Planning a hen do can be both exciting and a little bit overwhelming.
Whether you’re the maid of honour, a close friend, or a relative tasked with organising this special event, making sure everything runs smoothly is crucial for creating an unforgettable experience for your bride-to-be – that she’ll remember and cherish forever.
From crafting the perfect guest list to planning activities that reflect the bride’s personality, this helpful guide will walk you through every step of the hen do planning process.
Let’s dive in and ensure the bride has the time of her life as she celebrates her last days of (official) singlehood!
Step 1: Build your guestlist
The first step in organising a hen do is inviting all the special friends and family in your bride’s life. These are often her bridesmaids, friends, sisters, mum and other close relatives.
Once you have a list of everyone to invite (and have confirmed with the bride), it’s time to informally invite them all. Whilst you won’t have any plans in mind just yet, it’s important to reach out and make connections with all those special people the bride wants to be there.
Hen dos don’t usually have formal invitations – but this is a great opportunity to make a group chat and get planning!
Step 2: Understand the bride-to-be
When you’re planning a hen do, it’s important that the celebrations reflect the bride’s personality and the things she likes to do.
Whilst you may have the bride’s family and friends travelling from all over, and you want to make sure they have fun – it is all about the bride this time!
If you’re struggling for inspiration, why not talk to the bridesmaids and see what ideas they come up with! You could do this through casual conversations in the group chat, over a boozy brunch, or by being completely type-A and asking everyone to fill out a questionnaire.
Pick a theme!
Once you’ve narrowed down the types of bride you have and the things she would like to do, you need to pick a theme of the hen do.
Whilst you could just keep it classic with L-plates, veils and sashes, it’s now quite trendy to pick a theme that represents your bride. Popular hen do themes include:
- Bride’s Last Rodeo – cowboy hats, boots, lassos and daisy dukes
- Mamma Mia – disco balls, microphones and cheesy ABBA hits
- Bridgerton – feathers, gloves and everything regency era
- Til Death Do Us Party – funeral meets the party of a lifetime
- On Cloud Nine – blues, whites and silvers
- Same **** Forever – lots of phallic shapes and things that will make your bride giggle
- Bridal Bloom – florals, pastels and lots of baby pink
- Bridal Era – The Eras Tour meets wedding
- Barbie – girlhood, lots of hot pink, and a night without Ken
If you’re struggling to pick a theme, go for a colour instead. It could either be the bride’s favourite colour, or you could lean into trendy bridal colours, such as silver, pink, rose gold, and gold.
Remember – this theme is going to be your baseline in coordinating decorations, gift bags, props and outfits, and maybe even your activities too!
Step 3: Set the budget
When planning a hen do, it’s important to set the budget early on. Whilst you might have wild ideas of all the fun things your bride would love to do, not everyone will be able to afford it.
Remember – the budget you set needs to cover accommodation, activities, food and drinks, transportation, decorations, and all the other things you might need to give your bride the best night of her life!
Take time to discuss with the group what everyone can afford, either to pay for themselves or to contribute to the cover the costs of the entire night – and make sure it’s something everyone can comfortably meet. The last thing you want is anyone feeling left out or any animosity building within the group.
Step 4: Choose the date and location
Now you have your theme and budget, it’s time to set the date and location. You want to try and get this organised well in advance, so that everyone can make it!
In the UK, it’s more popular to hold hen dos in a city, rather than going abroad for a girl’s trip. The most popular hen do destinations include major cities, such as:
Make sure the location you choose is accessible for everyone to get to, especially on the dates you’re suggesting. Hen dos really are a team effort though, so speak to the rest of the group about where they recommend and what dates they’re available to go.
Remember – the date and location need to fit into your budget, too! Make sure everyone can afford to travel there, or transportation costs are covered, and nothing major is going on in your destination on your chosen dates, as this can really bump the price up.
Remember to find accommodation!
After choosing your date and location, you want to get your accommodation booked ASAP!
Try to pick an accommodation that is:
- Big enough to fit everyone
- Close to the centre of your location (where you’ll be spending your time)
- Affordable for everyone
If you have a big group heading out on this hen do, you may find a rental property or Airbnb might be more suitable – rather than trying to book lots of rooms in the same hotel. This often works out much cheaper too, when everyone splits the cost (saving your budget that little bit more).
Step 5: Plan your activities
Once your location, date and accommodation is all confirmed with the group, it’s time to pick and book your activities.
Depending on your bride and the vibes of the hen do, you might opt for more relaxed daytime activities, like a spa day or a crafty workshop. However, most hen dos happen late into the night, hitting a variety of pubs, themed cocktail bars and nightclubs.
Make sure to consider the group dynamics, and accommodate any of the party that may have accessibility needs, be sober, or struggle in large and busy environments – the best part of a hen do is everyone enjoying themselves!
Remember to book things in advance too, as you don’t want to arrive and the venue doesn’t have capacity to fit you all! That will not make for a happy bride.
Include games and entertainment, too!
As well as your activities, you’ll also want to prepare some games and entertainment to keep everyone busy. Whether it’s a cheeky game of truth or dare planned, a pit-stop at a photobooth, or an adult entertainer (you know what we mean) stopping by the accommodation before you head out, make sure your activities are inclusive and fun for everyone!
Decide on your food and drinks ahead of time!
Now, remember – you can’t go the day (or night) without some good food and drinks!
Try to plan food and drink around your activity plans, ensuring everyone is well fed, watered and Prosecco-ed throughout the day. We recommend googling your destination for great restaurants nearby, and a good stash of ready-made cocktails, for whilst everyone is getting ready.
For large group reservations, this may also be something you need to book well in advance. Remember to talk to the group before setting anything in stone, as you may have some dietary requirements and preferences that you need to accommodate before booking.
Step 6: Create a schedule
Once you have all your activities, food and drink planned and booked, make a schedule.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the day, that you forget what you’ve got booked next. Design a structured, yet flexible schedule for the day so that everyone knows what’s going on and when. This will help with booking transportation too!
And talking of transportation…
Don’t forget about transportation!
Transportation is key to keeping your hen do moving.
Not only do you need to arrange transportation to your destination and location, but you also need to arrange how your group is going to move to and from activities, bars and restaurants.
Local taxis will often be a safe bet, for a night that your bride is going to remember forever, why not add a party bus or limousine to part of the schedule? Whatever transportation you choose, remember to book one big enough to fit the whole group, and one that also fits into the budget!
Step 7: Gather your hen do essentials
The final step to organising the best hen do for your bride is gathering all the essentials.
Not only will you need all the outfits, gift bags, decorations, props, and everything else that goes into your hen do theme, but we also recommend keeping a survival kit on hand too!
The best things to keep in your hen do survival kit are:
- First aid essentials, like plasters and painkillers
- Chargers, for all different types of devices (smartphones, cameras, etc.)
- Mints, for all the eating, drinking and singing you’ll do
- Snacks, because hangry is not an emotion you want on a hen do
- Tissues, for the emotional bride (or mother-of-the-bride)
- Rehydration sachets, to beat the post-hen do hangover
Remember to capture the memories!
Whilst this is a night you want your bride to remember, the cocktails you’ll be drinking might have other ideas. Remember to document the night with pictures and videos – meaning you’ll need constantly charged phones and cameras at the ready!
Have an Insta-guru in your group? Why not give them the role as your “hen do content creator”? They’ll be tasked with getting all the best shots and ensuring no moment goes missed on this special night. This person is just as essential (if not more) than everything in your survival kit combined.
Step 10: Enjoy the hen do
This one is a little self explanatory, but super important for you to remember! The night is all about having fun, coming together as a group and celebrating your bride before her big day.
Step 9: Post-hen do etiquette
After a hen do, it’s really important to show everyone just how much of a great time you had.
Not only should you be sharing your thanks and appreciation – especially to those who helped you plan and pull off the best night ever! – but it’s also time to share the memories.
We love the idea of booking in a hen do debrief with all the group, so that you can share all the pictures, videos and laughs from the night. Or, why not turn it all into a photo album or digital slideshow for your bride to give her the night before or morning of her wedding?
If you’re looking for a unique activity for your hen do, why not get in touch with us at Alcotraz to arrange a visit near you? Get ready to smuggle your “contraband” booze into your cell and have an amazing time sipping delicious cocktails with your bride-to-be – just don’t let the Warden catch you!