Weddings can be expensive affairs for the maid of honour, the bridesmaids and the guests, never mind the bride, so having to pay a lot for the hen party can really dampen the party mood. But not everything needs to be expensive. Here are seven imaginative hen party ideas that won’t cost an arm and a leg.
A pyjama party
If your hen isn’t the type of girl to paint the town red, opt for the ultimate girl’s night in and have a full scale pyjama party. Order pizza, get a selection of chick flicks, do makeovers and face masks, paint your nails, and pass around plenty of bubbly, strawberries and chocolate.
A local tour
If the party will be in the hen’s home town, book onto a local tour, and have guests tell stories about the hen that relate to different local landmarks or areas. Talk to old friends beforehand to make sure there are plenty of good tales to tell, and hopefully some photos to pass around. Make sure you keep the stories fairly clean if you’re inviting her future mother-in-law along.
A bag of goodies
Any standard night out can be livened up by a hen night goody bag that contains fun masks or accessories for the guests to wear, silly name tags, a list of dares for the brides, and a few party games along with novelty prizes. Don’t get everything out at once but keep something in reserve for when the party starts to fall a little flat. Goody bags can be ordered from hen party suppliers, but with a little imagination you can create your own, and the contents will be personalised for your hen.
A dance class
Girls always love to dance, and a dance class doesn’t need to cost the earth if you hold it in your home and have an instructor come to you. Try anything from pole dancing to line dancing to belly dancing; you can even learn a group dance routine to your favourite movie soundtrack. Dance classes can provide some quality photo opportunities so make sure you are armed with a camera, or even better, video your dance performance.
Get creative
An arts and crafts hen party is a great choice for a sedate group, and you can combine it with making bombonieres, stationery, or wedding decorations. You could even hold a flower arranging lesson where the bride could learn to create her own wedding table centrepieces.
Get cooking
Food and drink based activities always work well at hen’s parties, whether you learn how to mix a killer cocktail, or to make delicious chocolates. Have a chef demonstrate cooking an entire meal and then eat it, or spend the evening cooking and icing a variety of cupcakes to pile up and create a novelty wedding cake.
Get sophisticated
If your hen craves an elegant sophisticated hen party, but your guests can’t afford a top notch dinner, consider having high tea in a classy hotel instead. A set high tea will be cheaper than a full dinner, but just as fun and filling, and you’ll have plenty of time for cocktails afterwards.
