Everyone knows that the Maid of Honour has a big job when it comes to looking after the bride; her duties include going wedding dress shopping, holding the bouquet, giving a tear-jerking speech and, best of all, organising an unforgettable hen night! Planning the hen night can actually be a pretty stressful task because you want to make sure that you give the bride a night to remember, and that’s a lot of pressure.
We find that overthinking things and taking the planning too seriously can lead to unnecessary anxiety for the bride, so remember to keep calm and have fun! Of course, the bride wants to have an amazing night, but the fact that her best friends and family are there to support her will mean even more.
Here are a few of our top tips for planning the best bachelorette party of all time…
Ask The Bride
First things first, find out what the bride actually wants! Every bride is different, and so it isn’t really one size fits all; you might want to put off the biggest, craziest hen do at a night club in the city centre, but the bride may want something simpler and more refined.
Remember, it’s all about the bride.
As the best friend of the bride to be, you should know her inside out, which means you already have a good idea of what type of night would suit her; but we still recommend that you have a chat with her to establish what’s a go and what isn’t. Where does she want to go? Does she want a one night do or a weekend away? Does she want to head abroad? When does she want it to happen? What is definitely off limits?
Listening to your bestie’s needs means that you will feel confident that you have planned something that is a true reflection of her.
Build A Guest List
Although this may sound like an easy task, it can be rather tricky figuring out what type of atmosphere the bride wants to create, and what group of people will help to achieve that vibe. Firstly, you have to determine whether you want a large or small group of people; during the Covid 19 pandemic, many brides had to limit their gatherings to a few close friends; although this may not have seemed ideal at the time, it has actually become very popular in our post lockdown lives.
Many people have referred to these events as ‘micro hen parties’, and it really rings true that, sometimes, less is more. The reason these small gatherings are trending is because brides often feel that they have a more intimate experience when they spend the evening (or weekend away) with their closest friends and family; this ensures that the event is truly personal and private, giving the bride exactly what she needs before the big day.
Having said that, we are also all for a big fat blowout; if the bride wants to invite every one of her Facebook friends, then give the people what they want!
Once you have decided on the size of your hen do, you need to establish who’s a must and who’s a must-not. Say that two of the bride’s friends don’t get along, you might want to check whether she wants to risk Kate and Rosie having a cat fight on her big night!
Another important question is: does the bride want her mother there? Most of the time, mothers and daughters have a great relationship, but as we’ve said before, every bride is unique. If the bride wants a rowdy night with strippers and alcohol, then she might just want to leave her mum out of the mix. In this case, you may also want to plan a pre-wedding event for the bride and her mother to celebrate together.
Having the right people at the celebration will determine whether the bride has an unforgettable night for a good reason, or for a bad reason. No pressure!
Think About The Budget
When planning a bachelorette party, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and forget about money. This is another topic you need to broach with the bride. Traditionally, the maid of honour is expected to organise a kitty for herself and the bridesmaids; this will help to split the costs of the event and make sure that everyone is spending the same amount.
The budget is actually a very important, and somewhat delicate, task. If the bride is determined that she wants to go abroad for her hen do, then you need to think about how this can be made affordable for everyone in attendance. All the bride’s friends will be in a different financial situation, and so you need to make sure that they are comfortable with the price. In order to avoid an awkward conversation about money, it’s best to find out how much everyone is able to spend.
At the end of the day, the bride would surely prefer having her favourite girls at her big night, than having on a yacht party in Ibiza.
Get Creative With Games & Goodies
We may have mentioned that ‘it’s all about the bride’, and this is true…to an extent. As Maid of Honour, you want your bride to have the time of her life, but you also want to make sure that everyone else is having fun too, including yourself! Many of the bride’s friends and family will have travelled from far and wide to celebrate this special night, and you want to ensure that they feel appreciated. Remember, not everyone at the hen night will know each other, so there is bound to be a little awkwardness within the group dynamic. To begin with, organise some party games; doing this will make everyone feel included and break the ice. If you are struggling for game ideas, go for the classics: beer pong (or champagne pong if you are going for a fancy theme), quiz about the bride, truth or dare, would you rather, or wedding film trivia. These may sound a little silly, but that’s what the night is all about!
Lastly, it’s always a nice touch to make up some cute goodie bags for the guests. These little treats can be given to the bride’s crew before the party, or after; for example, if you fill the bags with cocktail straws and matching t-shirts, then you may want to hand them out before the big night; however, if you are doing a post hen night goodie bag, then you might be including paracetamol and eye drops; this is especially important is the bride is getting married the day after her bachelorette party! If you really want to push the boat out, why not do both?
Items to include in your pre-party goodie bag:
Personalised T-Shirts
Nickname Badges
Sparkly Headbands
Cocktail Stirrers
Mini Prosecco Bottles
Flavoured Lip Balm
Nail Polish
Compact Mirror
Glitter
Wedding Themed Sweeties
Personalised Sashes
Items to include in your post-party goodie bag:
Pampering Face Mask
Paracetamol
Pink Sunglasses
Patterned Plasters
Blister Plasters
Bottle of Water
Fluffy Slippers
Eye Drops
Mouthwash
Make-Up Wipes
Bottle of Body Spray
These little details really do make all the difference when it comes to taking care of the bride and her crew. There you have it, the perfect recipe for a successful hen do!