Ten Steps To Hen Party Success!

Organising a hen party is tricky business and many newly appointed, especially first-time, bridesmaids find themselves panicking at the mere idea of planning a hen party. Follow these top ten hen party tips from start to finish of hen party planning and you will panic no more.

image from www.squaremeal.co.uk

 

Tip 1: Speak to the Bride Early on in the planning stages have a conversation with the bride-to-be about the hen party. Discuss things such as length of hen do, budget, type of hen party (relaxing versus active), guest list and any ‘must haves’ or ‘must not’s’.

Tip 2: Save the Date Plan a suitable date with the bride-to-be and communicate the hen party date to the guests well in advance of the actual hen do to give maximum notice. Remember to consider the date of the wedding when planning the hen party and hold it sufficiently in advance of the wedding.

Tip 3: Research A great way to start the research is to have a think about theme ideas, such as a vintage theme or an outdoor theme. Deciding on a theme can really help narrow down the options when it comes to hen party activities. Once you have found the activity, research into the other parts of the hen do such as restaurants for dinner, night life for evening entertainment, accommodation, a venue for your activity and catering options.

 

Tip 4: Communicate Send an initial communication to the guests setting out basic details (including potential location, dates and a rough idea of cost) and ask for commitment from guests. Continually communicate important and relevant information, but do not inundate the guests with emails.

Tip 5: Budget It is important to keep track of the budget to ensure all guests know what is expected of them in terms of payment and to avoid any nasty surprises or disgruntled guests at the hen party, so be clear and open in your communications. Try to give guests a clear breakdown of costs.

Tip 6: Prepare an Itinerary Prepare a clear hen party itinerary that you can send to the guests (in good time ahead of the hen do) setting out timings, location, requirements and any other useful ‘need to knows’ of the hen party, such as attire (evening wear, swimwear, hen party fancy dress requirements) and advance preparation needed for any games you have planned.

image from www.bannatyne.co.uk

 

Tip 7: Down Time Hen Dos are full of catching up, socialising, activities and games. They can be quite exhausting, so if you are opting for a longer hen party, make sure you build in a little bit of down time for the guests, making for happy, vibrant guests!

Tip 8: Thank the Guests Whether by email or ‘Facebook’ group, as soon as you can after the hen party, communicate a huge thank you to the guests for their participation, good humour and all round fantastic contributions. This is a great way to move the focus forward to the wedding and seal the bond of new friends in advance of the big day.

Tip 9: Prepare a Keepsake Keep the hen party memories alive for the bride-to-be by preparing a keepsake after the hen party, such as a photo album of the best snaps from the event, together with a lovely handwritten piece of marital bliss advice from each of her guests or a DVD of photos and/ or video clips of the hen party put to music.

Tip 10: HAVE FUN The most important and the easiest of all the tips. Enjoy the planning, implementing and aftermath of the hen party. You deserve it!

 

This article was written by Lynne Beasant, a Co-Founder and Director at Organise A Hen, a one-stop DIY hen party planning website, where you will find more hen party tips, ideas and inspiration.