April 2016

We Want Your Thoughts on Stag & Hen Parties!

joel your hen nights

Help us on our mission to discover the UK's hen party habits!

We've teamed up with the lads over at StagStuff.co.uk to create the ultimate hen/stag do questionnaire. If you've got a few minutes to spare, we'd really appreciate it if you'd fill it out and share your opinions with us!

If the form below isn't working properly, please click here to view it on Google Docs.

We want to hear from as many men and women as possible, so please share this survey with your friends and family members (regardless of gender!) Here's the link to give them: http://goo.gl/forms/6FRjBuf7a5

12 Tools and Tricks for the Tech-Savvy Bride

laura wedding stuff

Don't get me wrong, when it comes to weddings, some things just have to be done the old fashioned way. We're not saying that you should send out your invites via Facebook, or ditch the wedding photographer for your selfie stick, but there are lots of ways that you can use today's tech to make sure everything goes smoothly on the big day. Whether it's to refine your budget or make life easier for your guests, here are 12 tech tools and tricks to help you pull off the wedding of your dreams!

Be Your Own DJ

Let's be real here, how many of us have been to a wedding with a truly terrible DJ? While this cringey character has been seen as something of an essential at wedding receptions for many years, these days, more and more couples are opting out of the obligatory DJ hire in favour of their own playlist! Thanks to tools like Spotify, you can create your own party playlist with no trouble at all, the only thing you have to do is make sure you've got an adequate sound system to belt those tunes out of!

*Top Tip: Ask your guests to send you song requests via invite responses, or simply ask on social media. That way, everyone will get a chance to hear a song they love, and you should be able to get everyone singing and dancing at some point in the night.

Make an Online Gift List

As the years progress, the traditional wedding gift system seems to get more and more out-of-date. Most couples will already have their own home together by the time they tie the knot, which means that fruit bowls and tumbler sets aren't really the best option for guests looking to congratulate the couple. Thankfully, even this somewhat redundant wedding tradition has received a modern update, thanks to sites like Prezola. With both a free and paid version available, couples can put together a list of items, which guests can then log-on and purchase for them - simple! It doesn't just stop at physical gifts either, guests can contribute to the couple's honeymoon fund or even donate to a charity close to the pair's heart!

Create a Wedding Hashtag

Want to extend your wedding event to social media? Why not create your very own wedding hashtag! That way you can see all the posts from your guests in one place, and even look back on the excitement surrounding your day in years to come. Need some help coming up with ideas? Check out these wedding hashtag tips from Style me Pretty.

Share Your Photobooth Snaps on Facebook

Photobooths have to be one of the biggest wedding trends of recent years, as a growing love for film nostalgia combines with our compulsion for selfies. Giving your guests a chance to get-together and take some snaps with silly props in a limited time frame was always going to be fun, but it's also proven to be a fantastic way to provide keepsakes to help people remember the day. It's also linked perfectly with Facebook 'tagging' culture, as many of the companies who offer this service also allow the photographs to be directly uploaded onto the social network.

Create an Online Seating Plan - For Free

Having trouble envisioning your venue filled with guests? No problem, All Seated is here to help! Allowing you to be your own wedding planner, this amazingly useful tool allows you to arrange your event and floor plan from start to finish, even giving you a 3D view of the room. You have the ability to fine-tune the details to suit your exact room and table dimensions, giving you an incredibly accurate impression of how your event will look on the day. You can even import data from Excel and contact lists, so you don't have to worry about starting all-over again if you've already got a leg-up on your planning. Did we mention it's FREE?

Planning Woes? There's an App for That

From mindfulness to booking a taxi, there seems to be an app for just about everything these days! If you're a bride on the go who likes to have all the details in the palm of her hand, then WeddingHappy is definitely the tool for you! Available to download from the itunes store, this clever app allows you to organise your tasks and budget side-by-side, so you can access everything that needs to be sorted with total ease! There's even a handy countdown and task tracker, so you can see how much you've completed, and by when - perfect for those who love the satisfying feeling of ticking things off their to-do list!

Get Pinning!

This one is something of an obvious choice, but it's earned a valuable place on our list nonetheless! Pinterest has to be one of the most useful, free online tools for wedding planning, particularly in the early stages! At the beginning of your planning process, you may be overwhelmed by all the ideas heading your way, or even have completely no idea what you want! That's where Pinterest is great, as it allows you to browse thousands of wedding images all in one place, as well as helping you keep track of inspiration you've found on other sites! You can also neatly divide each board by theme, item, or any other attribute you can think of, for easy browsing when you head back to your page. Check out the HenStuff Pinterest page here.

Keep all Your Guest Memories in one Place

We've got another useful app for you, but this one includes your guests, and extends to the actual day of your wedding! In a similar way to our point about hashtags, the Wedding Party app allows you and your guests to keep all of your wedding news and photos in one place, with the advantage of being a little more private than Twitter and Instagram!

In the lead up to the wedding, you can organize your guestlist, and keep people who've downloaded the app up-to-date with all the important details. For on the day, it has lots of fun activities and tools to keep your guests occupied, providing a fantastic visual record for you to look back on. If you don't have the budget to splash out on a photobooth, this app also has its very own 'phonobooth' function, which allows you and your guests to create photostrips, and even make funny wedding GIFs! It's available from both the itunes and Android stores.

Use Tech to get Your Bridal Bod

Before we get onto this point, we think it's important to note that we are not in any way suggesting that you have to lose weight for your wedding. How you look and feel in your dress is completely down to the individual, and of course it's important to feel like the best version of yourself at your wedding, not someone else. That being said, it's undeniable that many brides choose to get in shape for their big day, which isn't really surprising when so much attention is centred on the dress! Luckily, these days you don't have to fork out a fortune on gym memberships and PTs to shape up, thanks to the multitude of fitness videos, apps and wearable technology available to help you along your fitness journey!

Add a QR Code

Ever used your phone to scan a sweet pack or magazine add? Well, why not use this easily available technology to pull off a more tech-savvy wedding? You can use this tool to perform a variety of functions by generating your unique code for free, which, when scanned, will send your guests to your desired online destination. From linking your guests to a Google map to help them find your location, to allowing your guests to RSVP online, the possibilities with this nifty piece of phone technology are truly endless!

Use Free Online Graphics for Your Invites

Thrifty culture has truly thrived in the online era, thanks to crafty blogs and tutorials on sites like Youtube and Pinterest. This means that you can save money on getting your invites professionally designed and made, wither by making them yourself, or by downloading affordable/free template online, choosing your own font and graphics. We lose these above designs from Wedding Chicks which you can also use for place settings, signs and more, so your wedding will be completely coordinated in every way!

Last Minute for Weddings?

This tip certainly isn't for everyone, but if you're committed to keeping the costs down, or if you need to plan your wedding in a strict time frame, then this could be a great option for you. Canceled Weddings provides a service for couples from all over the world to buy and sell weddings, which means that you could save a considerable amount on the cost of your venue, if you take-on the booking from a couple who've cancelled. They also offer a range of last minute deals for specific dates, which include the venues themselves, as well as entertainment providers, photographers and more. Like we said, this won't be for everyone, but it's certainly worth knowing about if you're looking to nab a bargain!

For more wedding and hen party tips, follow on Facebook and Twitter!

The Top Glamorous Hen Party Destinations

andrew hen party ideas

Thinking of having a hen weekend away but you're looking for a destination a little more glamorous and upmarket? If that's the case, here's our round up of the top Glamorous Hen Party Destinations that are sure to cater to even the most luxurious of tastes!

Marbella

If you want to live the luxurious lifestyle of a celeb then a hen party in Marbella is a must! Playboys, Footballers, celebs from all over the place flock to Marbella all year round, there's no telling who you'll bump into! This luxurious hen party destination is home to 23 gorgeous beaches, so you certainly won't be stuck for choice on which beach to relax on. There are plenty of activities you can be getting up to, from a luxury spa day to Catamaran Cruise's; you certainly won't be bored in Marbella! If you're worried that this luxurious destination will break your bank, worry not! This luxurious is surprisingly affordable. So what are you waiting for? Head to Marbella and party with the celebs!

Madrid

Madrid is an exciting and lively city, full of clubs that never close, fashion that's truly fierce and where the music is always playing! Madrid is mouth opening gorgeous, it's full of majestic royal palaces, historic medieval mansions and fantastic futuristic showpieces. You certainly won't struggle keeping the girls entertained in Madrid, with a plethora of fantastic shops, flamenco dance lessons and cocktail making lessons. If all this hasn't persuaded you to come to Madrid for your hen weekend away, it's worth mentioning that Madrid has the most bars in Europe, if that doesn't persuade you, we don't know what will!

Bendalmadena

Located on the Costa del Sol, Bendalmadena offers you boiling hot sunshine in the day and a buzzing hot nightlife. This luxurious destination has plenty of golden sandy beaches, cultural treasures, all nighters on the Plaza Solymar and a swanky marina, that's full to the brim with glamorous boats and bars. If you're looking for a luxurious hen weekend destinations that's full of beautiful beaches, glorious weather and terrific party atmosphere, Bendalmadena is the destination for you!

Nice

Located in the south of France, nice is brimming with beauty and wealth and is known to attract plenty of glamorous film starts. With white sandy beaches, tall palm trees and beautiful turquoise waters, we can see why they flock to this beautiful city! The city is filled with swanky, upmarket bars, which makes drinking a bottle of wine to yourself seem sophisticated - which is great news for you wine lovers! You girl's certainly won't be bored in this beautiful city with daytime activities that include parasailing and wine tasting, you're guaranteed to be fully entertained all weekend long! If you're a fan of stellar shops, beautiful beaches and bars, look no further than Nice!

Paris

If the Bride-to-be is a bit sophisticated and fancies a city break away, then Paris is the perfect destination for your hen weekend! This beautiful city is ideal for lovers of fashion and culture but that doesn't mean the party animals in your group won't enjoy it as well! By night the streets are lit up with a twinkle of a million lights and you're never more than a few steps from a cosmopolitan cafe or a luxurious club. Paris is filled with great daytime activities that cater for any taste, so everyone is guaranteed to enjoy themselves on your Paris hen weekend away!

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo is famous for casinos, 5 star hotels, yacht parties and more glitz and glamour than any girl can handle, words can't describe how gorgeous this place is! Filled with sculpted pools, striking hotels and palm trees that line the street, you'll feel like a star studded celebrity here! If you girls are all about the glitz and glamour then a Monte Carlo hen weekend is a must!

For more great hen party inspiration, check out our Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest pages!

A Right Royal Hen Party

laura classy hen nights

As it's the Queen's birthday this week, we thought it would be a great idea to share some royalty themed hen party ideas with you. If you're looking to make your hen a classy affair with a touch of indulgence, then this is definitely the theme for you, with the opportunity to adapt it to suit your specific tastes and budget. Whether you want to go down the novelty route, or simply incorporate some royalty-favoured activities into your sophisticated hen do, there are a multitude of ways that you can use this theme to make your hen party a royal success!

Where To Drink

If you're looking to sample a touch of the royal VIP experience, then there's nowhere better to visit than Mayfair's famous Mahiki club. Known for hosting a myriad of young royals and celebrities over the years, including Prince Harry, this club is most certainly the place to go if you're looking to push the boat out for your hen. While it's known for it's exclusivity and famous clientele, Mahiki does offer a more relaxed approach in comparison to other high-end clubs, with its laid-back decoration scheme and not-too-strict door policy. While it may not be as difficult to gain entry as it would be in similar venues, it's worth keeping in mind that you shouldn't simply expect to walk in at any time without booking. You'll still need to abide by the smart dress code, and ensure that you visit either at an easily accessible time, or after having pre-booked a table to secure your place. Full details of policies, prices and how to book can be found here.

What to do

A royalty themed hen party gives you lots of scope for daytime activities, here are a few of our favourites:

Afternoon Tea

When you think of British royalty, few images appear in the mind quite as strongly as the idea of a silver service tea. Luckily, afternoon tea packages, including those created specifically for hens, have become increasingly popular in the market over the past few years. As a result, there are a multitude of options available for this quintessentially British experience throughout the UK, so you can be sure that you will be able to add this to your plans wherever you decide to stay. It's even possible to achieve this element of the theme at home, either by creating your own selection of food and decorations, or by hiring a travelling tea party provider. For the most authentic experience, we suggest you head to London, which has a range of up-market venues to choose from, and an added sense of Britishness. Our personal favourite is the delightfully girly yet elegant Sketch Gallery, known for it's iconic pink decoration scheme.

A Day at the Races

It's no secret that the royal family love their horses, with it being a well-known fact that the Queen herself likes a flutter. For that reason, a trip to the races is a great idea for a hen party day out, with the opportunity to have a nice win to put towards the rest of your celebrations. It's also a great excuse for you and the rest of the ladies to give yourself a bit of a pamper and to get dressed up, allowing you to be night-out ready in time for the evening's festivities. Luckily, there are an abundance of hen party packages for groups who would like to attend a race day, including this weekend in Chester, with provided accommodation and club entry.

DIY Inspiration

If you're planning on hosting your hen on a budget, or if you're going to be organizing some of it from home, there are an abundance of simple DIY ideas that you can use to make it a success. To help you think of some, we've put together this handy Pinterest board, which has a selection of images to inspire your royal hen. For your colour scheme, gold elements are definitely a must, so be sure to incorporate this into your plans when organizing your party's decoration scheme. In terms of food, as previously mentioned you could use elements of the classic afternoon tea, while also adding in a few royalty-themed extras to add some character to your plates. For us, anything shimmery is a must, which is why we love these delectable Pink Champagne cake pops with edible gold leaf, and these pretty embellished macarons.

Accessories

While we've placed a great deal of emphasis on making your royal hen a classy affair, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to indulge in a touch of hen party tackiness as well. After all, a hen weekend should never be taken too seriously, so it's important to keep those elements of fun and silliness about it, even if you're going for a more sophisticated, penis-free vibe. Luckily, we have the perfect set of accessories to compliment your royal hen party, allowing you to indulge in a spot of traditional hen party humour, without completely abandoning your theme.

This set of pink tiaras is ideal for getting all your hens involved in the theme, adding a sense of uniformity without being too loud or over the top. They would also be great for handing out in party packs or goody bags, which could also follow the theme of your trip/night. For the bride herself, we have our luxury bride to be tiara, and our signature tiara veil, which will allow her to stand out from the rest of the group without making her feel too silly.

For more hen party inspiration, follow us on Twitter!

Check out our other Hen Party accessories!

Bride to be Light up Tiara Bride to be Light up Tiara £6.99

Bride to Be Veil with Printed Willies Bride to Be Veil with Printed Willies £3.99

Bride to Be Tiara and veil Bride to Be Tiara and veil £3.99

Essentials for a Festival Hen

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This week we've placed a a rather large focus on festival hen parties, partially due to the approach of Coachella, and partially to get us in the summer spirit now that the sun is staring to make an appearance! Luckily, festivals and hen parties tend to go a hand in hand, thanks to their shared tendencies to include fancy dress, glitter, inappropriate dancing, and of course, alcohol! If you're going to survive your festival hen party, and make it one of the the best weekends of your life, then you're going to need a few essential items to help you along the way!

Get Your Drink on:

Whether it's a country cider or your dodgy home-made wine, festivals are almost as well known for their alcohol as they are for their music! The same can be said for hen parties, which have a long tradition of providing the bride-to-be with countless opportunities to get their drink on, all from hilarious novelty drinking items. Luckily, at HenStuff we have an extensive selection of drinking accessories, some of which would be perfect for a festival hen! Our rainbow willy straws are one of our favourite sets of the whole bunch, as they take the hen party staple to a new level by translating it into a spectrum of eye-catching colours. Another accessory which would be perfect for a festival is this handy shot glass necklace, which has you prepared for a shot on the spot, without requiring you to rifle around in your bag.

Suitably Silly Accessories:

At festivals, no one is likely to bat an eyelid if you're half naked with glittery nipple covers, or if you're dressed head to toe in a sheep onesie - anything goes! Luckily, this means that you won't have to worry about wearing any crazy hen party accessories like you would on a visit to a high-end club, so make the most of it! From fairy wings to Hawaiian garlands, we have all the usual, colourful festival accessories, as well as some naughty and ridiculous hen party items to help you stay on-theme. These willy head boppers are sure to get you spotted, even in a crowd full of festival-goers!

Light up the Night:

Any great festival has just as much to enjoy by night as it does during the day, so you'll want to make sure that you and your hens stand out, even after dark. Whether you just want to glow under the UV lights, or be a bit more flashy, there are plenty of accessories you can use to take the party into the wee hours. While glow sticks may remind you of school discos, we promise that they're just as fun for adults, especially when you experiment with different colour combinations. We also have the classic L plate, but with a bit of a twist- it lights up! This accessory is great for any hen night, but is particularly appropriate for festivals, where friends can be hard to spot in big crowds. Finally, we also stock this delightfully tacky, party girl necklace, which as you may have guessed, also lights up! While this is intended purely for the purpose of novelty, you may find it comes in handy to light your path after a drunken night when you need to make it back to your tent!

Mark Your Turf!

If you're heading to a festival for your hen, that doesn't mean that all the hen party decorations have to go out the window! In fact, decorating your tent with hen-themed accessories is a fantastic way to make that little patch of soil your own, while also making it far easier for you to find your tents amongst the hundreds of other, near identical pitches. Party banners are, of course, a must, but make sure you fasten them securely, or you may come back to find that they've disappeared in the wind! If you're looking to combine your hen party decorations with typical festival trimmings, then the ever-popular flag is a great way to identify your camp, giving you a satisfying feeling of owning your own territory! For making your way around during the day, why not take a silly willy mascot with you, it's a great way to start some rather interesting conversations with strangers that's for sure. It's also the perfect way to find your way back to your friends, if you've had to pop for a toilet break mid-set.

Handy Bits:

As well as thinking of all the fun and colourful accessories that you can take with you to make the trip more amusing, you're also going to have to make sure that you have the practical side of things taken care of too. While sun lotion and wellies are a no-brainer, there are lots of other must-have items that you should always have at the ready on a festival trip. Hand and face wipes are one essential you should have in abundance, for everyday hygiene, and in case of emergency mud splashes! For the toilet situation, you should also come well-prepared, both physically and mentally! If the thought of parking your bottom on a well overused festival toilet seat gives you nightmares, have no worries, HenStuff are here to help! These sitting pretty toilet seat covers are the perfect barrier for germaphobes, allowing you to pee in comfort without a worry or care!

Happy Snacking!

Although there will be plenty of food stalls to visit when you're in need of a snack that's a tad more substantial, it's always good to have something sweet to give you a dose of energy on the go. Whatever you fancy, we have a great selection of sweet shop staples here at HenStuff, perfect as a mid-journey snack on your way to the festival, or as a well-needed fatigue killer after a long day on your feet. From love hearts to lollies, there has to be at least one childhood favourite amongst out selection that all of your group will love! If you'd like to stay on theme, even with your choice of sweets, then we also have some naughty willy-shaped delectables for your hens to enjoy. This pack of cola flavoured willies are an ideal choice, as they combine a strange but winning combination of nostalgia and naughtiness.

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Our Favourite Wedding Films

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If you're looking to relieve some of the stress from planning your own wedding, why not take a second to sit back, relax, and watch a classic wedding movie? Let's face it, there isn't a single wedding film where everything runs smoothly from start to finish, so the plot and barmy characters should make you feel a little better about your own planning worries. If you're not sure what to pick, we can guarantee that one of these picks should fit the bill rather nicely:

Four Weddings and a Funeral

This classic, British rom-com is probably the most famous wedding movie in existence, which makes is a great place to start if you're organising a wedding movie marathon. It's a typical 'will-they-won't-they' story, but with a fantastic cast and script that will keep you laughing and crying in equal measures right until the very end.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

This feel-good film is easy to watch, and is almost certain to put a smile on your face. A story of love acceptance, and tradition, it explores the difficulty of navigating the path between the expectations of others, and what you truly want. Let's face it, this is feeling that almost all brides will have been able to relate to at some point or another, and it will also leave you feeling somewhat relieved that your family are not quite as difficult as you originally thought.

The Wedding Signer

If you're a fan of your 80's tunes, then this is most certainly the wedding film for you! It has a sweet and well-executed story with likeable characters and a fun soundtrack, which is all you could really want from a great wedding romance. It may also make you reaaaally want to book a wedding band for your evening festivities... just saying.

Wedding Crashers

This comedy is a hilarious alternative to your typical wedding film, with lead actors Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn teaming up to play a not-so-romantic pair of protagonists. From moments of drink-spitting laughter to heart-warming declarations of love that will make you go 'awww', this film is guaranteed to leave you in a great mood. You'll also feel pretty fortunate that your own family, despite their faults, are a 100% more normal than this crazy bunch...

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Yes it's profoundly sexist and hella cheesy, but we can forgive it (I mean it's a 1950's film set in 1800's America right?). If you're looking for some colourful, sing-along fun that will keep you entertained and engaged from start to finish, then there really aren't many films that pull it off as successfully as this iconic musical.

Bridesmaids

This is one for you and the girls - perfect for a night in with a bottle of wine. If you're looking to lighten up an evening of hen party planning or wedding invitation writing, this film is sure to give you a good ol' giggle throughout. You should also feel a lot better about dress fittings after watching this film, as there is no way that yours could be as bad as the famous scene in this film...

American Pie 3 - The Wedding

We sat through two cringe-filled films waiting for Jason Biggs to get the girl, so it's great to see his efforts finally pay off in the third instalment of the series. As we all know, however, nothing ever goes smoothly and hitch-free in an American Pie film, so there's also good dose of sick humour and laugh-out-loud moments to keep you entertained throughout.

Mamma Mia

This film is full to the brim with sing-along opportunities and funny moments, making it the perfect choice to enjoy with your family and friends. There aren't many people in existance who don't love at least one Abba song, and this film will have you all humming the classics for days after you've sat down watched it.

The Father of the Bride

This wedding film is so good, they made it twice! Whether you're a fan of the 1950's original, the 90's remake, or both, you're sure to enjoy sitting down on a lazy afternoon in front of this heart-warming family tale. Not only is it entertaining and funny, but it's also very honest, in the way that it deals with the dilemmas of a father presented with the prospect of giving away his daughter.

The Corpse Bride

If you're looking for a completely different kind-of wedding film, then this is it! Tim Burton's creepy, melancholy tale of love and betrayal has a cast of quirky characters that will keep you coming back to watch it again and again, no matter how old you are! While it may not be the most heart-warming of our list, it's a thoroughly entertaining film with an interesting plot and great art design.

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