A Guide to Planning the Perfect Hen Party

There comes a time in your life when you have to step up and organise your friends hen party, from my own personal experience this maybe something that you have not chosen to do but have been suddenly volunteered by the group and of course you accept with that nervous smile, whilst they all silently heave a huge sigh of relief and say can't wait to see what we are all doing.


Initially you think this is going to be a breeze how hard can it be to organise a day/evening out with your friends, then it starts to sink in not only will there be your friends but also people you may have never met, aunties, mums and friends and family members that you didn't know existed to keep happy and ensure that they all have a glorious time.  Now you are starting to think how did I get into this position, well we do this on a daily basis and we have found that if you follow some simple steps then you will all have a fabulous time and you will be seen as the hostess with the absolute mostest!

Happy Hens in our hen house

1.  Chat to the Bride to Be

Now some of you may be horrified at this point as you may want the Hen Party to be a complete surprise, this is not an issue but at least find out who the hen would like to attend the party, must haves and also find out the absolute no no's, a good way to find out what they like is ask what hen parties they have enjoyed and which ones were compete horrors, remember this is not your party but theirs!

2.  Set The Date

Now this may seem the most simple part but in my experience less is more, set a couple of dates to choose from, using the Bride to Be as your benchmark.  Now be aware that you are not going to please everyone and some people will not be able to make it, don't worry the ones that want to be there will move their diaries to spend the day with the Bride to Be.
So how much notice should you give, we think the best advice here is to think of peoples circumstances and allow them to have a breather between the hen party and the wedding so ideally allow the hen party activities to be at least 8 to 4 weeks before the big day.

3.  Location

Now here comes the next potential minefield, consider your hens, age groups and also travel expenses including accommodation, the Bride to Be may want to visit New York or stay at a country mansion but how many hens will this alienate.

4.  Activities

Get to know your audience, you maybe catering for a diverse group of hens including age groups, budgets try not to isolate anyone.   A Burlesque workshop might not be how the Mother of the Bride thought you would be spending her day!

Consider all Hens for your activities

5. Timings

Be realistic with your timings, build in time for relaxation don't book an afternoon tea and then only leave an hour to complete it as this is an ideal time for the hens to chat and relax and get to know each other.   Also build in time for change of activities ie. transport timings, getting ready from afternoon to the evening.   You certainly do not want to create a stressful affair for the hens.

Be flexible, you can always build the day or weekend where people can dip in and out of so making it inclusive for all, a great way to do this is set an agenda for the activities and then send it to the Hens and ask them to choose which of these they would like to do, this takes the pressure of them if money is an issue or they really don't fancy the flying trapeze lesson!

6. Dress Codes

So everyone is comfortable on the day make sure that you agree a dress code for the day with Bride to Be and the hens, there is no point making the Bride to Be dress up as a Disney Character if this would be her living nightmare.  

7.  Games 

Games can be a great way to break the ice especially if you are a group of hens that do not know each other very well, Pass the Parcels are great, personalised games ie. 'He Said, She Said' games which also involve the groom.  There are so many ideas out there but remember your audience.  You don't want to offend or bore your audience!

8.  Communication

Once your hen party is planned make sure that you send all details including transport, accommodation, activities, timings, dress codes, money requirements ie. deposits at the outset, this ensures that everyone knows what is expected and there will be no misunderstandings on the build up or the big day.

A great way to ensure this is achieved is create a Facebook page for the event so everyone can speak and get to know each other before the day.  This allows the hens to chat beforehand and encourages participation and involvement creating a buzz about the day and ensuring that you should all have a glorious time.

We hope by following our simple guide you will have a glorious fun Hen Party where you even get to enjoy!

We would love to hear your thoughts and share any additional tips and suggestions that you might have.

50's Housewife Party Hen Party Ideas

Have you ever thought about what it was like to be a 50's Housewife, well you might be surprised that a women's role was a tough one and our soul aim was to create a glorious home and treat our little man as a king.  Thank goodness times have changed!

1950's Hen Party Prop Box Idea

We often get asked what makes the perfect 50's housewife party so we thought we would share some of our thoughts and ideas with you.

The first priority is to get everyone in the mindset of the 50s housewife and what better way then to invite everyone to dress up in their 1950's glad rags and using a simple glorious prop box it is guaranteed to be fun for everyone.   Some items that are a must for the prop box should be cat eye glasses, scarfs, velcro rollers, feather dusters, rubber gloves and of course pinnies!

Now you need to set the scene choose a colour theme, red and turquoise works well for the 50's theme but also red and white polka dots, choose cooking utensils to dress the table for interest, you can add wedding advice cards to these as a bit of fun for the hens.  

Looking at the food option why not serve an afternoon tea with beautiful vintage crockery or you can choose a diner feel with coke bottles and cupcakes to a buffet style option.

Now add the fun, either choose a craft option where the hens can transform their own half pinnies a 50's housewife must! and of course add some retro styled games to the mix, based around the 50's good housekeeping guide, you can add a personal twist on this by adding a 'He Said, She Said' game but with a 50's slant I can guarantee that the hens will be roaring with laughter at the difference 65 years has made to married couples of today.

Customise Pinny for your 50's Housewife Party

If you like the this idea but don't know where to start then why not allow us to organise your very own 50's housewife party and allow us to transport you for the day with our very own tongue in cheek view of this world.   We promise to tickle your fancy and create much merriment with games and activities centred around 'The Good Housewife Guide' and take time out with your friends to create and customise your own pinny or peg bag.   Of course you will be treated to one of our wonderful sumptuous afternoon teas, whilst swapping recipes just glorious!

Housewife Game Ideas

Our packages start from £40pp so will not break the household budget.  Take a look at our website for full package options and photo inspiration.

Feather dusters at the ready ladies!

Further inspiration can be found by looking at the following sources
1. Housewife Invitation Cards    2. Housewife Prop Box Ideas  3. Housewife Party Games  4. Table Settings

1.  1950s Housewife Party Invite Idea

2.  50's Housewife Prop Box

Customising Pinny Craft Option

4.   1950s Housewife Table Ideas