He asked, she said yes; then she asked and you said yes! Now, you’re the bridesmaid and one of your most important jobs is to make sure the bride-to-be has a hen do to remember – for the right reasons! If you’re currently hen planning, follow our guide below and throw the best hen do ever with these 10 tips.
1. Guest list
First up in hen planning is sorting the guest list. Guesswork here could be dangerous, so it’s very important to have her input. It is her part after all! Bear in mind some of the guests might not know anybody else apart from the bride, so make them feel included and ideally put them in touch with other guests before the hen party so they can travel together etc.
Read More: 6 Practical Steps For Bridesmaids Shopping
2. Communication
Definitely avoid bombarding the gang with emails or WhatsApps as people will stop reading and might miss some crucial deets! It is however important to keep the troops in the loop, so when you have decided on a location, start with a ‘save the date’, details of the location and the guide price. Look for an indication of who is going to attend at this point too. Remember, there will always be hen party drop outs. If they haven’t paid, there is always a risk so lock people in with a deposit as soon as you can. Follow up with more detailed information, and finally a reminder coming up to the event to get everyone in the mood!
3. Budget
It’s important to manage the bride’s expectations and try to come up with a price point and location that ensures as many of her crew can come and celebrate with her as possible. A rough guideline for a one-day hen with an overnight stay is usually £150 per person. Apart from the budget constraints, travel factors can also rule out friends with kids or certain work commitments, so you may want to bear this in mind too. Remember, you can adapt most hen ideas to suit any budget. Maybe try a BYOB restaurant or ask the guests to bring a bottle of bubbles with them if you’re trying to keep costs down.
4. Surprises for the bride
Even if your bride wants to take an active role in hen planning, try and keep some bits under wraps. Perhaps keep the location or the activity secret and when you’re collecting her for the hen, leave some clues for her to figure out. Even better, send a taxi to collect her and take her to a mystery location, or have a secret theme she only discovers when she arrives at her destination and sees the squad in costume!
5. Hair and make-up for the bride
The ultimate treat for the bride-to-be is to book her in for a makeover on the morning of her hen so she’s looking and feeling fabulous. Lots of salons have hair and make-up packages available.
6. Keep it personal
The hen party is ALL about the bride, so make sure to include lots of personal touches throughout the day. Make a playlist of her favourite music (include some embarrassing teenage choices!), stock up on her favourite cocktail or beverage and choose an activity or restaurant that just screams her. A nice touch is to get all the guests to add to a photo scrapbook for the bride with photos and personal messages that you can present to her at the hen.
7. Make sure everyone knows who the bride is!
The aim of the game is to accessorise your bride while sparing her fears of looking tacky. Draw attention to the lady of the hour but keep her looking gorgeous by stocking up on some stylish and fashionable hen accessories in our hen party store. We have gorgeous, classy, fun and different hen party accessories and hen party decorations available in our online store with a stylish option to suit all themes!
8. Hen party games
You don’t have to go OTT, but a few hen party games are essential and can be a good way to get some group bonding under way! The classic is the Mr and Mrs Quiz, and we’re particular fans of playing the groom’s video-recorded answers to a captive audience. We have the best hen party games listed on our website.
9. Photos
Photos are very important. Rotate the job across the bridesmaids to ensure there are tonnes of photos taken. Make sure and get plenty of photos of the VIP, and some with her and the bridesmaids. Also, take the opportunity to get a few nice group shots of her with all her mates, preferably when everyone is dolled up! Instax or Polaroids are a fun touch and you can put these together in a photobook as a keepsake. But remember to put the camera away when the late-night fun kicks off. What happens at that stage of the hen STAYS on the hen!
10. Water, water everywhere!
Hydration is essential, so make sure to stock up on water bottles in advance and have plenty available for the crew throughout the day. Leave it in the bedrooms, put it in the goodie bags and bring bottles to any activities. Ask any restaurants you book to give you lots of jugs for the table and frequent refills. You won’t regret it!
Happy hen planning! Check out our website for our collection of modern, fun and classy hen party accessories and decorations.