‘Ninja animals at the Copacabana’ – Natalie’s hen party in Brighton, United Kingdom – Photo Courtesy: Jessica Spengler
Hen parties are an important part of the pre-wedding celebrations. All brides deserve to have their last night of freedom before they settle down to married life, so if your job is to organise a hen party, you need to do your best to make the evening one to remember. After all, it might be the last time the bride has the opportunity to really let her hair down with no consequences.
So what are the five most important areas to consider when planning a hen party?
1. Venue
Beach party venue in The Hague, Netherlands – Photo Courtesy: Alberto Garcia
Finding the right venue is crucial. A traditional hen party takes place over one raucous evening, but these days it is not unusual to have hen parties lasting a weekend, or even a week. In this instance, the hen party will be more of a vacation than a night out, so you will have a lot more planning to do: hotel, transport and other miscellaneous travel details. But if you are only planning a night out, make sure you pick somewhere lively—preferably a place with lots of different nightspots and bars to maximise the fun.
2. Entertainment
Easter hens outside the Gemini in Brighton, England – Photo Courtesy: Martin Thomas
You can have fun with the entertainment. Feel free to include one or all of the following.
- Spa weekend
- Strippers
- Wine tasting
- Meal and cocktails
- Pole dancing lessons
3. Transport
Since getting horribly drunk is all part of the joys of a hen party, organising some form of reliable transport is very important. For small groups, it may be possible to persuade one member of the party to drive, but for larger groups, it is better to hire a car or mini bus. You could even hire a limo for the evening and get the party started before you even arrive at the venue.
4. Costumes
Hen Party – Photo Courtesy: Garry Knight
Dressing up in silly costumes is all part of the fun when you organise a hen party. There are lots of options: sexy nurse, serving wench, airhostess, cow girl, and indeed any other variation on the idea of ‘sexy’. Of course not everyone wants to dress up in a revealing costume. The alternative is to have some custom t-shirts printed with everyone’s name on, plus the date of the hen party. You could team these with some silly custom printed hats to round off the outfit. Older hen party guests may prefer this as opposed to a slinky latex cat girl outfit.
5. Party Favours
It is nice to provide party favours as a memento of the evening/weekend/week. Photographs are likely to be plentiful, but in view of the type of party, you may not wish to keep photographic evidence of what went on. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Instead, have some personalised mugs printed or buy everyone a small item of jewellery to mark the occasion. You don’t need to spend a fortune—a small and inexpensive gift will be perfect.
For best results, never organise a hen party for the night before the wedding. The last thing the bride needs is to walk down the aisle with a massive hangover.
Leo Thompson works for Promopays, online retailers for personalized t-shirts. A nature lover, Leo enjoys going for wildlife safaris.
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