What will you choose?
Learn about the differences between the types of celebration and how you can make your party choice extra special for the bride to be and all the girls!
A bachelorette party, hens party, hens night or hen do, is a party held in honour of the bride to be. The terms hen party, hen do or hen night are common in the United Kingdom and Ireland, while the terms hens party or hens night are common in Australia and New Zealand. The term bachelorette party is widely used in the United States and Canada. This event may also be referred to as a girls' night out or kitchen tea - but ultimately this is an occasion arrange for the bride to be to celebrate her last days of 'freedom' in the run up to her wedding day!
Hens / Bachelorette Party
Traditionally this party will be organised by the maid of honour and the bridesmaids - notoriously branded as a night of drunken debauchery the hens or bachelorette can vary in its theme and choice of entertainment.
Dare the Bride
... a bit of fun!
What you ultimately decide to do at your party depends on the bride's lifestyle, the age of those attending, and the area in which you live. It is important to make this a night to remember, a chance for all of the girls to let their hair down and have some fun!
It is a fantastic time to typically 'dare the bride' - you could make a list of questions and dares for the hen to compete throughout the night. It is a great idea to print these onto your personalised stubby holders as part of a party game or series of dares!
Hens, Bachelorette, Bridal Shower - The Entertainment!
Karaoke is always a blast and can be a superb ice breaker too!
Get the bride up first to sing 'white wedding' or 'girls just wanna have fun' or go as a group if you're a little shy at the beginning! You could also consider some caberet or go to a drag show for a few smiles and giggles!
Whatever entertainment is planned, the organiser should make sure that it will not embarrass or humiliate the honouree or any of the guests!
However, there is no harm in a little fun and often on a girls night out the organiser might arrange a male stripper or it is becoming increasingly popular to have some fun with all the girls at a pole dancing party!
The Formal Bridal Shower!
The bridal shower is a more formal pre-wedding event; this is an occasion for close family and friends of the bride to spend some relaxed time with her before the big day.
It's a time for sharing funny stories, giving advice to the bride, and for all the girls to 'shower' her with gifts and support. A bridal shower is commonly organised by the maid-of-honour and bridesmaids, quite often this can be arranged as a surprise so that the bride really does feel special!
Girls Only... ?!
Bridal Showers are traditionally a 'girls only' event, however in recent times it is becoming more common for this to be a couple's party, often referred to as a "Jack and Jill Shower".
Any time of day is acceptable for a bridal shower however they would normally be held in the afternoon.
Avoid the stress of a traditional shower...
The traditional shower can be held at a home, in a bar or restaurant. However, it is becoming increasingly common for shower planners to choose activities instead - such as, taking the bride out for a shopping spree, bowling bonanza, relaxed day at the spa or a winery tour to avoid the stress of a formal party.
If the couple decide on a joint Jack and Jill venture then this can be completely relaxed with a beach barbecue or party in the park.
Themes for your shower...
Some popular themes for bridal showers include lingerie, kitchen tea party, around the clock, spa and beauty or travel and honeymoon.
You could even go for a Paris theme like in the film 'Bridesmaids' - but maybe not quite as over the top :-)
Bridal Shower, Bachelorette or Hens Party - The Rules!
There are some general rules to follow when arranging your pre-wedding event;
- Consider the brides personality when arranging the celebration, make sure that you try not to plan something that she will disapprove of or simply not enjoy, after all this is her day!
- Don't invite guests to the shower who have not been invited to the wedding - that could be awkward!
- Don't forget to give out party favors to all of the guests. These can be traditional favours such as small boxes of candy. Or they can be something a little different that relates to the theme of the shower such as personalised koozies, or charms for a cocktail or drinks party.
- Party games are a great way to break the ice, especially if a large number of the guests don't already know each other.
- With bridal shower gifts, (if this is not a surprise) you could encourage the bride to sign up for a gift registry. With so many couples living on their own before getting married, it can be really difficult to decide what to get, make sure that the bride is mindful of people's budgets when choosing her list.
And remember, you don't have to simply go for one of the other. When organising the celebration for the bride-to-be you might want to choose a bridal shower as a daytime event and include mother of the bride, mother in law and other mature relatives. That way you can have the wild night out with the girls on a separate occasion and make sure that everyone is included.
Good luck and happy planning.
