So, you've been trusted with the responsibility of planning a hen party; congratulations! At first, you'll probably be pleased to have been given such an important role, but after a while, you may start to regret your approval after realising the amount of work that you've taken on...
The reality of planning a hen do is often far more stressful than you would think at first, it's more than just ordering Hen Party Essentials (although this IS very important) but with a bit of determination and forethought, you can make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible for everyone involved. Here are our tips for planning a great hen do, that won't be a flop for any of your guests:
Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More!
Naturally the extent of your planning will depend upon the length and location of the hen, but it's still important to keep on top of all your tasks, whether you're planning a night out in your local city or a long weekend overseas. Your first priority should be to finalise the guest list, so you can have definite numbers to plan with when booking transportation, venues and activities. Once that's done, you can then move on to the booking process itself, and finalise your plans for the party. If you're hoping to fit in a variety of activities, you may want to draw up an itinerary to make sure everyone is clear on the plans, and to ensure that you are able to fit everything within your time frame. To make it easier for you, we've created this free hen party itinerary printable to help you plan out the running order of the days.
Involve Your Bride Without Being a Nag
It's highly likely that by the time the hen party arrives, your bride will be sick to death of making plans and checking bookings, thanks to months of pre-wedding stress. That means it's important to take on as much of the responsibility as possible, so that she can truly enjoy herself without having to worry about the little details. Having said that, it's also important that you ask for her input when needed, or at least get a good idea of what she wants before you start planning. A good way to do this is to plan a relaxing day out such as a shopping trip or a lunch date, so you can get a good idea of what the bride wants in a chilled out, stress-free atmosphere.
Keep All Your Guests in Mind
"So I have to keep in mind what the bride wants as well as everyone else?" Yep, pretty much.. We understand that it isn't the simplest of tasks to keep all the guests happy, and if your try to please everyone you'll end up driving yourself mad, however, it's important that you avoid making people feel left out at all costs. One case where this issue often arises is when there is a diverse age group attending the hen, or if you have invited a friend of the bride who isn't familiar with the rest of the attendees.
A great way to solve the issue of age and demographic, is simply by making sure that your plans are diverse enough to suit a range of tastes, so that everyone will find something to enjoy throughout the weekend. Another idea is to split the hen into a distinct day/night affair, so that those who aren't a fan of clubbing don't feel obliged to spend hours out dancing. If you're concerned about an individual feeling left out from the rest of the group, you may want to reach out to them before the hen to help them feel welcome. You could add them on social media or get their phone number from the bride, so that you can introduce yourself and help them feel included before you go away.
Why not get the girls matching with these sashes:
