It is such an honour to be asked to be a bridesmaid by one of your besties, sharing her special day with her. With that comes the planning of the Hen’s Party and if it is your first time doing this you are probably thinking, where on earth do I start. We have put together a step-by-step guide to help make the bachelorette party planning process a smooth one and so the bride-to-be has an awesome last fling!

 

Step 1: Talk to the Bride

Probably the most important step of all! Even if you want to keep it a surprise it is crucial to have an idea of what the bride wants and is expecting. Some questions to ask are:

• Is there anything you really want to do? The bride might have her heart set on going away or wants a large party in her hometown.

• Are there things you really don’t want to do? If the bride really emphasises she doesn’t want a stripper, then don’t get her a stripper, simple.

• What is important to you? Would you prefer to have a night away with a smaller number of people or have something more budget friendly, locally.

• Would you like to have family come as well as friends? If she wants family coming check if you need to tone down any games that might not be appropriate for Nana.

 

Step 2: Write a guest list

The easiest way to get a guest list together is to talk to the bride and get her to let you know who she wants there. This way you don’t miss any important people, or other friends that are outside of your friend circle. Or you can take it one step further and create the Facebook event and get the bride to invite everyone she wants there, then remove her from the group and share the details.

 

Step 3: Save The Date

Send out “save the date” invites or better yet create a Facebook Event and invite all the guests to it. Even if you don’t have all the Hen’s Party details organised, at least people know a date and rough time.

 

Step 4: Plan

Get together with the other bridesmaids or start a group chat and throw around some ideas for the day.

Make sure to discuss:

Budget?

Location?

Activities?

Food and drink?

Time?

Theme?

It is really important to consider what you will be providing/organising and what you will be wanting guests to pay for and bring.

Step 5: Confirm and book

If you are going away or doing activities that require bookings make sure you book these in. Often the easiest way to pay for these is to ask all the guests to transfer a set amount of money into a designated bank account so it can be paid for in one payment. Make sure to update the guests with the final details, let them know if they need to dress in theme, bring anything and when any payment is required by. Note: It is normally tradition that the bride doesn’t pay for anything so factor that into your costs as well.

 

Step 6: Theme and decorations

Theme: Sometimes guests are asked to dress in a certain colour or theme, make sure you give people plenty of notice if this is the case. We all know how long it can take females to choose an outfit.

Decorations: Consider hens party decorations based on the venue and your theme. Balloons, banners and streamers always make a statement and are low cost. You can find a lot of fun and stand out tableware, which dresses up a room. Don’t forget to think about accessories for the bride like a bride-to-be sash, veils or badges. Shop hen's party themed decorations available at Lively & Co here.

If you are into DIY or just need some inspiration Pinterest is your best friend! There are plenty of styling tips and DIY hacks. We have some Pinterest boards to get you started here.

 

Step 7: Games

You don’t need to go overboard organising games but a couple of icebreakers to get the party started is always fun. Think about the mood of the party, who is attending and what the bride would like.

A couple of hens party games to get you started are:

• The memory game. Where each guest writes down their funniest memory of the bride and she has to read them all out and pick who wrote each one.
• How well do the bride and groom know each other. Write a list of questions and pre ask the groom before the party, ask the bride the same questions at the Hen’s Party and read out the grooms answers afterwards.

Again, Pinterest is a great help and you can find variations of the same game that you can mix, match and make your own.

Lively & Co also have downloadable games here if you forget or don't have a lot of time to shop.

 

Step 7: Have Fun!

Relax and have fun. Don’t sweat the small stuff or feel like every second of the day needs to be planned. Enjoy the hens party!