Hen parties are a traditional celebration held by the bride before getting married. Often the Matron of Honor or Chief Bridesmaid takes the lead in organizing the event, but the bride is normally consulted about the arrangements. The participants are usually all women and include the bridesmaids, female members of the brides family, and brides closest female friends. Over in the US, hen nights are known as “bachelorette” parties.
Sometimes the hen party is held at a private venue such as the hostess’s home, as a dinner, an informal get together or a “girl’s night in.” Other hen parties include having an away day or outing to a spa for some pampering or for the more adventurous, outdoor activities such as paintballing, racing or sports activities.
It’s a great tradition to dress up for a hen party – not just by wearing a great outfit, but perhaps wearing fancy dress. Some choose themed hen party accessories such as hen night badges, or hen night t-shirts.
The hen party itself takes many different forms according to what type of activity the bride to be and her guests are interested in. Some choose to have a quiet evening in a restaurant or a cocktail party, both of which focus on chatting and possibly giving advice to the bride to be.
Other organizers choose to hold a themed night, such as a “pampering party,” with guests indulging in spa treatments, or paying for the services of a make up or beauty expert to provide makeovers. While proposing a toast to the bride-to-be is common at most hen nights, some focus on drinking games, bar tours or pub crawls and the more adventurous even hire male strippers!
Increasingly common are hen weekends which are short holidays away from home. These range from seaside resorts to international destinations such as Las Vegas. Of course, these types of hen events are costly in both time and money and are normally planned to take place well ahead of the wedding in case of any travel delays!
