The ultimate guide for planning a hen do

So, your best friend has honoured you by naming you her maid of honour. Heartiest congratulations! But no matter how excited you are, you shouldn’t celebrate much as there is a lot of work to do. The responsibilities that come along with the role of a bridesmaid may be many, but with the right planning you can have a lot of fun in the process too.

Organising and arranging an epic night of fun for a gaggle of girls who are only related to each other by the bride may seem a bit daunting to you at first. However, with the tips provided in this article, you will most certainly be planning this hen party activity day like a pro.

Include the Bride in Planning

You may be tempted to handle this task all by yourself, but since it is the bride’s last night of freedom, it is imperative that you should take her thoughts on this matter into account as well. As her best friend you must be already aware of what is the bride’s idea of fun. 

She may have expectations regarding the hen party and it is possible that she may want to go to a particular destination. Some may prefer a delicious meal and a spa day while others may expect jagerbombs and clubbing. You may want to keep your party plans private to take her by surprise, but it is eventually her day and asking her what she may like to do will give you a rough idea about what your best friend is expecting. 

By having a discussion with her, you will also learn more about who you should and shouldn’t invite to the party. Besides these details, you will also need to know when the party should be organised and a rough budget for the same. 

Discuss with the Group

Once you have come up with a tentative list of guests, you should consider setting up a group chat to keep each of them in the loop about the party. Having every person in one place will make it handy for you to go about the tricky aspects of organising a party such as the bookings and logistics. 

You can afford to keep some details of the party a secret from the group, but you should have mutual agreement on things such as schedule and budget. This way any person who disagrees with your plan can drop out straight away.

Party Venue

Once you have gathered sufficient ideas about destination and budget, you can proceed to the next step, which is to research accommodations and locations for your hen weekend. If the bride has a specific place in mind, you should certainly honour her wish. 

If she leaves it up to you to come up with a party venue, you must research extensively. The only thing you need to remember is that the location that you decide must be within the financial reach of every person involved. 

Plan Activities

Once you have figured the schedule, budget and destination for the hen party, it is time to get down to specifics. Think about the activities that your bride likes to do for fun. Also, the activities for the day should demand involvement of every girl in the group and they must have a great time too.

With the likes and dislikes of the bride and the needs of the group in mind, you can create an itinerary for the weekend. It will give the hens some clue as to what they should expect and it will also make things more simple and organised for you. 

From skydiving to afternoon tea, from massages to cocktail making classes, the options are endless. Whatever you do, don’t forget to include activities as they can add a lot of spice to the day and give you all something to talk about later.

Travel Bookings

Once you have formulated the idea of the hen party in your mind and discussed the important details with the group, you should then proceed to making travel and accommodation bookings. 

There are several options when it comes to travel such as flights, trains or even ships and you need to make a choice depending on the number of days you have and the travel preferences of your group. Travel options that may appear time consuming and tedious to one group, can be an opportunity to reconnect for another group. 

Travelling by train can give the hens sufficient time to bond and get excited about the weekend that lies ahead of them. It will also make the task of planning a lot easier as you will no longer have to worry about minor details such as allocating drivers or panicking about parking or traffic. 

On the other hand, you can also plan a road trip as it lets you explore the scenic countryside as the excitement slowly builds up. Do remember to check with multiple travel agents to get the best deal and you can also ask for discounts on group bookings.

Send Out Invitations

You may have informally informed the girls about the hen party, but once every detail has been taken care of, you should send out formal invitations to them as well. Receiving an invitation to a party gets us excited for all the fun and entertainment ahead of us. 

Along with handing out invitations you can even consider giving each person an estimate of the expenses that you are expecting on the trip. You do not spill the beans by naming the surprises that you have planned for them. You can simply write ‘£150 for a surprise activity’. Also, include a packing list and a rough itinerary within the invite along with each person’s contact information. 

Hype it Up and Enjoy

You shouldn’t just rely on the formal invitation to pump up excitement for the party. Send occasional messages to the hens reminding them of the good times that are getting nearer with every passing day. 

Lastly, do not refrain from seeking help with the planning and organisation of the party. And finally when the hen party arrives, let your hair down and let the good vibes take over.