Organising a Hen Party
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You’re here! Welcome to our step-by-step guide on organising a hen party
Although long, this article is where you can find every tip, every section of organising and every aspect you need to create the perfect celebration for any bride-to-be. As an event planner, we’ve curated this advice over years of planning hen parties and offering epic hen party activities. We put all of the steps into one guide and put them to practice to make sure it works for every situation!
So, grab a few friends, some snacks and maybe a cheeky bottle of wine (or two!) and get settled into this organising a hen party extravaganza.
Step 1 – Talk to the Bride
Even if the bulk of what you’re organising is a surprise, you can still check back with the bride on certain things like locations, budgets and guest lists. And this is the most important thing to do before you even start organising anything. Once you have had the conversation, you will be able to go on your journey.
Questions to Ask the Bride:
- Do you want to stay in the UK or go Abroad?
- What’s the budget?
- Who shall we invite?
- Do you want to go away for one or two nights?
- What’s the most important thing for the weekend?
- Cheeky activities like life drawing hen parties or food & drink-related like cocktail making hen parties
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Step 2 – Start Organising the Hen Party
Once you have spoken to the bride and have heard her say about everything to do with the celebrations you can start with the real organising. And there are 3 things to do when you start.
1. Who to Invite to the Party?
The guest list might seem like an easy, breezy part of the organisation, but it can all get on top of you if you’re not careful. No matter how many fabulous hen party packages or getaways you organise, the whole thing wouldn't be the same if it wasn't celebrated with the bride’s nearest and dearest.
If you have already spoken to the Bride, you will know who to invite and who NOT to invite. Make yourself a list to keep track of numbers and names; either create a written list or, if you’re fancy, make yourself a big old Excel document with all the details.
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2. When should you go on the hen do?
Once you have a list of people to invite on the last night of freedom, it’s time to decide when to go. This solidifies the plans, and with your list of invites, you will be able to figure out the best date. For example, are some of the bride-to-be’s friend’s teachers? If so, you will have to ensure the celebrations fall on a weekend or not in term time.
Think about bank holidays and any other obstacles when you try to get a big group of girls together. There may be other plans that people have that you know about; try to make sure the date you decide on doesn’t conflict.
Tips for Deciding When to Go:
- Leave enough time between the event and the wedding so that your guests can be financially comfortable covering both events.
- Seasons! Choose your bride’s favourite season so she can get the weather she wants! She may even want a non traditional Winter hen do rather than in Spring or Summer.
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3. What’s Your Hen Party Budget?
Sometimes tricky, sometimes a sticky situation, but when it boils down to it, setting a budget is a really important aspect of hen party planning. When organising a hen party, we say the best way to set and keep a budget is to be completely transparent with money.
Tell the girls the costs immediately, and make cuts and changes where necessary to make sure you balance the fun factor with practicality for everyone. If you book through Funktion, you will be given access to our My Events VIP Area, a space where you can invite all the girls so they can pay what they owe online. This way you can pay as little or as much as you like and keep track of everyone's payments quickly and easily.
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4. Where to Go On the Celebratory Weekend?
This is a bit more of an overwhelming step for you bridesmaids, mainly because there are so many places to choose from when organising a hen party. If you’ve got no clue, we suggest starting with Home Vs Away.
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Hen Party Destinations UK
With both hen party destinations in the UK and weekends abroad, there are perks and drawbacks that you need to consider to craft the perfect celebrations for your particular pal. The biggest and best perk is the money you’ll save if you stay on our little wet island.
Not paying for flights, accommodation, and euros means more money for spectacular party activities, accessories and personal touches. It might also mean that more people can afford to come, which can play a big factor if some of your bride’s nearest and dearest are working on a tight budget.
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Celebratory Weekends Abroad
At first glance, planning hen weekends abroad can seem like a daunting task for just a few bridesmaids to conquer. We’re here to tell you that there are loads of ways it can be easier, and equally loads of ways the organising can be worth the payoff. A pre-nuptial party away usually means a whole weekend of celebrations and a few days taken away from the wedding stresses, surrounding the bride-to-be with people she loves.
Aside from all the sappy and gooey stuff, planning flights for 20 girls is A LOT to handle. You and the other bridesmaids must be prepared to be strict with budgets and make sure everyone knows how much a weekend of sun and lounging will cost. Once you’re over this hurdle, the rest of planning an event away can be a fun experience.
We at Funktion Events care about your protection when you travel away, which is why we are a Member of ABTA. Make sure you are always travelling confidently; over the past 65 years, ABTA has offered advice and guidance to a very high standard for agents and the public within the travel industry.
Step 3 – General Tips for Organising a Hen Party
1. Give Plenty of Notice - As soon as your friend gives you the wonderful news, all the plans should be in your head. From there, let all the girls, family members, dogs, cats, and everyone else know the situation.
2. Be Strict - Don’t allow room for confusion; sometimes, you must be cruel to be kind in the long run. Ensure everyone knows what they’re paying, times and everything in between.
3. Consider Your Audience - When your bride-to-be has put together her perfect guest list, you must consider this when organising. Ask yourself – will the bride-to-be’s future mother-in-law thank you for dragging her go karting for the day?
4. Be Organised - Channel your inner Monica Geller, ladies! See more help on what to pack for the hen party here.
5. Set up a Group Chat - Whether you are doing that through Facebook, WhatsApp, or Emails, you get the gist; a group chat is a great idea for getting the girls excited for the upcoming celebrations.
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Step 4 – Add Any Party Extras
When all the official stuff is sorted, the money has been dealt with, and the dates are set, make sure you finalise the event with a few personal touches as an ode to your soon-to-be wed friend. These can be small, but making sure a last night (or weekend) or freedom is personal and thoughtful will all go towards making the event memorable.
- Games! Between all your activities and boozy nights, a few games will go down a treat and keep the party spirits alive. If you’ve not sorted these yet, you’re in luck! Have a cheeky peek at our hen party games, download the list for free, and take it with you for the weekend.
- Mr & Mrs Quiz - Nothing is more personal than the budding bride answering questions about her soon-to-be hubby in front of a bunch of giggling girls. Before you go, grab a Mr & Mrs question and fill it out specific to your friend.
- Personalised T-shirts - If it’s not a photograph you want, why not get some hilarious text or funny nicknames printed onto matching t-shirts for the whole party to wear (it will keep anyone from getting lost!). We’ll even present some ideas in our free list of t-shirt names and phrases.
- Hangover Kit - A great way to treat your guests to some items they will be thankful for when it comes to the morning after a wild night out. Add things like paracetamol, water, mints, sunglasses, face wipes, bobbles and headache patches to name a few.
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Step 5 – Keep Gathering All of Your Party Inspiration
Don’t neglect Pinterest! Pinterest is your best friend regarding party ideas, favours, decorations, sentiments and genius personal touches that your budding bride won’t soon forget. We regularly update our Pinterest with incredible ideas and inspirations that could be useful for all-important hen party planning.
We have Pinterest Boards for:
- Activities & Ideas
- Party Favours
- Drinks for the Last Night of Freedom
- Party Destinations
- Party Games
- Decorations for Parties
- Evening Ideas
Have a browse here…
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See more about how to be the best maid of honour here. Or get started on the planning below!
Create Your Hen Do
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