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wedding. If you live near wine country, why not try a day of wine tasting with your bridesmaids instead of the usual pub crawl. Local wineries are happy to suggest itineraries. Choose a designated driver or arrange for a car service. Depending on the number of wines sampled and the generosity of the pour, each tasting can easily add up to one or more full glasses of wine.
For the more adventurous at heart, you might want to plan an afternoon of parasailing or learning to rock climb. Perhaps try your hand at scuba diving.
Why not take an entire weekend for a spa getaway rather than a one-night event. In that case you have plenty of options. Consider whether you want a weekend filled with pampering beauty treatments or perhaps one that caters to the soul with refreshing hikes, meditation, and exercise. Sites such as Red Day Balloons have some ideas available.
•Restaurants•Night Clubs•Tin Pin Bowling•Slumber Parties•Male Revues•Amusement Parks•Girls Night In Parties•Fortune-tellers•Theatre/Concert•Weekends away•Hot Air Ballooning•Horse Riding•Hiking•Camping•Winery tours•Parasailing•Rock climbing•Scenic walks
LOCATION IDEAS
For a list of great location ideas, access our Bride Online directory and click onto your relevant state.
If you already have plans for a night of bar hopping, spice up the event. Start the evening at your favourite restaurant, and move from club to club, choosing a different atmosphere for each stop. Perhaps after that, a mellow jazz venue. Finish the night at a quiet neighbourhood watering hole where you and your bridesmaids can squeeze into a cosy booth and share memories over a bottle of chardonnay.
Some other suggestions:
•Nature Lover - Rough it in tents or enjoy cosy cabins, go hiking in or take in a scenic route.
•Slumber Party - Why not stay in and have the girls/guys over for a slumber party? Mix your own drinks with DigitalBartender.com.
ENTERTAINMENT IDEAS
• Restaurants - Have a lovely meal with the girls and enjoy a fun night telling stories and jokes.
• Clubs - Enjoy yourselves at various venues around town including bowling clubs or night clubs
• Male Reviews - Take the girls on a fun night out at a male review club for exciting entertainment
•Check with the bride about who she really wants to be there -- should it be just close friends and family, or work colleagues too?
•Make sure you get all the necessary contact details.
•Hen nights are often organised as a surprise for the bride, but make sure you get an idea of what she’d like to do -- there’s no point having a wild night in a club when she’d rather a quiet day in a spa.
•Sound out her friends to see if they’ve got ideas, too.
•Get in touch with all the hens as soon as possible -- if you have a large group to organise, finding a date and a location to suit everyone may take time.
Perfect planning
•Don’t under any circumstances hold the hen night on the night before the wedding!
•Choose a weekend a week or two before the wedding, and try to combine it with the stag do.
•Think about where you want to hold the party -- do most of her friends live in one area or is there a central location which would make a good meeting-point for everyone?
•If you're inviting older friends or mums, choose a venue that everyone feels comfortable in -- if in doubt, split the do into various stages, such as a meal for everyone, and wild clubbing later for the young ones.
•Plan a few thoughtful treats. This could be anything from a guest book signed by all the hens to a photo album containing photographs of her life.
•Take along some finishing touches such as personalised shot glasses and hen party t-shirts.
•Be very organised. If you’re going abroad, for example, check that everyone has their passports and tickets before you discover missing items at the airport.
Paying up
•Discuss budgets as soon as possible to find something that suits everyone's tastes and pocket.
•When it comes to paying, the costs should be divided amongst the group -- the bride shouldn't have to pay for anything.
•If you have to book an activity or transport, send an email requesting payment from each guest, but be sure to outline exactly what everyone’s paying for, and set a limit on the total amount payable.
On the day
•It's easiest to sort out money at the start of the evening, so set up a kitty to avoid the hassle of sorting out bills at the end of the night.
•If there are lots of you going out, see if you can arrange a group discount in advance.
•Make sure the events are paced -- you don't want everyone to get drunk too soon, so make sure a meal is included in the celebrations.
Tip 1 Keep your bridesmaids in the picture
Many brides enjoy taking part in the hen preparations. If this is your wish, tell your bridesmaids which parts you want to look after yourself. Other brides love to leave the entire weekend to the bridesmaids. If there is anything you would hate doing, tell them now!
Tip 2 Compose the guest list
Hen etiquette regarding who to invite is a grey area. Do you invite your future Mother-in-Law? Should you ask your childhood friends? Many brides opt for two separate celebrations – one for family and one for friends, to ensure that everyone is catered for.
Tip 3 Choose a date and stick to it
Once you have a list of everyone you want to invite, hi-light the most important guests. Discuss the date with the VIP’s, to ensure that they are all free. Once you choose your date, stick to it! Unfortunately, it is inevitable that one or two people will not be able to make it.
Tip 4 Determine the budget
Remember to include transport, accommodation, meals and day-time activities as well as night-time fun and frolics. The average outlay for a hen weekend in Ireland is €250 per person for two nights accommodation, one day-time activity, one evening meal and a nightclub.
Tip 5 Source good quality accommodation
Depending on numbers and the time of year, it can be difficult to find good value accommodation. The self-catering option is really popular with hens, as you have space to play hen games before a night on the town. Also, you are not constrained to early bird breakfasts!
Tip 6 Plan unique day-time activities
Come up with something other than a pub crawl for the afternoon. Think of the all the great things girls love to do. Singing, dancing & being pampered are all good places to start!
Tip 7 Source a restaurant with a difference
Dare to be different and try a new cuisine, to really tantalize your taste buds. Tell the restaurant that you are booking for a hen party, as many will offer you a secluded area. Ask for a set menu with two glasses of wine each, to make payment easier.
Tip 8 An alternative night out
If you hate the thought of a nightclub, comedy clubs provide endless laughs.
Tip 9 Have a girl’s night in
Many hens choose a “girl’s night in”, rather than a night out. Pajama parties with loads of chick flicks & champagne are great fun. To add a sense of individuality, invite a Tarot Card Reader to read your fortune or hire a Personal Stylist to discuss colour & style with you all.
Tip 10 Use a Hen Party site!
One of the first decisions a Maid or Matron of Honour must make about the Hen's party is the location. Discuss this with the bride. Do you want it local or are you planning a weekend trip with the girls? Regardless of what you choose, the most important thing is to have fun with the bride.
It is a good idea to hold your hen's party at least one or two weeks before the