Lets face it, weddings can be an expensive time for the bride. As she plans the most important day of her life with total precision, it can be difficult then to find the cash to hold a hen night. Luckily, there are plenty cheap hen night ideas, meaning that no one has to miss out on a good party!
House party.
Everybody loves a good house party, and this is perfect if you cant spare the expense of going out or away for your hen night. Simply tell everyone the time and your address - if they dont already know it - and wait for them to show up; simple! Ask them all to BYOB and just put out some simple snacks like crisps and maybe make a couple of trays of sandwiches and other traditional party food - if this sounds like too much effort, lots of supermarkets now do party food at discount prices. Make a playlist of songs that will get everyone in the party spirit and just enjoy the company - sometimes the best things in life are the simple ones!
BBQ/Picnic party.
If you are planning on holding your hen party in the summer, then having a picnic or BBQ is a wonderful way to celebrate without breaking the bank. Use either your garden or local park and again, get everyone to bring their own meat and alcohol. You could even dig out an old rounders or cricket bat, and have some wonderful games in the sun. Holding the party outside also means you wont have any mess to tidy up the next day or bother about decorations.
Eat Out.
Although this sounds like it could end up being a costly affair, there is nothing to say that you couldnt book your favourite restaurant and get everyone to pay for their own meal - but make sure you tell everyone before hand to avoid any nasty surprises.
Disco.
Depending on where you live, there are lots of venues that are relatively cheap, village halls and working mens clubs particularly. Ask a friend to DJ for you, or just make playlists and play them through the PA. This will cut down on expense, particularly if there is a bar as each person will have to buy their own booze.
Relaxing Hen Night Ideas – Movie Night
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Sometimes people just want a relaxing hen night, a time to chill with their best friends, have a giggle and reminisce before tying the knot. For a perfect, relaxing night in, why not think about holding a movie night?
For invitations you might want to print some "cinema tickets" and send them to your friends, incorporating your theme and anything they should bring with them to make the night complete.
If you want to do something a bit more elaborate than renting or streaming a couple of films and sitting around eating popcorn and drinking wine in your trackies, take one of the following themes and use it as the focal point for your evening.
Hollywood. Hold your very own premier; find yourself a red carpet to lead your friends to your very own cinema. Encourage everyone to dress in their finest clothes and maybe even have someone to greet them and escort them to the door. For snacks, go for sophistication; think about asparagus, pancetta, oysters and champagne. You could even host your very own Oscars, and hand out awards for your friends.
Horror. This would be perfect if you are planning on holding your hen night around Halloween. Decorate the house with cobwebs, skulls and monsters and keep everything dark. Get your friends to dress as their favourite horror movie character and put together some spooky snacks and sweets. Close the curtains and prepare yourselves for a fright!
Chick Flicks. Adorn your house in love hearts and other romantic decorations and encourage everyone to bring their favourite chick flick along with them. Make up a batch of girly cocktails and sweet popcorn and buy in some good wine. Also, make sure you have some tissues at the ready!
Of course, there are thousands of things you could do depending on your personal taste; Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney and James Bond also give you a huge amount of scope in terms of fancy dress, drinks and snack ideas. Use your imagination and go wild!
If you want to do something a bit more elaborate than renting or streaming a couple of films and sitting around eating popcorn and drinking wine in your trackies, take one of the following themes and use it as the focal point for your evening.
Hollywood. Hold your very own premier; find yourself a red carpet to lead your friends to your very own cinema. Encourage everyone to dress in their finest clothes and maybe even have someone to greet them and escort them to the door. For snacks, go for sophistication; think about asparagus, pancetta, oysters and champagne. You could even host your very own Oscars, and hand out awards for your friends.
Horror. This would be perfect if you are planning on holding your hen night around Halloween. Decorate the house with cobwebs, skulls and monsters and keep everything dark. Get your friends to dress as their favourite horror movie character and put together some spooky snacks and sweets. Close the curtains and prepare yourselves for a fright!
Chick Flicks. Adorn your house in love hearts and other romantic decorations and encourage everyone to bring their favourite chick flick along with them. Make up a batch of girly cocktails and sweet popcorn and buy in some good wine. Also, make sure you have some tissues at the ready!
Of course, there are thousands of things you could do depending on your personal taste; Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney and James Bond also give you a huge amount of scope in terms of fancy dress, drinks and snack ideas. Use your imagination and go wild!
Different Hen Party Ideas – Barn Dance
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If you’re still looking for inspiration for something to make your hen night extra special and memorable, why not think about a barn dance theme? There has been a bit of a resurgence in the popularity of barn dancing lately, as they are a great, different, way for people of all ages to have fun, and is comparatively organised in terms of activity.
First you will need to find a venue. Obviously, this will have to be big enough to ensure that you have room to get everybody moving but you don’t need any particularly special facilities; generally any night club or village hall will do. There are a number of agencies out there who can provide you with an instructor, but if you know your own moves then you may just decide to lead it yourself, although bear in mind that though this will cut down on expense, you might not find yourself enjoying your own party as much as you could.
Get everyone to dress in suitable attire - cowboy hats and boots are great, as are gingham shirts and just an ordinary pair of jeans. Decorate your venue with typical "Wild West" style artefacts; cactuses, gingham table cloths and picket fencing are great, and you could even scatter some old farming equipment and wagon wheels around.
For food, think Fried chicken, ribs and baked potatoes - all readily available, easy to prepare and absolutely delicious! For afters, think about traditional American desserts like Apple, Pecan or Blueberry pie and ice cream.
The cost will largely depend on how much the venue you decide to hire charge, and whether you decide to hire someone to lead you in your dancing - although this is by no means necessary. The rest of the elements of the night are pretty simple to put together and can be relatively cheap as long as you are prepared to beg, borrow and steal any props you need but don’t already have.
First you will need to find a venue. Obviously, this will have to be big enough to ensure that you have room to get everybody moving but you don’t need any particularly special facilities; generally any night club or village hall will do. There are a number of agencies out there who can provide you with an instructor, but if you know your own moves then you may just decide to lead it yourself, although bear in mind that though this will cut down on expense, you might not find yourself enjoying your own party as much as you could.
Get everyone to dress in suitable attire - cowboy hats and boots are great, as are gingham shirts and just an ordinary pair of jeans. Decorate your venue with typical "Wild West" style artefacts; cactuses, gingham table cloths and picket fencing are great, and you could even scatter some old farming equipment and wagon wheels around.
For food, think Fried chicken, ribs and baked potatoes - all readily available, easy to prepare and absolutely delicious! For afters, think about traditional American desserts like Apple, Pecan or Blueberry pie and ice cream.
The cost will largely depend on how much the venue you decide to hire charge, and whether you decide to hire someone to lead you in your dancing - although this is by no means necessary. The rest of the elements of the night are pretty simple to put together and can be relatively cheap as long as you are prepared to beg, borrow and steal any props you need but don’t already have.
Great Hen Night Ideas – Alice in Wonderland
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I love Alice in Wonderland. Its an absolute classic that is completely embedded in the hearts and minds of the young and young at heart globally. It also lends itself perfectly as a great hen party theme.
Send out invitations to everyone, making sure you tell everyone to come as their favourite Alice in Wonderland character or something suitably crazy. Be sure to include the tag line "Dont be late for a very important date!"
The great thing about an Alice in Wonderland theme is that it gives you the opportunity to go really wild with your imagination. You could either hire out a venue and decorate it or have a tea party in your own home - really its up to you, but you can go nuts with your decorations incorporating all of Carrols wonderful imagery; think playing cards, upside-down flamingos, playing cards, magic mushrooms, flowers and enchanted forests. Lots of hearts, of course, are particularly apt for a hen party.
For food, think simple, traditional tea party fare but make it a little bit different, for example, make everything minature or, if you are really skilled in the kitchen, you could decorate mini cupcakes with images of the characters. You could even try and make some "mock turtle soup"!If you want to put out snacks, Id recommend bowls of sweets like jelly beans with "eat me" labels attached - you could even try and find some of the little foam "mushrooms" you used to get as a child. You could also make up some punch or long island iced tea with "drink me" labels attached, or take things one step further towards the magical realm with mini tea cups of absinthe.
For games, get everyone to sit around a table for the night and sporadically shout "CHANGE PLACES" throughout the evening. This is great, particularly if there are certain members of the group who dont know the rest as they will constantly be sitting next to, and getting to know someone new.
Send out invitations to everyone, making sure you tell everyone to come as their favourite Alice in Wonderland character or something suitably crazy. Be sure to include the tag line "Dont be late for a very important date!"
The great thing about an Alice in Wonderland theme is that it gives you the opportunity to go really wild with your imagination. You could either hire out a venue and decorate it or have a tea party in your own home - really its up to you, but you can go nuts with your decorations incorporating all of Carrols wonderful imagery; think playing cards, upside-down flamingos, playing cards, magic mushrooms, flowers and enchanted forests. Lots of hearts, of course, are particularly apt for a hen party.
For food, think simple, traditional tea party fare but make it a little bit different, for example, make everything minature or, if you are really skilled in the kitchen, you could decorate mini cupcakes with images of the characters. You could even try and make some "mock turtle soup"!If you want to put out snacks, Id recommend bowls of sweets like jelly beans with "eat me" labels attached - you could even try and find some of the little foam "mushrooms" you used to get as a child. You could also make up some punch or long island iced tea with "drink me" labels attached, or take things one step further towards the magical realm with mini tea cups of absinthe.
For games, get everyone to sit around a table for the night and sporadically shout "CHANGE PLACES" throughout the evening. This is great, particularly if there are certain members of the group who dont know the rest as they will constantly be sitting next to, and getting to know someone new.
Hen Party Trip Ideas
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If you want to take a trip for your hen weekend that isn’t too far away, and is fun, exciting and doesn’t involve drinking too much and waking up with a raging hangover (although this is still optional) then you could always consider a trip to one of the country’s awesome theme parks.
There are quite a few theme parks throughout the UK which range in size, price and location. Some, inevitably are more expensive than others, but here are a few of the best:
Thorpe Park. Situated just twenty miles outside of London, Thorpe Park is one of Britain’s leading theme parks and has a huge number of sensational rides including the terrifying SAW alive. Thorpe Park do great offers for hen parties too, depending on the size of your group, ranging from £24 - £26.40 per adult for groups of 7 or more if you book online and can also offer you great discounts on hotels and food and drink, making your trip even cheaper!
Alton Towers. Possibly the UK’s premier theme park, Alton Towers is situated right in the heart of the country, making it accessible from all areas. Alton Towers has it all, from fabulous accommodation to thrilling rides as well as its own water park and spa. Prices for theme park entry range from £29.40 when you book online, saving you 30% and giving you the chance to ride early.
The Pleasure Beach. Blackpool has always been an immensely popular hen night destination, and has been an epicentre for tourism in Britain since Victorian times. Featuring the worlds tallest rollercoaster, Blackpool pleasure beach is one of Blackpool’s biggest attractions and a wrist band with unlimited access to the rides will cost £27 for groups of 23 or more, including one free. Whilst in Blackpool, also be sure to check out the legendary, revamped tower and Coral Island or head out to the Sandcastle - the UKs largest indoor water park.
Whichever one you choose, you’re guaranteed to give the bride to be all the thrills and spills she could ask for before embarking on the biggest rollercoaster of them all!
There are quite a few theme parks throughout the UK which range in size, price and location. Some, inevitably are more expensive than others, but here are a few of the best:
Thorpe Park. Situated just twenty miles outside of London, Thorpe Park is one of Britain’s leading theme parks and has a huge number of sensational rides including the terrifying SAW alive. Thorpe Park do great offers for hen parties too, depending on the size of your group, ranging from £24 - £26.40 per adult for groups of 7 or more if you book online and can also offer you great discounts on hotels and food and drink, making your trip even cheaper!
Alton Towers. Possibly the UK’s premier theme park, Alton Towers is situated right in the heart of the country, making it accessible from all areas. Alton Towers has it all, from fabulous accommodation to thrilling rides as well as its own water park and spa. Prices for theme park entry range from £29.40 when you book online, saving you 30% and giving you the chance to ride early.
The Pleasure Beach. Blackpool has always been an immensely popular hen night destination, and has been an epicentre for tourism in Britain since Victorian times. Featuring the worlds tallest rollercoaster, Blackpool pleasure beach is one of Blackpool’s biggest attractions and a wrist band with unlimited access to the rides will cost £27 for groups of 23 or more, including one free. Whilst in Blackpool, also be sure to check out the legendary, revamped tower and Coral Island or head out to the Sandcastle - the UKs largest indoor water park.
Whichever one you choose, you’re guaranteed to give the bride to be all the thrills and spills she could ask for before embarking on the biggest rollercoaster of them all!
Bachelorette Music Ideas
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Once you have come up with a theme for you hen party, its time to start thinking about music, or if you’re finding it difficult to come up with a theme to begin with, why not centre it around your musical tastes?
Pop Come as your favourite pop star and make a playlist centred around your favourite songs. There is a huge scope when it comes to pop music, so you might want to narrow it down a bit to your favourite era of music, which will make things easier for you when it comes to wear and listen to on the night. You might want to elaborate even further and make it all about the charts when you were growing up, giving you all a nostalgia trip along the way.
Rock Again, with rock music, there is an almost infinite number of possibilities when it comes to what you want to wear or listen to. Glam rock is a great theme because it is so theatrical and recognisable, but there are all sorts of other routes you could go down. A theme that I see cropping up regularly at parties now is dead rock stars, which narrows it down a bit, and you can centre your playlist around iconic rockstars and bands from your favourite time period.
Disco Disco music ties in very well with a seventies theme and will encourage everyone to get dancing around their handbags! Think Bee Gees, Trammps, Donna Summer and you have a perfect nostalgia trip, and a night full of classic songs that everybody knows and loves.
Country Not everybody’s cup of tea, granted, but it is a great base to centre your theme around nonetheless. Think gingham and cowboy hats and boots and slap on some Dolly. You might even want to think about getting people line dancing! A great way to have fun, and get everyone involved.
Pop Come as your favourite pop star and make a playlist centred around your favourite songs. There is a huge scope when it comes to pop music, so you might want to narrow it down a bit to your favourite era of music, which will make things easier for you when it comes to wear and listen to on the night. You might want to elaborate even further and make it all about the charts when you were growing up, giving you all a nostalgia trip along the way.
Rock Again, with rock music, there is an almost infinite number of possibilities when it comes to what you want to wear or listen to. Glam rock is a great theme because it is so theatrical and recognisable, but there are all sorts of other routes you could go down. A theme that I see cropping up regularly at parties now is dead rock stars, which narrows it down a bit, and you can centre your playlist around iconic rockstars and bands from your favourite time period.
Disco Disco music ties in very well with a seventies theme and will encourage everyone to get dancing around their handbags! Think Bee Gees, Trammps, Donna Summer and you have a perfect nostalgia trip, and a night full of classic songs that everybody knows and loves.
Country Not everybody’s cup of tea, granted, but it is a great base to centre your theme around nonetheless. Think gingham and cowboy hats and boots and slap on some Dolly. You might even want to think about getting people line dancing! A great way to have fun, and get everyone involved.
Valentines Day Hen Party – Combined
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Many people are now deciding to combine their hen and stag parties, and what better night to celebrate than Valentines day?
Combined parties are a great idea as they tend to cut down expense, and are particularly useful if you are getting married abroad or having an especially low key wedding. This gives you the perfect opportunity to gather all your friends together to celebrate before the big day. Celebrating together is also a great way to cut out on the tackier side of the hen party spectrum and means that you are free to invite the inlaws and other family members, making it all-inclusive.
It may be that you decide to take everyone away for a country retreat or activity weekend. This is generally a good idea, as there tends to be something for everyone, and catering will often be provided meaning that you will be free to enjoy yourself without having to do any of the work.
If you want something a little more low-key and inexpensive you could think about holding a dinner party. Invite around your friends and have a refined evening of entertainment that everybody can enjoy. If you really want to push the boat out, try putting traditionally romantic food and drinks such as oysters and champagne on your menu. Decorate your table with elegant place settings and romantic furnishings. This will also be fantastic for your single friends, as no one likes to be alone on Valentines day.
Beware though, if you are planning to take your friends out or booking a venu for a disco or similar, Valentines is one of the busiest nights of the year for pubs, clubs and restaurants so make sure you book well in advance and beware of people trying to push up prices - don't be afraid to negotiate!
Hen Night Invitation Ideas
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Once you have a theme, location and guest list organised for your hen party, it's time to start thinking about invitations. Obviously, when writing your invitations you will need to include the date, time and location of your party, as well as any dress code you may have decided upon. Often people will rely on word of mouth when organising their hen nights, but personalised invitations can add that extra, special touch.
If you are a crafty person, you may want to make the invitations yourself. Your local craft or stationary shop will have a wealth of supplies you can use to make and customise the invitations to look exactly the way you want them. This means that you have total freedom to put whatever you want on them and make it tie in with your theme. You might decide to go all out with glitter and sequins or keep it a little classier, it really is entirely up to you.
If you don't have the time to make your own invitations, but still want something personal, there are many, many companies online through which you can order personalised invitations. There are also free, download and print services available (although, bear in mind, you get what you pay for) and e-invitations if you want to save on paper and postage. Alternatively, you could go to your local store and purchase some pre-printed, non-personalised invitations.
If you really want to push the boat out, why not think of something completely novel to use as an invitation. For example, if you are having a murder mystery party, you could send a 'newspaper article' which details the case you're going to solve and urge 'witnesses' to come forward on the time and date of your party, this adds a little extra fun to the proceedings and will get the ball rolling before the night even begins!
If you are a crafty person, you may want to make the invitations yourself. Your local craft or stationary shop will have a wealth of supplies you can use to make and customise the invitations to look exactly the way you want them. This means that you have total freedom to put whatever you want on them and make it tie in with your theme. You might decide to go all out with glitter and sequins or keep it a little classier, it really is entirely up to you.
If you don't have the time to make your own invitations, but still want something personal, there are many, many companies online through which you can order personalised invitations. There are also free, download and print services available (although, bear in mind, you get what you pay for) and e-invitations if you want to save on paper and postage. Alternatively, you could go to your local store and purchase some pre-printed, non-personalised invitations.
If you really want to push the boat out, why not think of something completely novel to use as an invitation. For example, if you are having a murder mystery party, you could send a 'newspaper article' which details the case you're going to solve and urge 'witnesses' to come forward on the time and date of your party, this adds a little extra fun to the proceedings and will get the ball rolling before the night even begins!