I never had a hen do and frankly, I never attended one, much less a stag do (those are for the boys!). I do see them around quite often, either in town or when I go down to London and it’s one of those things that were a cultural shock for me. We do have similar celebrations back in Portugal but they seem tame, compared to what happens here. People in the UK organize days or weekends out (the boys like mostly going to London, the girls to Blackpool), with their friends or family, get a stripper and have a jolly good time. The idea of the hen do celebration is a good one, as it is a rite of passage that you’d want to share with your closest ones. However, the thought of spending a lot of money (from £101 to £250) to just get drunk and walk around with inflatable male genitalia is not exactly my idea of fun. Call me old, call me boring if you like, but I prefer classeh stuff, ya know? There are plenty more things that people actually end up doing on their hen/stag nights that would make me blush to talk about, so you can read about it here.
What would I do if I was to organize a hen party for my friends? I thought about a few fun and non-rude activities that I would enjoy:
- Spa day – getting massages, mani-pedis, and glasses of bubbly, wearing soft white cotton bath robes. Total relaxation!
- Millinery classes – how about making or decorating the hats you’ll be wearing to the wedding? Should be fun for everyone, not just the crafty among yourselves.
- Vintage tea party – the perfect theme for a classy event, complete with vintage teacups and lots of yummy patisseries. It will make for a wonderful time and fantastic photos if you all dress up accordingly!
- Camping weekend – if you’re getting married in the Summer and feeling like taking a risk with the weather, get on the Airstream and find a nice campsite.
- Candle making course – learning something new with a group of friends is always fun. You can still go for a drink but do it afterwards, for Health and Safety’s sake!
- Ikebana! – For those who don’t know, it’s the Japanese word for the art of flower arrangement. There are plenty of group classes you can take to learn how to properly arrange flowers. Most ladies love fresh flowers, so I’m sure this would be a winner!
- Go to a festival – get the tents, gather your friends and just go and have a blast. Tacky hen crowns and accessories are optional.
- Put on a mask – and go to one of the Lucha Britannia events. Mexican lucha libre, cabaret, funky outfits, what’s there not to like?
These are just a few ideas that are out there that I think would be fun. What did you do for your hen do? Do you have any other suggestions?
*Statistics have been provided by Ladbrokes
5 Comments
These are great ideas doll, I didn’t have a hen night either!! These would have been fun!! Ha..let’s just do one of these, who cares if its not a hen’s night, hahaha!! 😉 xx
Gawd, most hen parties you see around town are pretty dreadful, not my style at all! Haven’t had one (not married!) but would definitely try and do something alternative, if it was me. xxx
I’m also a really old fashioned lady, never attended one of those hen parties and they’re not my cup of tea (or coffee, or whatever). But they’re becoming very popular here, they’re even becoming an industry here in my town, because this is one of the favorite destinations to these kind of parties. So every weekend you can see many of these groups in their ridiculous costumes/uniforms, drinking like there’s no tomorrow. There’re even tabernas where they’re not admitted, because they bother usual clients.
I would love to go to the spa or to millinery classes with friends, it sounds delightful!
beijinhos
I have been to lots of hen parties! hehe! usually hilarious and lot’s of fun and I will admit to being very, very disappointed when my male stripper didn’t arrive at mine haha!
My friend organized a whole hen weekend for me. we went on a chocolate shop tour, made bunting and had a picnic. I was really overwhelmed by how lovely it was.