Hen Party Planning Handbook

Extensive Hen Do Planning Guide

Hen planning, tips, games, themes, fancy dress ideas... Please browse our free hen pages full of inspiration and advice to make it extra special for the bride-to-be. Enjoy!

How to Plan a Hen Weekend...

Dream Big, Plan it Right

Making a plan without the right tools is like making spaghetti without a pot

Hen Party Planning Ideas

From the get-go, we know first-hand that beginning your hen party planning journey can be daunting – but have no fear! To help you get off to a flying start, there are a few things to consider before you dive into all things pink sashes and Ibiza cocktails.

With the arrival of hen party organisers like ourselves, you have free roam to do as little or as much hen do planning as you like. If you’re in the mindset of “I dread hen do planning", pass us all the hard bits, but if you’re all up to plan a hen party for your best friend, then peruse some simple tips and tricks.

Planning a hen party is usually a lot more work than you think. From deciding what hen activities, you want to include to organising which hotel - we take our hats off to the organisers! Whether you are looking for low key hen party ideas or something completely crazy, we can help you plan everything.

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Things to Remember When Planning a Hen Party for 2024:

1. When Are You Celebrating?

It is essential to know exactly when you are celebrating the hen party. For example, consider if some of the bride's friends are teachers. Is it a classy hen do, or let's just hit the town kind of night?

2. What’s Your Approx. Group Size?

You'll need to quickly get an approximate group size to know precisely what you can do during the weekend.

3. What’s Your Destination?

Do you want to stay in the UK or go Abroad? Once you've figured out who's going, you can decide your destination! We have a list of the best hen locations in the UK to inspire you.

4. What About Hen Activities?

Activities are the most crucial aspect of your hen planning. Finding the perfect hen party activity can make or break your weekend!

5. Don’t Forget Evening Entertainment

As well as activities, you must keep everyone busy into the evening. Whether with a meal or a show, the choice is yours.

6. Do You Need Accommodation?

Depending on whether you are planning a hen weekend or just a hen night, accommodation is always a good idea!

When is the Most Popular Month to organise a Hen Party

There is no definitive answer as to when the most popular month is to go to a hen party; it depends on personal preference and the amount of planning involved. However, those who want to enjoy the warmer months often opt for April or May (based on Funktion Events group bookings in 2022).

These months lead up ideally to the peak wedding season in June and July, making them an ideal time for hen do before saying 'I do'.

5 Travel Advice Tips on Staying Safe during a Hen Party

Whenever you’re travelling around the UK or jetting off for a hen weekend abroad, your national/international travel safety should always come first. We care as much as you do, and with years of experience, we’ve learned a few essentials to ensure you can enjoy the hen do without worry. Find out how to stay safe at the hen party here.

1. Emergency Numbers

Especially important if you’re going abroad, knowing or keeping note of the emergency numbers for your country is essential in case you find yourself in a pickle.

2. Financial Protection

If you’re already amid hen do planning, you already know that hen party packages can get pretty pricy.

With this in mind, could you protect your money in case anything goes wrong?

For example, all our UK and abroad packages are fully protected by ABTA – and we highly suggest you don’t book without the ABTA bonded guarantee!

3. Stick Together!

The old saying ‘safety in numbers’ rings especially true if you’re a group of girls just trying to enjoy yourself. The girls must stick together to ensure everyone gets to and from safely.

4. Passport Control

You’d be shocked by the number of people carrying their passports with them around their chosen hen do destination or using them as ID on the last night of freedom. Keep your passport locked away!

5. Keep Up to Date

Before you jet off abroad, please ensure you know the latest on your location from sites like travel aware. It’s nice to be clued up so you can focus on enjoying yourself.

Who Should Organise the Hen Do?

The maid of honour normally takes control of the hen party planning. This then allows her best friend to just focus on all the wedding planning details.

However, we have seen in recent years that many bride's like to organise their own hen party or at least be involved in all the planning decisions.

How Far In Advance Should You Plan A Hen Do?

To make sure that each guest has enough money to cover the cost of both the hen party and the wedding day itself, we recommend leaving at least 5 to 6 weeks before the wedding. This also allows everybody has time to recover before the big day and look their best.

Enjoy All Our Hen Do Planning Tips

Hen Party Handbook

Fabulous Festival Themed Hen Party Ideas

Get the girls together to enjoy your fabulous festival themed hen party with these ideas that will transport you all into an iconic and memorable hen-fest!

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80 Hen Party Themes

Inspirational ideas on hen party themes ranging including non-tacky classy hen do themes to traditional tried and tested fancy dress ideas. 80+ ideas to browse.

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Hen Party Games

Mr & Mrs Paddle Questions

Jump into 100 free Mr & Mrs paddle questions to make the hen do extra fun. This hen party game available for download and print. Make the hen do hilarious.

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200 Mr And Mrs Questions

Funny, classy, rude and all about her questions for the Mr and Mrs quiz game for hen parties. Free list of questions to print or download - Take a look...

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Hen Party Handbook

Classy Hen Party Ideas

Start planning your classy hen party with the help of all these chic ideas and inspiration. From activities to games and homemade cocktails.

4th December 2023

Hen Party Games

120 Hilarious Never Have I Ever Questions | Funktion Events

Never have I ever is the perfect game to add into your celebrations. You will probably reaaally find out everything about all your besties during this game.

6th November 2023

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Hen & Stag GO FREE!

Double the Fun: The bride & groom-to-be Both Go Free! Book Now for an Unforgettable Celebration with Funktion Events.

16th August 2023

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Hen Party T-Shirts

Add some personalisation into the hen weekend with some hen party t-shirts. This hilarious list will provide you with all the hen party nicknames you’d need!

20th June 2023

Hen Party Games

How Well Do You Know the Bride?

Give the hens a test like no other and find out how well you know the bride with these fun and unique questions and ideas. You can even test the groom!

20th June 2023

Hen Party Games

Advice for the Bride

When it comes to sending off the bride-to-be, make it that little bit extra special by letting her know the best ways to keep a long, healthy & happy marriage

31st March 2023

Hen Party Handbook

How Long Should You Leave Between Your Hen Party and the Wedding

When it comes to planning a hen party it is important to think of everything and anything, especially the timing of the hen party, which is what were for.

28th March 2023