6 Things You Need To Consider When Organising A Hen Party

Organising a hen party is a tough job, usually there are a ton of people to please including the bride and you want to make sure you get something that everyone will enjoy.
What’s more important though is ensuring your hen party suits the bride.  There’s nothing worse than a bride being forced into a tacky hen party when she would rather poke her own eye balls out.
There’s a stereotype style for hen parties.  Loud and brash with lots and lots of appendages in all forms…you know what I mean – on the straws, as chocolate and anywhere else Ann Summers can think to include them.  There’s that all-important ‘L’ plate, probably a feather boa and likely some form of embarrassing outfit, sign, sash or t-shirt.
But this isn’t for everyone and sometimes the bridal party can get so carried away with choosing “funny” accessories on eBay they forget to consider whether or not the bride will be “up for it”.
To suggest that a bride might not be “up for it” isn’t by any means saying she doesn’t want to enjoy herself, it’s just simply taking into consideration that a one-size-fits-all hen party is unlikely to work for everyone.  What your cousin Jackie loved your best friend Helen might hate.

So here are some top tips to ensure you get your party right:

1. Location / Venue
When it comes to choosing a location for the hen party you want to make sure the bride – first and foremost – will want to go.  Does it have the music she likes, does it sell her favourite drink, how far will she have to travel and will she want to travel that distance, is she likely to bump into people she wouldn’t want to?
2. Entertainment
Getting entertainment right that suits everyone is going to be a hard task.  What’s even harder is organising a hen party to go somewhere you might not want to go yourself.  It’s important to ensure that you consider the biggest amount of people in the group and more importantly the bride.
Some brides might want to go to a dance club, others to a live band.  You might find your bride is a rocker, or a punk, maybe she loves country music – whatever it is you must make sure that she doesn’t end up bored.
Karaoke can often be a good option for a hen party as it’s usually an eclectic mix of music.  Also live bands that would do a range of pop, rock, country and wedding band type music are also safe bets.

3. Theme
This is where it could all go terribly wrong.  It’s a common belief that everyone loves to wear their little black dress but consider whether or not everyone in the party possesses one or even likes wearing dresses.  Don’t make the bride feel bad because someone in the party is feeling awkward and self conscious.
A great theme that always works and is something everyone can tailor to their own style is “glitter and glam” or “sparkle”.  From glitter makeup to sparkly clothing there’s likely to be something everyone in the bridal party can do to take part.  Those who like to go OTT can and those who prefer under-stated won’t feel left out.
4. Accessories
It can be quite tempting to buy sashes, branded t-shirts and all manner of bizarre accessories for a hen party and you can be sure that the shops aren’t going to be lacking in choice.  Think about what your bride will like, discuss it with her too if you think it’s appropriate and remember she may be inviting people such as her mother in law or sister in law and may not want them to see her wilder side.

5. Home or Away
Hen parties abroad or over-night can be some of the most memorable times but they’re also costly.  Discuss this with your bride up front and don’t go organising something she may begrudge paying for.  Don’t forget that planning to go away will always mean that someone can’t attend for various reasons from responsibilities at work or with children to a lack of budget.
6. Cost
Think about how much it’s going to cost each member of the hen party.  Don’t suggest “everyone paying for the bride” unless you know for sure everyone is capable of pitching in.  Also think about the total cost of the night, from travel and dinner to drinks and club entry…it all adds up.  It’s a good idea to have a few private chats with select members of the group and maybe split the evening into 2 or 3 sections so that people can join at different times if they want.
By Tina Calder, Excalibur Press

SUMMER 2017 EDITION AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE NOW