Best Hen Party: Top Tips from a Bridesmaid Who Has Seen It All
A hen party (or more commonly called a bachelorette party) is a celebration organized for a bride to be, usually prepared by her close friends. As may be obvious from the name itself, this occasion is exclusively for female friends and relatives only and takes place from a few months to a few days before the wedding.
It is known by different names around the world, a popular term would be “bachelorette party” as it is often referred to in the US. In South Africa, on the other hand, they have a gathering called “kitchen tea” where the girls get together for a tea party, making sure to gift the new bride with items to stuff her new kitchen.
There are no specific rules to what a hen party should be, and the arrangements would usually depend on the preferences of the group. It can be as simple as a quiet night out, chilling over coffee or wine, with light music in the background. Or it can be as intense as a whole night of clubbing and partying with the girls. Whatever you do, there is one sure requirement – and that is for everyone to have a good time with the bride.
If you have been tasked to organize a hen party or bachelorette party for a friend, do not panic yet. Here are a few simple steps you can take to make sure you prepare a fabulous hens’ night by checking hens night Sydney:
Manage Your Budget
Before you start planning what to do and where to go, check the finances first. Reach out to the friends of the couple and figure out who is willing to shell out their contribution for the party. Make sure to only work within the available budget because you surely do not want to find yourself in debt after throwing an extravagant gathering.
Having a discussion with friends does not have to be an embarrassing and messy affair, and should be done voluntarily. Remember that people have different financial situations, and some may be having troubles you may not know about. Just be open about your plans and let them offer any amount they feel comfortable sharing.
Do It Yourself
After figuring out how much you can spend, make a checklist of the things or accessories that you need to use. You do not have to buy everything and some materials are actually easy to make by yourself. Also, check on your group of friends for those who are particularly skilled at arts and crafts, and ask if they are available to work on the more complicated pieces.
Do not take on all the work yourself, as this party is a group effort. Maybe there are other people who would have wanted to do something special for the couple but have no idea what they can do, or are feeling too shy to ask. Give them the opportunity, and they may just thank you for it while also making your life a lot easier as well.
Send Out an Itinerary
Now that you are getting a better picture of what the event is going to be like, make a list of all the intended guests and have a quick consult with the bride to make sure you do not miss out on someone important. With a guest list on hand, mark a few dates for the big day and check the availability of the attendees.
Leave yourself a couple of options for the date, just in case there would suddenly be a conflict in the schedules of some of the guests. This way, you get breathing space when working on the venue and other arrangements.
Timing is Everything
Make sure to schedule the party at least a few days before the wedding. You do not want to have the guests attend the wedding with bloodshot eyes, pale faces, and dark circles under their eyes. This is especially true for the bride.
Having the celebration way before the wedding would ensure that all the attendees would have enough time to recover and get the mandatory beauty rest. This way, they do not have to hold themselves back during the occasion and can freely enjoy themselves through the night.
Game Time!
Have a short chat with the guests and find out what they like and do not like to do. This will help prevent any awkwardness during the party, like having one of the guests do something they are not comfortable with. After finding of their preferences, add a variety of fun activities to the itinerary so that there will be something to do for everyone.
That said, choose a venue that can accommodate the activities that you had in mind, and the group would not need to transfer from one location to another. Changing venues can lead to various other issues such as traffic, finding a parking spot, or the guests may be feeling too tired or worked up to move to another place.
Keep Your Hen Party Simple
Know that the best parties do not have to be too complicated. Sometimes the fun is in the simplicity itself. Also, having too much complexity may take the spotlight away from the bride, which is the last thing you would want to happen. This is her night, after all.
Don’t Over-Plan (or be too bossy!)
As you picture the events of the day in your head, remind yourself to be flexible and be open to any changes or adjustments that you may need to do. Forcing the guests to complete all the activities when they are already tired, or maybe getting tipsy, would take all the fun out of the whole thing.
Maybe you have a lot of games prepared, but the guests are already too tired to play. Or you planned for some outdoor fun, but the weather was not working out for you. Take all of these in stride and prepare a backup plan, just in case.
Have an Amazing Time
Lastly, even though you are the organizer and overall, in charge, you are also part of the bachelorette party. You should have a good time too. These are all your friends and spending this memorable time with them should be something you will look back with a smile a few years later, and maybe add a couple of laughs as well.