How to Plan a Hen Do

If you have been given the huge task of planning a hen weekend for your best gal, then we understand you may be feeling a little overwhelmed… to say the least. 

This guide will give you all the tips and advice you need to plan an epic last weekend of freedom for your best friend. There’s no need for this to be a stressful experience. With careful planning and an organised to-do list, you’ll be able to transform your hen do ideas into an experience that the bride-to-be will remember for years to come. 

Even if you’re keeping the details of the hen weekend a secret from the bride, you’ll want to settle on a date early on. This will ensure your guests – and most importantly, your hen – are actually available. If you’re unsure when to book your hen do, check out our blog post which is sure to give you some inspiration. 

It’s important to consider numbers, and more importantly, who is actually on the list. If you’re organising the hen do on behalf of the bride, then you should have a chat with her beforehand about who she’d like to invite. It would be awful if you forgot to invite someone that she really wanted to be there. Equally, it would be just as awful if you invited someone that she really hates! 

If you’re the bride-to-be, then you could also consider making a list. Keep in mind that this is your special weekend and you should try not to feel pressured into inviting anyone that you’d secretly rather not. 

Once you’ve got your guests sorted it’ll be time to think about the budget/ Talking about money can feel a little awkward but it’s important that everyone is on the same page. You want to ensure that nobody feels pressured into paying more than they can afford or feel guilty about saying no.

Once you’ve discussed the budget with the rest of the group, you’ll have a good idea of what sort of location would be feasible. Unless the bride-to-be has her heart set on a particular destination, the world is your oyster!
The top destination this year has been a Liverpool hen weekend, but one of the fastest growing is a Benidorm hen do. Both have their own advantages, while it also depends whether you want the headache of arranging 15 flights and syncronising everyone. If you really cannot decide where to spend your special weekend, then you should check out our post on The Best Hen Do Locations.

Once you have the guestlist sorted, you’ve decided on the dates, budget and location, you should start to think about what the bride-to-be would want her weekend to consist of. This is the fun bit! If she is laidback and hasn’t dropped any hints or given you direction, then you should think about what she enjoys generally. Would she like to hit the town and dance the night away? Or would she rather take some time out of the wedding planning and be pampered? She might even prefer to get out into the great outdoors and get active.

You should also decide if you would like the hen weekend to be themed. The beauty of a themed hen weekend is that it can literally be whatever you would like it to be. Perhaps you’d like everyone to wear the bride’s favourite colour or be inspired by the hen’s favourite television show or film. The theme can be as simple or as extravagant as you like. Go wild!