Hen Party/Hen Night

Walking down the aisle to promise to be together for better or for worse can be a little daunting for your best friend, so help her celebrate her last day as a single gal by partying like rock stars!  Planning the party can be as stressful as the wedding itself but with this helpful guide, your obligation as Maid of Honour will be easier than you could ever imagine.  Although the bride should not be an active planner in this party, be sure to run the ideas by her as to avoid going over the top and embarrassing her instead of showing her a good time.  Feel free to distribute the tasks between the bridesmaids--that's what they're there for!

Who

Planning the guest list is the only thing (besides the date of the party) in which the bride should partake.  Not every female from the wedding guest list should be invited, rather just the close friends of the bride.  Grandma Pearl and Aunt Ruthie should NOT be on the Hen Night guest list.  Keep the party to about ten guests: the bride, the bridesmaids and sometimes other close female guests.  However a bigger party of twenty is not unheard of, especially in the case of house parties.

When

Although Hen Parties are traditionally a night-time event, many are now opting for a full day celebration and why not?  An all day party with just the girls will rejuvenate the bride for the oncoming and probably overwhelming festivities.  The date of the party should be the only detail besides the guest list that the bride should have a say in.  The party should be a week to a couple days before the wedding date.

Day

A brunch with the girls and then a day at the spa will get the bride-to-be ready and glowing for her big day.  Make sure the spa day is at least three to four days before the wedding in case any allergic reactions do occur from any of the treatments.  Other fun day trip ideas could be a paintballing trip for the die-hard brides (wearing lots of layers and protection would be recommended, especially for the bride, since bruises might ruin wedding photos), or maybe a nurturing hike in the countryside to reconnect with nature and serenity before a night of complete mayhem.  A picnic at a nearby beach complete with games is another relaxing option for those wanting to save their strength for the night celebration.

Night

The main event of the party should be at night and should include a intimate meal.  After all, the party is about the bride and her friends, not necessarily just drinking the night away.  Some brides may opt for just a small get together, à la the Sex and the City  movie,  with maybe a bottle of champagne or some wine to enjoy.  Who says you're too old for a girlie sleepover?

What

Hen Night Costumes and Decorations
L Plates	Police Costume	Phallic Decorations	Hen Night Decorations	Garter

Theme

As an additional factor to spice up the night, themes can be incorporated into the party.   Naughty policewomen, sexy golfers (as seen in Wedding Date ), and rowdy cowgirls seem to be popular ideas for Hen Nights but costumes are not necessary for big laughs.  Sexual paraphernalia are always great for giggles and many of these specific decorations can be found in party or sex shops and online speciality retailers.  The decorations can vary from straws and whistles to edibles and inflatables!  Many of these retailers also offer L plate balloons, confetti, and even sashes and tiaras to make sure that EVERYONE knows its a hen party.  Don't forget the handcuffs and garter!

Drink

If you already have a venue in mind with a bar, you and the bride should meet the bartender and concoct a signature drink for the night.   This will give the party a unique personality and the drink will be the bride's secret drink recipe for years to come!  Speaking with the venue in advance may also lead to drink specials for the party...which means more drinks for everyone!

Play

Games are great for any activity you might be planning since most venues will usually correspond to a particular game.

• Suck for a Buck: An American import, this naughty bar game consists of the bride wearing a t-shirt with candy stuck all over it. The goal is to get the men at the bar to suck/pull the candy off the bride in exchange for a pound, which then goes to her drinking fund. The chest area costs more because of the extra racy factor.
• Scavenger Hunt: A timeless game with a new hen night twist! Great for a party with lots of guests; make the item list as naughty as you please. Set a time limit of one to two hours to get as many listed items as possible, with harder to find items earning more points. Simple items should be in the realm of condoms, whipped cream and bananas and harder ones could be a dirty magazine, edible underwear and fortune cookies. The hardest ones should be things like a single man's business card, a video of one of you proposing to a random guy, the groom's underwear or the bride's baby pictures. The process of obtaining all of these things will be hilarious, but the counting of points will be priceless. Seeing the shy cousin kissing the best man (with pictures!) for 20 points will be the best joke for years to come.
• How well do you know the groom?: Come up with a list of ridiculous questions for the groom to answer and then ask the bride the same questions to see how many she gets right!
• Taboo: Built off the actual game, this version consists of two or three marriage-themed taboo words such as wedding or bride. Throughout the party, if anyone says the taboo words, she must complete a dare (it would be a good idea to come up with a list of dares beforehand and then just run down the list as guests mess up).
• Balloon: At the beginning of the night, everyone should write down a dare onto a piece of paper, fold it up and place it into a balloon and blow it up. Exchange balloons with fellow guests and tie them around your ankles. As the night wears on, if your balloon pops or breaks off, you have to complete the dare in the balloon!

Strippers/Sex Toys

Despite what you think, strippers are actually not too popular at hen parties.  A male stripper pouncing on the bride could seriously backfire, especially if she and the groom agreed not have have any at the hens/stags.  Not everyone enjoys strippers and some can be extremely uncomfortable with the idea so before hiring one, make sure that the bride and guests are okay with it.  The same goes for sex toys, so do not book that demonstrator until you check with the bride.

Where

Home

If the budget is a problem, a house party is just as appropriate, especially since house-made drinks will cost half of what they would at a bar.  Home is also a great place to play embarrassing games that would be otherwise inappropriate.

Restaurant

Dinner at the bride's favourite restaurant is always a reliable option for good food and good fun.  Unwrapping presents there will also lighten the mood since the bride is bound to get some funny presents!

Club

Dancing the night away is great for releasing some nuptial-planning tension.  Have the guests each bring a piece of clothing for the bride to wear as she shakes her booty; this will give you endless laughs as she struts her stuff on the dance floor.

Bar

Bar hopping is a tradition for hen parties.  If you choose to do this, it's a great idea to expand on the personal drink idea from above and create a different drink for each bar you plan on stopping by.  The goal then would be to try each and everyone of these drinks by the end of the night.  If stopping by more than a dozen bars to create personalised drinks sounds like too much advance planning and work, just ordering the signature drink/cocktail at each of these bars will suffice.  Again, advance planning and coordination can lead to drink specials that can either save you and your guests money or leave more for the bride's drink fund!

Trip

A weekend trip to Paris or Amsterdam is a great option for a bride who prefers exotic locales.  A weekend in Prague with just the girls will undoubtedly create great memories, if not some hallucinations from the absinthe .  This option requires careful planning on your part because not only will you have to budget well for the hotel and meals, but you'll also need to find great party activities from thousands of miles away.  It may sound intimidating, but the results will be an undeniable blast.

Cruise

Renting out a yacht or a boat for the hen party would certainly be a treat for the bride.  Many boats now have ridiculously luxurious amenities and a night on one of these babies could blow even the honeymoon away!  Sailing around while being impeccably serviced at sunset will leave you dreaming for more.

How

Transportation

A stretch limo rushing the hen party off to its (many) destinations throughout the night is not a luxury, but a necessity.  Giving the limo driver everyone's address (the bride should be dropped off first, of course) will also be convenient at the end of the night when the ladies are too inebriated to get home themselves.  Another option is the party bus, which will give you a plenty to do while cruising from venue to venue.  With a state of the art sound system and servers to wait on you, its like having your own VIP club to party in while getting to the next bar.

Toast

A toast by the Maid of Honour/hen night planners is tradition and requires the most planning out of everything mentioned in this guide.  The toast will not only set the mood for the rest of the night, but will do exactly what a hen party is supposed to do, assure the bride that you will always be there for her.  Make it a memorable toast that will bring tears (of joy) to her eyes.  Because the reception toast will be more general and heard by everyone, take this time to really let the bride and the hen party attendees know that girls have to stick together.  The big toast is to the bride and groom, but this toast is specifically for the bride and your friendship.

$Pay$

The wild night should be paid by everyone except for the bride.  It is tradition for each guest to pay for their share of the event and little extra towards drinks for the bride.  The Maid of Honour should figure out early on how much each guest should contribute towards the party depending on the events planned.  A wiser method is to first see how much each guest would be willing to spend and then plan accordingly.

Gifts

Because a hen party is really just for the girls, raunchy gag gifts are totally appropriate and are highly encouraged.  Anything that will heat up the honeymoon is also welcome.

Gifts
Hen Night Games	Wine Glasses	Sex Toys	Lingerie	Spa Baskets