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Its easy as counting chickens in the hen house!

Sharron Scott
Jun 19, 2014
3 min read

There comes a time in your life when you have to step up and organise your friends hen party, from my own personal experience this maybe something that you have not chosen to do but have been suddenly volunteered by the group and of course you accept with that nervous smile, whilst they all silently heave a huge sigh of relief and say can't wait to see what we are all doing.

1. Chat to the Bride to Be Now some of you may be horrified at this point as you may want the Hen Party to be a complete surprise, this is not an issue but at least find out who the hen would like to attend the party, must haves and also find out the absolute no no's, a good way to find out what they like is ask what hen parties they have enjoyed and which ones were compete horrors, remember this is not your party but theirs! 2. Set The Date Now this may seem the most simple part but in my experience less is more, set a couple of dates to choose from, using the Bride to Be as your benchmark. Now be aware that you are not going to please everyone and some people will not be able to make it, don't worry the ones that want to be there will move their diaries to spend the day with the Bride to Be. So how much notice should you give, we think the best advice here is to think of peoples circumstances and allow them to have a breather between the hen party and the wedding so ideally allow the hen party activities to be at least 8 to 4 weeks before the big day. 3. Location Now here comes the next potential minefield, consider your hens, age groups and also travel expenses including accommodation, the Bride to Be may want to visit New York or stay at a country mansion but how many hens will this alienate. 4. Activities Get to know your audience, you maybe catering for a diverse group of hens including age groups, budgets try not to isolate anyone. A Burlesque workshop might not be how the Mother of the Bride thought you would be spending her day!

Be realistic with your timings, build in time for relaxation don't book an afternoon tea and then only leave an hour to complete it as this is an ideal time for the hens to chat and relax and get to know each other. Also build in time for change of activities ie. transport timings, getting ready from afternoon to the evening. You certainly do not want to create a stressful affair for the hens. Be flexible, you can always build the day or weekend where people can dip in and out of so making it inclusive for all, a great way to do this is set an agenda for the activities and then send it to the Hens and ask them to choose which of these they would like to do, this takes the pressure of them if money is an issue or they really don't fancy the flying trapeze lesson!

6. Dress Codes So everyone is comfortable on the day make sure that you agree a dress code for the day with Bride to Be and the hens, there is no point making the Bride to Be dress up as a Disney Character if this would be her living nightmare.

7. Games Games can be a great way to break the ice especially if you are a group of hens that do not know each other very well, Pass the Parcels are great, personalised games ie. 'He Said, She Said' games which also involve the groom. There are so many ideas out there but remember your audience. You don't want to offend or bore your audience!

5. Communication Once your hen party is planned make sure that you send all details including transport, accommodation, activities, timings, dress codes, money requirements ie. deposits at the outset, this ensures that everyone knows what is expected and there will be no misunderstandings on the build up or the big day. A great way to ensure this is achieved is create a Facebook page for the event so everyone can speak and get to know each other before the day. This allows the hens to chat beforehand and encourages participation and involvement creating a buzz about the day and ensuring that you should all have a glorious time. We hope by following our simple guide you will have a glorious fun Hen Party where you even get to enjoy! We would love to hear your thoughts and share any additional tips and suggestions that you might have.