning starts, sit down with your bride to be and clarify a few things- would she like the hen party to be surprise? What would you bride hate to do, what’s her thoughts on fancy dress? It’s one thing having lots of great ideas, however if it’s one of your bride’s worst nightmare to have a ‘traditional’ hen party with L plates and fancy dress then you might want to ditch these plans, fast! Make sure to keep the plans a secret, it’ll be worth the wait.

Hen Party Tip 2: The Guest list


It’s also worth finding out from your bride who she wants to invite to her hen party- this is vital as every bride is different. Some brides only want close friends, whereas others want both friends, family & the future Mother in Law to attend. – phew, that would have been bad! Of course, take the initial plan into consideration when inviting her family as this could affect the guest list, doubt her great grandma would be up for a boozy weekend away in Amsterdam…

Hen Party Tip 3: Costs


This is where it can get tricky, our tips to avoid stress at this stage is communication. Everyone will have a different opinion on how much they should be spending to attend a hen party. So, to make sure there are no surprises and zero awkwardness on the night- let the hens know a rough quote as soon as possible so you can get feedback and allow them to factor this cost into their budget.

The best way to suit everyone, is to come up with as many options as possible & make it clear what everyone would be paying for. For example, are you planning a whole day event which includes an activity, followed by cocktails, followed by dinner after or just a night out? Where does transport fall into this plan? Answer questions like, can people opt for just dinner & cocktails or do they need to be there for the whole event? Making a rough plan at the start will avoid WW3 and avoid any drop outs when it comes to booking. Ok, boring bits over – Now let the fun begin.

Hen Party Tip 4: The Theme


This is where the fun starts, the theme. The bride is the most important person in this, you want to make sure she feels special & looks the part. I’m sure your pleased to hear too, that L Plates & Willy related themes are on the way out. We’re now all over the sophisticated & classy hen party with a touch of glam! – dreamy, right? If your bride & hens love fancy dress, then this is always a popular option, however this again is where you need to consider cost. Kitting out everyone in a fancy-dress outfit will definitely stretch the budget a little.

If you’re planning a hen party on a low budget or simply just don’t like fancy dress?! – We’ve got a great alternative, you can accessorise with our gorgeous Bride to Be sash and for the rest of the hens, bridesmaids or Team Bride sashes. For a subtler look, Hen party badges or Team Bride temporary tattoos are a great way to go. Get creative with this part, just make sure the bride will feel fabulous in her outfit!

Hen Party Tip 5: Where & When


There’s no real rule for when a hen party should be, ideally, we’d say around 4-6 weeks before the wedding to avoid any last-minute stresses or dress fittings getting in the way in the last few weekends before the wedding. As for where, it’s important to take your guest list into consideration when planning where to make sure everyone the bride wants there, can come. Are you planning to go away mid-week, can everyone afford to take time off/arrange child care, is anyone in the group pregnant therefore won’t be able to take part in the activity? Try to make sure the day suits everyone.

Hen Party Tip 6: Activities & Games


Activities & Games at a hen party are a perfect way to make everyone feel comfortable with each other, especially if there are people who have never met before. – ice breaker alert! Traditional games are an easy option, such as Pictionary, charades, Mr & Mrs Quiz or Team Bride Pass the Parcel are great because they require minimal planning & games your hens are sure to own already.

Equally, if you’re planning an epic hen party then you can go even bigger with your activity such as, beauty treatments, crafts or an adventure activity like Go Ape. Whichever activities & games you choose to play, as long as it’s paired with prosecco they’re sure to go down a storm and make the hen party a day to remember (or maybe not if there’s prosecco?!).

Hen Party Tip 7: The Finishing Touches


These are the finer details that you can have fun with once the major plans are booked. Feel free to get creative with these & make it personal for the Bride to Be. Whether that’s a guestbook that everyone can write their best memories about the bride, or maybe grab some of our Team Bride or I Do Crew photo booth props and an Instax camera and stick everyone’s photos in the guestbook. We’ve got plenty more alternative guestbooks, for more inspiration read our blog post on guestbook.

As long as it’s something your bride can treasure forever, she’s sure to love it. The finishing touches can also be the decorations, maybe that’s our I Do Crew Balloons, Team Bride bunting, Hen Party sashes or Team Bride temporary tattoos, go crazy! If your planning on decorating the venue, it’s a good idea to ask the manager whether you have permission to decorate- the last thing you want is to be disappointed on the day!

Hen Party Tip 8: Send Out an Itinerary to All Hens


Last but not least, by the end of all your planning there are probably a lot of email threads & WhatsApp chats going back & forth discussing plans. But to avoid any confusion on the night, it’s a good idea to send out the final plan & itinerary to everyone. This should include dates, timings, address details of the venue etc, dress code (if not clear), anything in particular they need to bring with them. And Send!