How to Plan a Hen Party

Planning a hen party sounds simple enough until you're the one in charge. All of a sudden, you're juggling a group chat with twenty-three strangers, a bride who says she doesn't mind but definitely has opinions, and a budget range that spans about three different tax brackets. It's a lot to deal with, but rest assured that once you get the foundations right, the rest tends to fall into place.

This guide will walk you through the whole process, from the first steps to the day of the hen itself.

What Makes a Good Hen Party?

Before you start scrolling through hen party activities and venues, talk to the bride. This sounds obvious, but it's probably the step that’s been skipped in every nightmare hen party story you’ve ever heard. Does she want a full weekend away or an evening out? A big group or something more intimate? Does she want a surprise, or would she rather be involved in the planning? Getting clear answers here saves a lot of hassle later and puts you on the right track from the start.

Some of the most important questions you should ask are:

Who does she actually want there?
Is she thinking about staying in the UK or going abroad?
Does she want something active or more relaxed?
How does she feel about fancy dress?

Her answers will narrow your options down considerably before you've spent a penny.

It's also worth asking whether she wants a mixed-gender celebration. Sten dos, a portmanteau of stag and hen, have become popular in recent years, especially among couples with friendship groups that don't split neatly along gender lines. If that's the direction, it changes the guest list, the venue shortlist, and the activities you should plan.

How to Budget for a Hen Party

One of the most common source of tension in hen party planning isn't the activities or the dress code, but the conversation about money. The most important step is making sure the cost of the party suits everyone on the guest list- the bride can help with this from the previous step. She knows who's travelling from far away and who might drop out if the cost gets too high.

Set the budget early and be direct about it. A UK hen weekend typically costs between £150 and £400 per person once you factor in accommodation, activities, food, drinks, and transport. The sooner you establish what expenses the group is comfortable with, the better. A quick groupchat poll or message is much less painful than presenting a fully costed plan and watching half the group go quiet.

For collecting money, apps like Splitwise or a simple shared spreadsheet work well. Avoid fronting costs yourself where possible, and be clear upfront about what's included in any figure you share.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD YOU PLAN A HEN PARTY?

For a UK hen party, start planning at least three months out. Six months is better if you're looking at a popular city on a peak weekend, or if the group is large and coordinating diaries is going to take time. Overseas hens need even more runway, often six to twelve months, to give everyone time to sort flights, passports, and time off work.

Book your main activity as early as you can. Locking in the centrepiece of the day sets the date and gives you a fixed point to build everything else around. Popular options fill up months in advance, particularly in summer and around bank holidays.

As for timing relative to the wedding, most organisers aim for four to eight weeks before the big day. Close enough that the excitement is real, far enough that the bride and everyone else has time to recover and sort any last-minute wedding admin without feeling frazzled.

How to Choose a Destination for a Hen Party

For most hens, the choice comes down to staying in the UK or going abroad, and the right answer depends almost entirely on budget and the group's availability rather than ambition. A city break to London, Bristol or Brighton can be just as good as a weekend in Barcelona, and a lot easier to organise around people who can't take time off work or don't have a current passport.

If you're staying in the UK, think about whether you need accommodation at all. Hosting a hen party near to where most of the guests live cuts transport costs significantly and removes a complicated layer of logistics. If you do want a destination element, pick somewhere with a good mix of venues so you're not locked into one plan.

Abroad is worth considering if the group is small, everyone is up for it and you have enough lead time. Southern Europe or the Mediterranean works well for a summer hen: short flights, reliable weather and plenty of things to do and sights to see. Make sure you have a clear picture of who's available to travel abroad before you start finalising plans.

Choosing the Right Hen Party Activity

Choosing an activity is often the hardest decision because it needs to work for the whole group, not just the people who respond first. A good hen party activity is accessible to different ages and fitness levels, sociable enough that people who don't know each other can get involved, and long enough to anchor a decent chunk of the day without the group drifting.

Popular options in the UK include spa days, cocktail making classes, pottery, dance workshops, escape rooms, bottomless brunches, and experience-led activities that combine something to do with food and drinks in the same venue. The right choice depends entirely on the bride's personality and the group dynamic.

When shortlisting activities, ask yourself the following questions:

How many people can it accommodate?
What's the cost per head?
Is it indoors or outdoors, and what's the backup plan for bad weather if it’s outdoors?
Is it accessible to everyone on the guest list?
Does it include food and drink?

Activities that handle catering in-house tend to make the logistics considerably simpler on the day.

HEN PARTY GAMES

Hen party games work best early in the evening, before everyone has settled into their own conversations and gotten to know the guests they haven’t met yet. A few low-effort games in the first hour can make the rest of the night feel noticeably easier.

The best options are the ones that don't require much setup or experience and don't put anyone on the spot. If you’re arranging a game yourself, something simple like a quiz about the couple, a drinking game with forfeits, or a well-known party game will suffice. Alternatively, attending a venue that offers social activities like an activity bar can add some novelty without extra planning and complexity.

Hen Party Themes

A theme gives the day a visual identity without needing to be a full production. It also makes decisions easier: once you know the theme of the night, you’ll narrow down the rest of the planning process to fit,

The most practical approach is a colour theme rather than a costume theme. Everyone wearing the same colour is easy to coordinate, works across different budgets and doesn't require anyone to show up in something they feel ridiculous in. Beyond that, themes tend to work best when they reflect the bride rather than a trend. A travel-obsessed bride, a 90s nostalgia theme, a particular decade or era she loves, all of these give the day a personality without being generic.

If you do go for costumes or fancy dress, check with the bride and make sure it's something the whole group can get on board with. A theme that half the group half-heartedly participates in tends to feel more awkward than no theme at all.

The Finishing Touches on Planning a Hen Do

Hen party activities work best when they break the ice between people who don't already know each other. If the group is drawn from different parts of the bride's life, a few simple games early in the evening can shift the atmosphere from awkward to fun. Keep things lighthearted and make sure everyone’s comfortable from the start.

Putting the personal touch ion the day doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Having everyone wear a matching colour theme or a loose dress code gives the day a visual identity without requiring brand new outfits. Curating a shared playlist that the group contributes to beforehand is a nice detail, as is a small card or note from everyone for the bride to keep. The goal isn't a Pinterest-perfect event, it's a day that feels like it was put together for her specifically.

A week or two before the hen, confirm every booking and send a clear itinerary to the group. Include timings, the address of each venue, what to wear, and what to bring. Designate one person as the point of contact on the day so the bride isn't fielding logistical or admin questions while she's supposed to be having fun.

How to Organise the Hen Party

Leading up to the big day, you should double check to make sure the most important logistics are organised:

Accommodation is confirmed
Transport is planned
Everyone has the itinerary and has RSVP’d
Any dietary requirements or allergies flagged to restaurants or caterers in advance.

Confirming bookings one to two weeks before the hen gives you time to fix anything that's gone wrong before it becomes a problem on the day. Send the final plan to the group at this point too, not just the day before, so everyone has time to read it properly and ask questions.

On the day itself, structure each activity so the energy builds over time rather than peaking too early. A good flow might be:

Travel and check-in
Main activity in the afternoon or early evening,
Dinner,
Drinks or dancing (if people are up for it)

Account for transition time between each part of the day- groups always take longer to move along than you think they will.

Unique Hen Parties at Sixes Cricket

If you're still deciding on your hen party activity, Sixes Social Cricket is worth a look if the bride is a sports lover. It's a party experience built around a virtual cricket simulator, with no cricket knowledge or ability needed whatsoever. You take turns in the batting lanes, the format is competitive enough to be fun but relaxed enough that nobody feels put on the spot, and the whole thing takes place in a bar and restaurant environment so food and drinks are part of the package rather than a separate booking to manage.

Sixes offers private hire for hen parties across all of its UK venues. The combination of something active and accessible, a proper bar, and sharing platters means you're covering activity and dinner in one place rather than shepherding the group between venues.

If that sounds like the right fit for your group, book your event now or get in touch with our events team.

How to Plan a Hen Party