Hen do help!

rachie29

Hi Everyone,

Just looking for a little advice. Did you arrange your own hen do, or did your maid of honour or a bridesmaid arrange it for you? I have had a little look into what to do so have some ideas. I guess really if someone else organised it i'd just be getting them to do the chasing around of who was coming and the actual booking of it. I guess it got me thinking when my OH best man has basically asked OH what he wants to do and he has arranged it all, contacted everyone and booked it all. How helpful!

What are your experiences/stories? Also, we are thinking of going to Park Hall Camelot for a medieval themed banquet/entertainment with plenty of dancing and silliness afterwards. This is going to cost about £40 each including 4 drinks each, and then a minibus would be about £10 each. The alternative is we could stay over, about £30 each. What are your opinions of this? Just out of interest! Which idea would you prefer if you were going, staying over or not staying over? Anyone have any experience of Park Hall?

Thanks in advance

Rach:j

wendz86

I personally mainly organised mine although my sister (maid of honour ) helped. I found it easier as i knew everyone. I didn't find it stressful but then my friends aren't difficult people. I got people to book hotels themselves so i didnt have to chase people for money.

Your idea sounds quite fun, I would enjoy that.

How long would the journey be? If it was a long journey i would probably rather stay over.

minerva_windsong

My chief bridesmaid will be organising most of it - I have given her an idea of what I'd like (cheap, London-based, preferably crafty, and with something for all ages in the day before possibly a bit more raucous evening!) and when it gets closer to the time I'll give her a list of the people I want to invite. I'm keeping her up to date with various ideas I've had and will happily help her out with chasing etc, but she'll be doing most of the organising. She says she wants to and she's normally pretty good at this stuff, so I'm quite happy to let her do it.

Most of the hen nights I've been on one or more of the bridesmaids has done it - I think a big part of it is that it's one less thing for the bride to worry about and that it keeps the surprise element (if there is one, I do have friends who would absolutely hate a surprise for their hen do!). But equally I can see why someone might want to do it themselves, as they know everyone they'd want whereas a bridesmaid might not. They might also have very different ideas about what they want - I've heard a few horror stories about bridesmaids who wanted trips abroad and the full-on stereotypical hen night with pink cowboy hats and strippers etc when all the bride wanted was a nice quiet night in with her friends. I think the key thing is that if bridesmaids do it, they have to remember that it's for the bride and it's about what she wants, even if they think it's boring.

I went to Park Hall for my sixth form leaving do, but that was six years ago now so it's probably changed quite a lot. I thought it was OK - quite nice food and decent disco, but have to confess I don't really remember much of the night! I personally think the deal you've got is really good, although as wendz86 says whether staying over is worth it depends how far back it is/how late you think you'll stay out.

rachie29

Thank you both for your help, much appreciated! It's about 45 minutes to an hour away so not that far. If we stay over we would get use of leisure facilities etc but I also feel like it might put some people off as it makes it a little more hassle!

Pinzy

It'd also depend if any of your hens have kids, they may prefer to get back on the same night. Medieval theme sounds a lot of fun!

A friend of mine organised her own hen do (meal, comedy show, minibus) though she's a very organised type of person! Mine was organised for me, my friend said she wanted to, but ended up needing a lot of help from my sister and sister-in-law! They did everything and I was kept in the dark, though I ended up chasing one person because it made sense, I worked with her so could nag for an aye/nay! I got covered in veil with condoms attached, sash, L-plate, garter, and phallic bubble bath round the neck! They all also had bubble bath and fluffy pink deelyboppers. I would've died a bit if they'd wanted me to go to a pub like that, but it was a male strip show! Drag queen and everything! They said they were a little uncertain but knew I liked things traditional! It was good fun. They also sorted picture masks of me, so when I turned up to the group they all had masks with my face on! Was hilarious! Fab night.

catalunya

My Chief Bridesmaid is organising my hen weekend away - and I am organising hers as her Chief Bridesmaid!

We had always spoke about the fact that we would organise each others - it was a given!

She gave me the list of people she wanted to invite and I have co-ordinated the whole thing - booked the activities, the hotel, the restaurants, guest lists for the clubs etc... got the money off everyone!

The only elements that are a secret are the activity we are doing and the theme of the fancy dress for the Saturday - otherwise she has been involved in the costing, ok-ing the hotel etc.

Its been helpful she has been involved as she can nudge people to respond to my emails and I often copied her into messages so people knew she knew!


Your plans sound like a lot of fun - as for staying over - if there is a benefit to it and its not too costly maybe you could suggest it as an addition and see who fancies it. Maybe the group could then divide if you'd be ok with that and some go and the rest of you make the most of the facilities - my OH went on a stag do a few weeks ago where a group only came for the one day and the others did two - so its prob quite common.

cats2012

I did some of mine as I only had my sister and little cousin as bridesmaids and asked a friend to do the hen do but I helped because she didn't know everyone.

katie1812

I arranged mine. I wanted to make sure everything was how I wanted it, and know the timings and who was coming etc. my husband also organised his stag do which also turned out exactly as he wanted.

rachie29

Thanks everyone. I think i'm too much of a control freak to let anyone else plan the whole thing!! Will definitely have to have a hand in it somewhere!

rachie29

Who did you invite to your hen do's? Just day guests, or night guests too? :huh:

minerva_windsong

rachie29 wrote: »

Who did you invite to your hen do's? Just day guests, or night guests too? :huh:

With mine the current plan is to have it in London, where most of my friends live, so they'll be day and night guests. However we're thinking of doing a daytime activity - I'd like something crafty but will wait to see what my chief bridesmaid comes up with! - and then afternoon tea and/or dinner before going out in the evening, so if people want to go home they can.

I'm planning to invite my mum, OH's mum, my sisters, OH's sister and sister-in-law, and about five or six of my friends (including the chief bridesmaid). Aware that's a lot but most of the hens I've been on were about that size, and as they mostly live in the city where it's being held then they're not too far from home - if we were going away it'd probably be a much smaller group.