Hen parties are really all about making the bride feel loved, and giving her one last hurrah before she walks down the aisle so that she can enjoy every ounce of being a ‘Miss’ before entering the beautiful journey of marriage. …But it needn’t cost the earth! All of this can be achieved at a Home Hen, and in fact, this style of hen can offer the bride so much more when it comes to fun, giggles and quality time with her besties! (Especially if the wedding is quite soon when everyone has enough to pay for already.) Read on for a few home hen party ideas and some of our tips on how to create the perfect Home Hen….
Sleepover Style
Get the girls to bring over their pjs, cosy toes and slumber gear for a good old fashioned slumber party. Bring old photo albums, teenage memorabilia and anything else that will remind your bride what wonderful friends she has, and will always have!
Decorate the Space
Make sure a team of gals get access to the party space before the bride arrives. Go for bunting, balloons and confetti (all fairly inexpensive, take a look here), and create a space that will make your bride feel extra special and super loved – not to mention something that will be totally instagrammable for her to gush over.
Props
Personalised bags, take-home gifts, veils, fun wigs, sash’s and other dress-up bits and pieces will inject fun and frolics into your home hen. Check out my cute tote bags and other fun merch designed for just that! Great for a little keepsake bag for the bride, or even favour bags for the rest of the hen party gals.
Photo Wall
Ask everyone in the bridal team to gather 5-10 photos of their very best memories of them and the bride. Print out and hang around the room or dedicate a whole wall to pinning and posting the photos up. You can also ask the girls to write personalised messages on the back, and afterwards, the image collection can be transformed into a gorgeous wedding gift for the bride.
Cocktail Station
Cocktails… naturally! Find some easy recipes and dedicate a table to cocktails. They will (of course) go down a treat! Social and Cocktail provide amazing inspiration and recipes… We LOVE the Brambles and Mojitos!
BFF Playlist
There is nothing more heartwarming and lovely than sharing old meaningful tunes with your girls – songs that remind you of hilarious nights out, or the countless ‘getting ready’ sessions before hitting the town, or the songs that take you back to boys at uni! Music is everything when it comes to sharing memories and good times, so ask the bridal team to suggest 5 or so songs and mix up a playlist. (Also check out my wedding playlist on Spotify if you’re stuck for ideas – it’s great background or dinner music for weddings, but would also be ideal if you’re going for more of a dinner party vibe at home.)
Cheese and Wine
THE perfect combo for any girls night in. A yummy way to get your home hen off to a chic and civilized start! Also perfect if you are floating a French or Parisian theme!
Games
There are tons of games that will fit in well with a home hen. Truth or dare is great for a giggle (even more fun after a few drinks from the cocktail station!). ‘Swing the Banana’ is a brilliant game to play later on in the night; it involves tying a belt or rope around your waist and suspending a banana between your legs, so that it almost swipes the floor. This is used as your ‘bat’ for hitting oranges from one side of the room to the other. First one to get their orange to the other side of the room wins! (Sounds SO much easier than it is!!!)
Hen do’s can be as extravagant or as expensive as you like – but they don’t need to be. It can be hard to find the money or time to take long weekends away for a hen… So this is where a home hen is PERFECT! Cosy, full of giggles, personality, and all geared towards showing your bride just how much you love and appreciate her.
Photography Credits: eBay | Flavourites | London Review | Kirsty Gadd Textiles | Liquor Online | My Food Story | Rock My Wedding | The Hen Planner
