Hen’s Parties & Stag Do’s

It’s that final night of freedom as a single girl or guy – your hen or stag party. Having a final celebration with friends is a great way to have some fun and enhance the sense of excitement and ceremony leading up to your wedding. It’s also a good opportunity for people to get to know each other prior to the wedding and to bring family and friends together. We help you plan a fun, fabulous and unforgettable celebration, whatever your style and budget…

Who’s Organising?

Traditionally, hen and stag events are organised by the chief bridesmaid and the best man respectively. Let the organiser know the maximum cost each guest should pay and, unless you’re the kind of person who likes surprises, have a chat to them about the type of celebration you’d like. Do you want to let your hair down and have a wild night out on the town or would you prefer an afternoon at an exclusive spa with your closest friends? Ideally, this part of the wedding should suit your personality and what you like to do – although always be prepared for a few surprises!

photo credit: Watt_Dabney

Hot Ideas for the Hen Party

A group activity can be a good way to break the ice and get people in the mood for celebration. One of the most entertaining hen’s parties I’ve been to involved having a group pole dancing lesson with a professional fitness instructor, which provided plenty of laughs. Alternatively, you could organise a mini golf tournament with extra dares and challenges, get creative at a craft or cooking class, go for a surfing lesson with a hunky instructor, or stretch your vocal cords by having a karaoke or Singstar night.

Another good girly option for the hen party is pampering: going for a facial, massage or other beauty treatment. This ‘spa-rty’ option is especially good for a smaller group – take your best friends or bridesmaids, and perhaps your mother and your fiancé’s.

If you want to make a weekend of it, hire a bach for a girl’s weekend or go to another city and paint the town red. For fun closer to home, hire a suite in a flash hotel and have a top end night out complete with bubbly, cocktails or fine wines.

In these recessionary times, there’s also plenty of fun to be had at home. Have a black tie themed cocktail evening, a pamper party (give each other beauty treatments, or have a manicurist come in and give you all a treat), or if you’re feeling naughty, why not have a lingerie or sex toy hens party?

Hot Ideas for the Stag Do

Say the words ‘stag do’ and drinking immediately springs to mind. While drinking may well be involved, a fun celebration with the boys doesn’t necessarily have to be a pub crawl. Get physical with paintball, golf, mountain biking, go karting, bowling, canyoning or skeet shooting, and then move on to dinner and drinks. For an event at home, you can’t go past a boy’s barbeque, or perhaps a pizza night.

A boy’s weekend away can be a great chance for the guys to bond and burn off some extra energy. Again, perhaps hire a bach or go to another town to check out the bars and clubs and outdoor adventure opportunities, play a few rounds of golf or go fishing.

photo credit: Big C Harvey

Things to Remember

We’ve all heard horror stories of bachelor parties gone horribly wrong. Keep it fun and safe so no one ends up in hospital.
No one wants to look like they’ve had one too many drinks and not enough sleep on their wedding day. Pick a date at least a week prior but up to a month before the wedding, to give everyone the chance to recover and be ready for the big day.
If you can, plan to have your hen and stag events on the same date, so one partner isn’t sitting at home worrying about what the other one is doing! Even if they are on the same night, don’t get stressed about what your other half is up to. Remember, you trust them – otherwise you wouldn’t be getting married, right? Just enjoy your own celebration.
The organiser of the event needs to be aware of what the guests can afford. They are also coming to your wedding and probably buying you a wedding gift, so don’t put them under too much financial pressure.
Many hen and stag parties are progressive events with several different activities, often getting wilder and saucier as the evening progresses! You may like to structure the event so people can attend some elements and not others – e.g. dinner at home, then drinks and dancing in town. This will make it easier for older relatives to attend, and for those with families to join the celebrations when it suits them.
The organiser needs to communicate clearly on the invites what the length of the celebration is, the dress code, whether the party goers need to bring anything, whether drinks are provided or it’s BYO etc.
If the event is going to involve alcohol, be responsible and make sure transport is available. Organise taxi vans; dial a driver, or places to stay so no one has to worry about the car keys.
Don’t forget the ‘Snag-do’ option, where the guys and girls celebrate together or perhaps meet up for a meal and joint party after the day’s adventures.
Above all, have fun! Of course you’ll still go out with your mates once you’re married, but this is a good opportunity to celebrate your single life with those who have lived it with you.