Hen Party Ideas

Depending on the bride's personality it could be a fun idea to include a few surprises. But remember she only gets one hen night so think carefully.
Should the hen party be a surprise or arranged by the bride? With most hen weekends, the bride is commonly consulted on the basics, the date, time, invite list, and where it will start. The degree of freedom the bridesmaids get to go off piste, depends on the chances of awakening the bridezilla.

The bride will soon be paying for all food, wine and entertainment at the wedding, so whilst there's no hard and fast rule, tradition dictates that the bridesmaids and the other attendees cover the cost of the bride's place on her hen weekend. Better still watch out for the Freedom free place promotion and the bride could be paid by us!

We'd ideally say 4-6 weeks before the wedding to avoid last-minute stress or dress fittings. You should coordinate with the stag weekend and avoid a clash of dates in case mutual friends have child care arrangements. And although it is the brides last night of freedom, it should not be held the night before the wedding, a hungover bride staggering down the aisle does not make happy memories.

Traditionally, the hen night was for female family and friends. If you are planning a more raucous hen party then ask yourself; should I invite my mum and mother-in-law to my hen do? If they get on really well with your friends and throw themselves into the spirit of things, then even the most-raunchy hen night will be fun to share across generations.
We find many brides have an extra low-key hen locally with just dinner, afternoon tea, or a daytime activity. There is no doubt that memories are made for life on a hen night and sharing with everyone that is close to you will make it even more special.
However, there is a dilemma for those not close to you, perhaps your sister-in-law shouldn’t be invited if she’ll put a dampener on proceeding. Remember it is completely up to you who you invite, no pressure, a short-term grudge won’t last long.

The average cost of a UK hen weekend is £155, and £185 for a hen abroad (minus flights). But with hen activities starting from less than £30, Freedom can accommodate any budget you have. You can save money by booking a free brides place with a large group or speak with your Freedom account manager with their specialist location know. They know how to combine activities to fit your budget.

The most obvious way is old school bank transfers, but it is cumbersome making sure everyone has your bank account number, sort code and name as a reference. You’ll need multiple payments from everyone to pay deposits and a spreadsheet of payments in and payments out to suppliers. Say goodbye stress and hassle with Freedom’s individual payment system, no chasing for you, as girls pay us direct and supplier get paid on time, every time.

Hen weekends average 12-16 girls, smaller groups may face less activity choice or simply share the minimum fee. For larger groups over 20 we recommend you reserve for your best guess on numbers. The top tip is to reserve early because availability reduces and prices increase nearer the date, you certainly don’t want to miss your preferred time slot because some of the girls are noncommittal. Freedom has reserved groups up to 50 ladies before and since the attendees pay us direct you have no pressure or financial worry of people owing you money.

With so much to organise including invites, activities, accommodation, games, fancy dress and payments, you will probably want to choose a head bridesmaid and one or two others to handle everything. But it is very important after consultation that the chief bridesmaid picks the hen activities and accommodation. Too many cooks spoil the broth and before you know it, everyone gets involved; the decision making is paralysed and availability slots disappear before your eyes.

Hen party planning is no exception to the rule that one size does not fit all. Your Hen Party should be a celebration of you, and if planning it yourself is what you want to do, then what the bride wants the bride gets. But be aware like all girl’s weekends away the planning of them can be an actual nightmare. ‘That’s too expensive!’, ‘I can’t do that weekend!’, and ‘Can I let you know nearer the time?’ are the bane of every Maid of Honour’s existence.
Finding the perfect hen-do destination will feel like mission impossible. The no stress and aggro answer is to get a helping hand from a hen party planning manager with years of experience. That’s where Freedom come in.