Hen's Night Dos and Don'ts

The point of a Hen’s Party is to fundamentally give the bride her ‘last hurrah’. More often than not, though, this involves activities, games or products that tend to toe the line of some kind of discomfort or general squirm-worthiness. But how are you supposed to tell what’s ok and what’s not on a night based on taboo? Read along to understand and ensure that you don’t make any regrettable mistakes on the Hen’s Night.

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Do:

• Ask the hen what she’d actually like to do
• Organise comprehensively and well in advance. Like organising any other event, it’s key to remember that entertainment venues usually get book up early, especally if you have a large group (and telling the bouncer that it’s your bestie’s Hen’s isn’t likely to sway him)
• Keep in mind the other attendants. If you have particularly old, young, or reserved attendants, consider devoting a portion of the night to a G- Rated celebration. This part of the night usually focuses on the bride-to-be: celebrating her as a persona as well as her upcoming nuptials. It can also consist of fun activities that you may be doing later on anyway, such as meeting for dinner, a movie, bowling, etc.- the difference here being that the intention is to keep the night as open and comfortable as possible. Once this part of the night is over and these guests leave,the naughtier version of the night can begin!
• Consider everyone’s budgets. It’s important to openly establish this whilst planning the night to avoid confusion, embarrassment and resentment. If some of your group have more expendable cash than others, settle on the lowest figure that everyone is willing to spend- those who want to spend more on things like extra games, drinks, etc, will obviously still be able to do so.
• Start a pre-payment system. Want to avoid keeping count of who’s turn it is to buy drink or pay for the next cab? Start a communual kitty in the weeks leading up to the event, where everyone contributes the same amount to be used on the night to avoid this problem.
• Remember that it is the bride’s day. Any game or prank should not leave her looking bad or feeling embarrassed. She must remember this evening as a highlight in the run-up to her wedding day.
• Think about where you’d like the party to be based. Someone’s house, or a hotel? Consider whether you know all the girls who’ll be attending, and how this will affect their comfort as well as the host’s. Meeting in a neutral ground like a hotel is not only a great equaliser, but no one has to worry about the cleanup. Also review whether you’d prefer to sleep at home or at the hotel, depending on your location and what state you expect to be in by the end of the night.
• Be prepared for the morning after the night before. Pack some Nurofen/ Panadol, Berocca, stomach settlers and anti- heartburn medication, along with plenty of water.

Don’t:

• Plan the event within a week of the wedding itself. The bride will need some recovery time as well as some prep time to ensure she looks as beautiful as possible on her big day.
• Expose or expect the bride to participate in anything that will make her uncomfortable. This includes those on the list of people being invited (ex-girlfriends of the groom are a no-no).
• Deal with finances in front of the bride. Costs should be covered by all who attend the hens night and the bride should not be expected to contribute.
• Try to visit more than 2-3 locations. It’s easy for someone to get inadvertently left behind, and it’s also quite disruptive to have to stop what you’re doing to visit your next destination.
• Let anyone go off with another group or single individual. Chances are that they’ll be considerably inebriated, and in an adventurous mood that could end up getting them into trouble. It’s up to every person in your party to keep an eye out for each other and make sure everyone actually gets to the wedding!
• Post any incriminating photos anywhere on the internet! While some photos of the tamer parts of the night are perfectly acceptable, nobody’s particularly happy being immortalised with some of the more compromising positions they’re bound to get in.
• Hesitate to buy a little token of memory of the night for each guest. This can be as fun or silly as you want, as long as it reminds you of a brilliant night spent together in celebration of your friend!