Been tasked with planning a hen party? There can be a lot to think about when planning these events. Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid when planning a hen party.
Going too expensive
If a bride has given you a budget, it’s important to stick to this. At the same time, you don’t want to ask too much money from your fellow hens – as this could cause arguments and may even put off certain people from going.
Prioritise the important things when booking your hen party. If the bride’s expectations are unreasonable, you may have to try to talk them into either raising the budget or doing something a little less lavish.
Going too basic
It’s also possible for a hen party to be too basic. Working with a limited budget can be challenging, but it’s critical that the hen party doesn’t feel like a regular night out so that the bride feels it’s a special occasion.
Unless the bride has asked for a simple place, try to find a venue that is a little more fancy or unique. Personalised sashes, hats or t-shirts could be another way to make the event feel more special. With slightly bigger budgets, you may be able to plan some treats such as hen party houses to stay in or luxury transport.
Not planning an icebreaker activity
Hen parties often involve people from different friend circles coming together. There could be a hesitation to mingle. Icebreaker activities can help to reduce tension and get people talking.
Consider planning a fun activity at the beginning of the hen party that gets people interacting with each other.
Communicating individually
When communicating with everyone, creating a WhatsApp or Facebook messenger group is always best. Communicating with people one-on-one will create more work for you – not only will you have to individually message each one about each update, but you could end up being the go-between for other people.
Only message people individually if they don’t have social media or are not responding on the group chat.
Organising an overly ambitious pub crawl
Before planning a sprawling 10-bar pub crawl, consider whether it’s truly realistic. To visit each bar, you’ll have to keep to a tight schedule, which could ruin the fun of the night.
There’s also no guarantee that everyone is going to make it to the end and you could lose people along the way and have to go searching for them. All in all, fewer venues will cause less stress.
Resorting to last-minute planning
A successful hen party should be planned well in advance.
This ensures that
- a) most people are able to make it
- b) you have time to communicate with everyone and
- c) you can take time to explore your options and get the best prices. Consider planning a couple months ahead if you can.
Planning it too close to the big day
Never plan a hen party the night before the big day. Nobody wants to be a hungover bride. It’s better to host it at least a week in advance so that everyone has time to recover.
