Those of you that are in the know – this image is from the hilarious film Bridesmaids when they were just about to embark on a hen party for the bride…
I’ve mentioned so many times now that I am a bridesmaid for my dearest friend and godmother to my children (in case you don’t remember this post and this post might jog your memory). As such, myself and the other bridesmaids have been organising the hen do for the last few months and it’s now only a few weeks away! Exciiiiting – I can’t wait for a child free (possibly, Edith still won’t take a bottle so may have to be in tow) weekend with my dearest friends and soon-to-become friends.
With only a few weeks to go the pressure is on to make sure everything is organised, especially as yesterday my husband came back from the grooms stag do (he’s an usher/groomsman) where they had been away zorb footballing and other crazy things, and had the time of their lives. So we want to make sure that Kate has an equally fab weekend, however all of us have very busy lives – between the four of us we have 8 children and all of us work! Hence this post: without going into detail about what we are doing (it’s a big surprise and she is totally in the dark) I wanted to put together some tips for other busy parents who are organising a hen do (or stag do).
- Share the work load
I really don’t think that we could have been as organised with Kate’s hen party as we have been if it wasn’t for the fact that we have all worked together. We have organised a variety of different things, we’ve got games, decorations and managed to pull together 15+ people along with co-ordinating two separate venues. It’s been so fun to do because we have been able to text, chat or call each other about a variety of ideas, and then work on them together. If you are organising a hen do alone and you find you are mega pushed for time, why not think about going for a package deal through a hen/stag website? These aren’t like they used to be, filled with sleazy, slightly dodgy looking deals – they have huge ranges of activities (like the zorb football my husband has just done) to pamper days or cocktail classes. There is something for everyone, so if you don’t have a chance to work as a group, take the stress off by out sourcing some of the work.
- Don’t try to please everyone, just the bride.
We are going to be having very different activities, something that some people may not have tried before and something that other’s who are invited might just not enjoy. The thing is, it’s tough! Stick with what you know your bride (or groom) will enjoy, after all the whole reason you are having this ‘party’ is because you want to give them a bit of fun and de-stressing before the big event that they have been planning for the last (possibly) year or two. So, focus on their likes, don’t stress about the guests.
- Write things down, preferably in a little dedicated book or online/mobile group
Make sure you write things down! The key to organisation (especially when you are an over-tired busy parent) is making notes to keep things in one, easy to look up place. Little things like the names of the people you have been dealing with at your venues/activity centres, places where you saw things, ideas that spring into your mind. Keeping all of it in one place will make a huge difference and help you to make the most of the few moments you get to plan.
- Utilise Pinterest
I have said it a tonne of times, but pinterest is a mamas best friend when it comes to organising things. Not only is it a hub of tips, advice and ideas, but you can also make secret boards to pin all your hen party ideas. This works in a similar way to your note book, but with images to inspire you as well as your own notes.
- Lastly, don’t over do it.
Look, you know your hen – if she wants to have a big, all out weekend abroad with a small group of friends then that is great, however, I do think the majority of people want something that a.) most of their friends can afford comfortably and b.) something that they can make wonderful memories of, but that isn’t crammed too full making it impossible to take stock and just enjoy the moment. Don’t try to organise 4-5 different activities all in one weekend, no one wants to be so scheduled that they forget to enjoy and have fun.
So those are my top tips for organising a hen do or stag do if you are a busy parent (or even just someone who has little time to spare!) Remember the most important thing is to enjoy.
Harriet x
