How To Plan The Perfect Hen Party

1.The Theme

Don’t:

The bride-to-be will want to make the most out of this last night of freedom, so avoid anything where she has to dress up in unflattering garb –  i.e. Gorilla costume; inflatable sumo suit; pensioner fancy-dress; etc. Equally, don’t choose anything that is too, well, slutty, or you may be mistaken for the stripper group hired by the stag party in the corner.

Do:

It’s always nice to have a bit of a theme to the occasion – dressing-up reminds us ladies of the times spent rooting around in mother’s wardrobe. Try something that manages to be attractive, fun, and has a hint of sauce – think Boardwalk Empire over Benefit Street. If you want a celebrity theme then Madonna is sooo 2011 – now it’s all about Katy Perry. Channel K-Pez in her best video roles – tiger-skin? Check. Cleopatra? Check. Cupcake bra? Double check.

 

2. The Location

Don’t:

Bar crawls may sound like a good idea, but this is exactly what they may turn into – crawling from place to place, feet crippled from heels and dying of thirst from not getting served. When you calculate how much time is spent walking, gathering people together, looking for wayward ladies in the loo, waiting at the bar, searching for your missing cloak-room ticket… then actually only about 15% of the night is spent having a decent conversation with friends and the Hen. And this is usually conducted at one zillion decibels since they’re playing N Dubs loud enough to hear Tulisa in the next county.

Do:

If you can afford to fly then there are plenty of amazing opportunities that will make for a memorable hen-holiday – Ibiza has sun, sand, and several dancing opportunities, while Las Vegas is not just for the boys (Britney Spears in concert nightly? Throwback fun!)

However, not all budgets stretch to global gallivanting, and no one wants to be the person sitting alone in economy, or baulking at the price of a side salad while everyone else tucks into a platter of sushi that costs the same as your monthly gas bill.

For a range of budgets, how about creating your OWN getaway? By either hiring a venue (hotel room/cottage/hall) or simply pimping up your own pad, then you get to be the Doorman, the DJ and the Drink-Organiser. This means zero leering weirdoes with hairy palms panting down your neck, all the Rihanna and Cascada you like, and no queuing for the bar!

Plus, when you hire Social and Cocktail to provide your bar, then you have your own private mixologist to provide you with drinks all night! For the equivalent of £5 per cocktail you can be sipping on Mojitos surrounded by inflatable palm trees, or tasting Cosmopolitans at a special Sex in the City themed evening.

 

3.The Accessories

Don’t:

Pink cowboy hats will never fit correctly, listing on your head so you take on the appearance of a woozily drunk Texas Ranch Barbie. Anything involving the male anatomy will be hilarious to you after sixteen shots, but will just be a neon sign to the barman that he should avoid your frequent appeals for another Sambuca.

Do:

The odd dusting of glitter can transform an outfit from standard Saturday night on the town to ‘frivolous and flirty festivities’. Likewise with a well-placed feather boa – make sure this is bought for over £3 though, as anything less that will result in leaking a trail of feathery carnage that looks as though you’ve had a scrap with Big Bird’s cerise cousin.

4.The Games

Don’t:

While everybody likes to feel they’re becoming closer and breaking down boundaries on a hen do, a game that reveals ‘secrets’ should be approached carefully – especially if before Shaun was going out with Rose he had a ‘thing’ for Kathy… and the actual cross-over dates are realised. This could result in tears, full-on hair-pulling, or trips to A&E.

It is also worth noting that, should the guests include mothers/mothers in law/any family member, then games involving guessing the anatomy-part photo of the groom could prove unpopular.

Do:

Something that gets everybody involved is always fun, but make sure you still make the hen feel special. After all, there’s nothing worse than trying to stifle yawns as you play a game that basically just relives when she first set eyes on her fiancé (since you’ll have already heard it twenty times), but you also don’t want to crack out something as general as Twister that then makes her go off in a huff. Asking the whole group to offer up their own relationship faux pas, then relating it back to the bride-to-be, will assure laughs for all.

5.The Drink

Don’t:

Wine tasting is fun but there will always be two people who want to take it incredibly seriously and therefore any going off-piste will be met by glares. The hen will usually want to just get sozzled and so won’t appreciate the regimented structure or learning that is involved.

Also, avoid anywhere that is so crammed that, by the time you’re served at the insanely busy bar, the couple’s ‘long engagement’ suddenly seems a whole lot nearer.

Do:

Hire Social and Cocktail! Cocktails are undoubtedly the best things to drink at hen parties – they’re fun, frivolous, look fab, and there are a fantastic selection to try. With our Popular Menu we can mix you a Strawberry Daiquiri, Dark n’ Stormy, Appletini, Woo Woo… and loads more! And at £25 a head that equates to five cocktails each for only £5 per drink. Or, if you fancy going for the Diamond Menu, we can crack out the likes of a Singapore Sling, a Passion Fruit Caipirinha, a Champagne Mojito, and tons of other select concoctions for £8 per cocktail!