Over the last decade, Hen (Bachelorette) parties have gotten bigger and bigger. From a single night out, to a weekend, to a full week in a sunny party destination. Destination hen party vs local hen party numbers have been steadily on the rise over the years, with around ¼ of all UK Hens choosing to go abroad. Marbella and Albufeira are popular destinations for British Brides and while American Brides tend to stay within the US, many of them still choose to take to the skies and fly to destinations like Vegas, New Orleans and Miami.
Things have changed.
Covid-19 caught everyone off guard. Couples everywhere are having to rethink their plans and travel has become something that most people won’t be considering for a long while yet. This, of course, means that the “Destination Hen” will not be an option for many.
While we were under lockdown, Virtual Hen Parties became the new norm. However, many places are now slowly relaxing their lockdown rules, and even their social distancing regulations. This means that this is now the time for the intimate, DIY bachelorette weekend to make it’s comeback.
Benefits of a ‘local’ DIY hen
While I totally understand the appeal of a massive holiday with your best crew to celebrate your upcoming nuptials, I am also a big advocate of the scaled down, local (ish), DIY Hen weekend. To be clear, when I say local. I don’t mean literally your house or just down the road, but somewhere within decent driving/train distance.
While I totally understand the appeal of a massive holiday with your best crew to celebrate your upcoming nuptials, I am also a big advocate of the scaled down, local (ish), DIY Hen weekend. To be clear, when I say local. I don’t mean literally your house or just down the road, but somewhere within decent driving/train distance.
It reduces costs
Big holidays are fun, but they certainly aren’t easy on the bank balance. Many people are familiar with that feeling when you receive an invite to a bachelorette that you just cannot afford to attend. Removing flights and reducing the itinerary from a week to a weekend, eases some of that strain. However, if budget isn’t a huge concern for you, then keeping it local means that you have more of that budget to spend on really making every detail special. Which I am a huge advocate for.
Allows you to focus on the details
My biggest issue with destination “package” hens is that they become a bit…generic? By the time you’ve spent money on flights, accommodation and your activities for the week (which usually fit into a mould of standard activities like bar crawls, dance classes etc) then your budget is basically gone. Sure, you might hang some “She Said Yes” banners around and print off a Mr and Mrs game, but it won’t feel like something that was really built with YOUR bride in mind. The small details can really come into play when you step away from that pre-packed holiday. This is where you can make your bride feel truly special.
More unique, and easier to customise around the bride.
Just think how much more unique and bespoke to her you can make it when you channel the energy (and money) that would have gone on that stuff, into creating custom themed décor, food, music and games.
Instead of blowing the budget on overpriced drinks, you could order a beautiful custom-made cake designed around her personal style. Instead of attending that crowded salsa class, you could hire an instructor to come to you for a private lesson (in the garden with masks on of course). You can spend more money on buying materials to turn your chosen venue into a beautiful space that reflects your bride and her specific taste. Does she love Game of Thrones? Decorate each bedroom to look like a different GOT location. Would she love a sleepover? You can now spend some more money of lots of throws, blankets, slippers and dressing gowns for everyone and buy in her all-time favourite movie snacks. These little details are often appreciated and help to make the bride feel extra special.
Reduces “Emergency anxiety”
Another benefit of keeping things relatively local, is that it reduces the pressure that comes with expecting lots of different groups of friends, who don’t know each other, to spend a long period of time on holiday together. If people know they are only a few hours’ drive away and can get home in an emergency, then they are likely to be less anxious and therefore more willing to attend.
Here’s where I come in
Yes the DIY Bachelorette is definitely going to make a comeback, but it’s not an easy task and there’s A LOT of information out there which can be pretty overwhelming.
Luckily, the How to Hen toolkit is the perfect tool to help you put together an incredible DIY local hen weekend.
From what you should give as party favours for an intellectual bride, to what music you should play in the bathroom of your Gatsby-themed Bachelorette weekend, I have ideas for every little detail you can think of. Those little touches are what make people feel special and show that you’ve really tailor-made something with love.
Hi! My name is Sherrie and I am the Fairy Hen Mother behind How to Hen. I started this site because I wanted to create a space where bridesmaids and maids of honor could get inspired and feel confident in their ability to plan a kick-ass bachelorette (hen) party for their bestie.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or lost on how to create a perfectly personal, unique bachelorette weekend for your bride, then you need the How to Hen Toolkit. it’s the roadmap that guides you through every part of the process and gives you everything you need.
Or, get your FREE 14 Step guide on how to plan a Bachelorette weekend.