The responsibility of planning the hen party usually falls to the Chief Bridesmaid and presuming that she has known the Bride to be for some time she is best placed to know what the bride will want and who to invite. Obviously she will need to liase with the bride to decide on what the hen ‘do’ will actually be.

Years ago a hen party was simply a girly night out at, say a night club, possibly with a stripper a couple of days before the wedding – leaving enough time for sore heads to stop thumping so everyone was fresh for the big day!!

Chief Bridesmaid

But in these modern times Chief Bridesmaids are organising  hen parties that are stretching into hen weekends and even a whole week abroad – I wouldn’t mind but I was heavily pregnant for mine (how disgusting!!) and just spent a quiet evening sipping tea with my friends (how boring!!)so I’m feeling more than a little envious.

One thing to bear in mind is whether it is just to be the bride to be’s friends or if family will be coming along too. It is probably not wise to book a stripper if the new mother in law is to be present, unless of course you have two hen nights – one pretty raucous and drunken and the other perhaps a pleasant meal to include the older members of the group.

The main thing to bear in mind is that everyone has fun, (hopefully the bride doesn’t let herself down) and she waves goodbye to being a singleton with fond memories.

It is a good idea to plan the hen night/party in advance to be certain that everyone who would want to come is able to and also consider numbers. Personally, from experience, I would suggest 20 as a maximum but it does depend on the what activity you are actually considering. A meal for 20 would be great (as long as the restaurant you choose can cope) but trying to organise a holiday for that many may prove a bit of a logistical nightmare.

In addition to considering who to invite it is worth bearing in mind if the activity will be to everyone’s taste and budget – unless of course the bride (or her family) are in the enviable position of being able to pay for it themselves.

In Conclusion – Points to Consider

• When will the hen party take place? It is often advisable to make sure there is at least  few days in between the party and the wedding in order for hangovers to have worn off!
• How many guests will be invited?
• What form will the hen night/party take?
• What is the taste of those guests? Are they up for a drunken night with a stripper or perhaps something a little more tasteful?
• What is the budget of those guests if they are expected to pay for themselves? This applies more if you are thinking of going away on a holiday – not everyone can afford a five star hotel!!
• If you are considering a holiday or spa break – does the hotel/resort allow single sex groups?
• If you are planning a night out – make sure taxi cabs are booked for the safe return home of the guests.
• If you are going out for a meal does the restaurant require you to pre order the food to make sure you are not waiting too long.
• Are you planning a dress code – ie all in pink or all wearing matching personalised tee shirts!