Planning the Perfect Hen Party

Planning the Perfect Hen Party

If you’re going to be a bridesmaid or a maid of honour soon, read on for tips on how to make sure your best friend remembers her hen night forever.

Prepare with time in hand: The hen party is a celebration of the bride-to-be’s last night of freedom and being single. Planning the party takes time and effort, so make sure you start preparing three months ahead of the wedding day. Gather the bridesmaids for a brainstorming session and discuss money collection ahead of time to avoid confusion.

Whom to invite: This is an event exclusively for adult women and the guest list should comprise of close friends only with whom the bride-to-be can let go and relax. Take the guesswork out of whom to invite and ask the bride-to-be who she wants at her hen night. Send out initial emails or free online invites to potential guests and request them to RSVP within two weeks. You can ask guests to bring gifts or hen party supplies.

Hen party venues: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth or Johannesburg work great for destination hen nights. If the budget permits, also consider destinations such as Las Vegas, Rio de Janeiro, Morocco, Mauritius and Seychelles. However, it is perfectly acceptable to host the hen night at a local day-spa, hotel suite, bar, nightclub, restaurant or even a friend’s house.

When to host the hen party: Host the hen night about a month before the wedding date to keep things stress-free. Hold the hen party over the weekend so everyone has a chance to recover from the wild revelry!

Hen night themes and ideas: Depending on how wild or conservative you want to keep it, hen party themes could range from a night of pampering, English Tea, Karaoke, astrology and tarot cards, movie night, colour themes, scavenger hunts, pub hopping, disco and naughty themes such as Playboy bunnies, or exotic dance. Choose decorations and accessories in keeping with your theme.