Hen Party Planning, help! Options

[Misti]

I find myself in the position of having to organise a friend's hen party within the next 6 weeks. Except, I have yet to go to ANY hen party, and I'm having a bit of a panic about my decision-making process.

So, does anyone have any advice? What works and what doesn't? Any recommendations for entertaining games that won't mortify my friend? And how to spend the evening, when she is adament she doesn't want to end up in a nightclub?

I have the basics down, i.e. attendees, date, and location: Although still nothing booked. Now just worrying about the details. I guess I just want it to be special for my friend, and to not mess it up, but I really don't feel like the best equipt person for this kind of thing...

[BadStrad]

Does it have to end up at a night club? A recent party in Cardiff was spent white water rafting in the afternoon then dinner at the Jamie Oliver restaurant - so a day time "do" rather than dinner and a club.

What do you think your friend would enjoy? Is she the adventurous type? Or more into pampering. I went to a fab hen do at The Sanctuary in Covent Garden - massages, swimming hot tubs etc etc and then dinner and drinks mid evening.

You don't have to go with the cliche!

Good luck!

[corenfa]

I'm probably a bad person to give advice about such things as I hate the traditional sort of hen party, and I've never been to one.

However, since it already sounds as though your friend doesn't want the traditional sort of hen party ending up in a nightclub, could it then be any sort of group activity that you know she and your friends will enjoy? Baking together / cooking together / some sort of outdoor activity / some sort of making something else?

[BadStrad]

could it then be any sort of group activity that you know she and your friends will enjoy? Baking together / cooking together / some sort of outdoor activity / some sort of making something else?

That's very trendy right now. "Domestic goddess" parties with cupcakes and you'd be right on trend!

[maggiemay]

My daughter had her hen party a couple of years ago; organised by her best friend from school.

We had to drop hints that DD did not want eg pole dancing lessons.

The final result was a posh afternoon tea in London, then the evening at a dinner / dancing club. Much enjoyed by all - including mum and an adopted-aunt.

This suggestion wouldn't work if your friend doesn't want to end up at a club. So maybe a meal at a really good restaurant in the evening, with some (non-eating or light-eating) activity in the afternoon.

Incidentally, some of the girls booked in at an inexpensive hotel and stayed over, which meant they could all adjourn back there between the afternoon and evening for some silly games.

[randomsabreur]

Mine will hopefully have a catered dinner in posh frocks, followed by Hotel Chocolat sleepover kits... Probably silly board games (chain reaction, articulate, pictionary) and other sociable games (charades, who am i etc). Daytime is going to be walks, clay pigeon shooting and horse riding (+ other stuff I'm not allowed to know!)

[Pixie*Porsche]

How about something like a "black tie" 'do ... without the men at a casino (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[pianoeater]

I'm probably a bad person to give advice about such things as I hate the traditional sort of hen party, and I've never been to one.

However, since it already sounds as though your friend doesn't want the traditional sort of hen party ending up in a nightclub, could it then be any sort of group activity that you know she and your friends will enjoy? Baking together / cooking together / some sort of outdoor activity / some sort of making something else?

I'd always thought you were a guy. BadStrad too! (your name reminds me of Brad I guess haha). Finding out I'm wrong about a forumite's gender always shakes up my world view (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Edit: Or maybe you still are a guy? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) I'm just gonna treat all forumite's as sexless from now on.

Sorry for the off topic post Misti (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) I better run out of this thread before people think I'm female.

[corenfa]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I am female. (but not bothered by people thinking I'm not) Fear not, I have guessed wrong too in the past (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Misti - here are two specific suggestions that I've remembered friends had done for their respective hen parties

- customising hats
- picnic in the park (but they were very lucky with the weather and had to have a backup plan in case it didn't coorperate)

[sbhoa]

Sorry for the off topic post Misti (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) I better run out of this thread before people think I'm female.

Too late. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

[pianoeater]

Sorry for the off topic post Misti (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) I better run out of this thread before people think I'm female.

Too late. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

*facepalm*

[viola-mad]

I'd suggest a group activity during the daytime and a meal together in the evening. What activity you choose depends on what your group of hens is like (outdoorsy, indoorsy or mixed) and whether they all know each other.

I've been on a few hen events, and in every case I've only known one or two of the group. In that situation, it is really good if you have an activity where you can bond a little bit without it being too "forced". Especially for shy hens, this makes having a sociable evening together a lot easier.

Good activities I've done as part of a hen event have included a high ropes course, a group colour analysis and make-up session with an image consultant, a falconry demonstration, and dragon boating.

BadStrad's suggestion of domestic goddess-type parties also sounds great!

[maggiemay]

I wondered about the image / colour session too. I did one years ago and it was just such good fun.

It can open up ideas for colours you 'd never have thought of wearing. And of course there's always that wedding coming up - chance to put the ideas into practice!

[Gertrude]

If the weather is good then a theme park is a good idea, but it may be wrong time of year?

[Floss]

I'm not your conventional 'club' kind of person either, so trying to think what I would want if it were me (Eep...! At some point before 2015 I'm going to have to actually think about this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) Anyway...).

I suppose it depends where you want to have it. If you were based on London you could book one of the pods on the London Eye and have a night time 'flight' with some nice nibbles and cocktails or something. Not cheap, but if there's a few you it would work out quite reasonably probably, especially considering the price of a night out these days! Spa weekends always seem to be popular, or just a day at a spa with a nice meal somewhere afterwards. An adventure-type thing, like abseilling or rafting could be fun too, but it really depends on what sort of things your friend is into! Hope some of this rambling has been on use to you! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)