What Is The Best Hen Do You Have Been On And Why?

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

I am looking for some inspiration please ...
What is the best hen do you have been on and why ?

Many thanks 😊

Same as your other thread.
Ones that are nice and simple, don't force people out of their comfort zones, don't embarrass people, and don't cost an arm and a leg.

But, if you were talking more generally - rather than the 'small, mixed ages' you talked about on your other thread, then it is going to depend on the bride and her hens. Some like the excuse to get legless / dress up / have matching t-shirts / spend £££ on 'an experience'. It's about knowing the people you are planning it for.

I always enjoy the ones where you rent a big house together! Really allows room to play games like mr and Mrs etc and also get to know the other girls over a weekend! There’s quieter spaces for people who aren’t loud and don’t want to be thrown into everything.
I’ve been to some fab ones where they have had drag queens come to entertain on the night for a ru Paul theme. Private chefs, another with a pop up bar with freshly made cocktails all night and then a room with a dj and a mini party room! Guests started off glam but soon all dancing in their pjs! Truly ace! Also chuck a hot tub in!

Mine.
July 1975.
Me and a few friends did the usual booze cruise, clockwise, around our City centre.
STBDH and his mates did the same but anti clockwise.
Met up at our favourite pub for last orders. Had a great craic and managed to get the proverbial bag of chips before getting the last bus home (10. 55).
Still together as are most (unfortunately not all) of the other revellers.
Not everyone's idea of a good time, but it was just great for us.

I've been on a couple that were weekends away and were really fun. However I think the key is to set clear expectations up front so that people can opt in or out without being made to feel guilty, and without any "surprises" (eg extra hidden costs) later on.

I am not a lover of hen do's usually and try and get out of them but the one I really enjoyed was a weekend in London. There was only about 6 of us and we stayed in a nice hotel, had dinner followed by a show at the theatre then a few drinks afterwards. Next day we spent the day at The Sanctuary Spa in London (this shows how long ago it was as the place has been closed for years!) It was a lovely weekend which everyone thoroughly enjoyed and I always look back on it fondly.

I doubt I will go to anymore hen do's as I'm quite old in the tooth and I thank god for that when I read the horrendous stories about expensive hen do's abroad with so many expectations from some of the brides. Utter madness.

Rented an absolutely beautiful house in Bath, found it on Airbnb, big enough for the whole group (around 12-14 I think). Booked a cocktail making lesson at the house the Friday night, then Saturday, went to the Christmas market and to Thermae Bath Spa, back to the house to get ready then out for a really nice dinner followed by cocktails (and inevitably the clubs!) and on Sunday we went clay pigeon shooting.
All the activities were great but I liked that no time was needed off work ( at the time we nearly all worked, roughly a mon-fri, 9-5), it was within 2.5 hours of home so no massive travel time or costs and it was, relatively, inexpensive.

When I was getting married 20 years ago it wasn't a thing to go abroad / whole weekends away for a hen / stag night.

My hen night consisted if a group my my friends & my mother & sister all meeting in the city I was living in. We got dressed up & went for cocktails & then dinner in an amazing restaurant that had a small private dining room.

My husband had his stag on the same day & we all met in a club later that night..it was a lot of fun & I have great memories of it.

It was v typical of how all / most of my circle celebrated. I've never been at an overseas hen do. And I've no real interest in it either. I think it puts far too much pressure financially / time wise onto people.

An at home hen doo with a little alcohol, friendly people, plenty of stories and lots of laughs

i think because it was at home it made everyone stay together, we all had to tell a tale about the bride, played a couple of games and had a laugh

think we ordered a Chinese banquet for 10 and there was 15 of us with food left over

cheap night at around £30

far better than sitting in hot tubs and making chocolate novelty penis

I hate the ones where people rent out a house for a weekend, always expensive and I just want to stay in my own bed. Plus they drag.

I'd rather do one big day /night out but i live in a big northern city which is great for this! Your money stretches further if not paying for accommodation.

My friends hen do around 8 years ago was honestly the best one I've been too!

We live just outside a major city so we kept it local had a beautiful Italian and then headed into the city where a section of an iconic bar had been sectioned off we played games had cocktails took loads of pics etc then onto a nightclub!

Everyone had loads of fun got on well it wasn't involving alot of travel and overnight stays, for me this was the best hen do I have attended but then again it was similar to my own so maybe I'm biased ha

Mine was 11 years ago

Again went into our city and did cocktail masterclass and then we had a huge table set aside for food amd VIP experience in their club that night was great!

I am really sociable but also loathe the ‘rent a house’ ones!

The most fun, practical, affordable and thus well attended (!) for me have always been early drinks / dinner, maybe somewhere a bit cheesy and themed like a supper club, cocktails and dancing for the die hards. Maybe an afternoon activity too if lots of your friends are pregnant or have small kids.

Basically anything your friends can actually get to and afford without ending up thinking dark thoughts about a) you b) your bossy best mate from primary school who’s taken over or c) weddings and marriage in general.

@CoCoBeeBee yes, that kind of night! Love them. No drama, no 12 month payment plan 😂

A night out with a small group. We went to a few pubs and then a cheesy club that played late 90s/early 00s music. Had lots of fun, everyone knew each other, it was cheap and we all got the night bus after.

I don’t like weekends away or in a house where there is a mixed group and forced organised fun. I hate naked butlers, dressing up, sashes, penis straws, stupid games. Anything too expensive, especially if you don’t know everyone. Cheap and cheerful is always much more fun for me.

Champagne reception, followed by dinner at a really beautiful restaurant. Properly swanky, Michelin starred.

Those that wanted to stay at the hotel could, others went home (central London restaurant). Those who wanted to, used the hotel spa on the Sunday but no pressure either way.

A mix of the bride’s male and female friends.

Perfect.

Best one I've been on was just a day out , the weekends away are too much time and money.

We met in the city at 10.30am for bottomless brunch . We then went to the races. Then we went to a few cocktail bars. Some went home by 10am but the die hards went on the the night clubs . We had the ages of 22 through to 75 and it suited everyone.

A fairly small one where the brides friends met with her mum/gran/ aunties in London, did champagne afternoon tea at the Ritz, then friends went back to someones house for the evening. It was celebratory without being tacky and just the right length with each group

A spa day and overnight at a lovely country estate with dinner and drinks in the evening. It was so relaxing and fun. It was nice to come back feeling healthy and refreshed rather than hungover!

Spa morning, massages ect then a barge on the canal with all my friends with a 'friends' theme games music ect and party food it was amazing!

And I was 3 months pregnant with my ivf baby girl so I announced it at the hen do (it was my hen do!)

Mine.

I had two and didn’t get married until I was 35. I had one locally (more people invited) and one in another city (more inclusive). Didn’t invite bride or grooms mums or any other older relatives.

Small number of people invited, just one night away in another city no more than a couple of hours away, so no massive time commitment, childcare issues, no major cost, no forcing people to take part in activities they either don’t fancy, don’t want to do and can’t afford.

I organised both myself.

I threw one for one of my oldest friends a couple of years ago. Shes a teacher so we did a sports day competition in the park with the stags, drinks back at their house for boys & girls, then kicked the guys out and had 2 butlers👀 then went out out in the city where we live..Top day

We had a beautiful lunch in Bath, took boats out on the Avon, and then met the stag party attendees for drinks and a picnic.

I got married in the mid 90s and did a weekend away. Big house in Devon, ten friends. It was very chilled though, I’m not a fan of dressing up and clubbing so it was more country walks, pubs and chilling in the house with great food and wine. Lovely.

Genuinely none of them. Whilst most of the activities would be fun with just your mates any night or holiday that involves your mates mum and aunt, her heavily pregnant sister in law, her weird housemate from university, a grumpy work colleague etc. is always going to be a bit shit. You do it because you love your friend and all these people are important to them. So if you’re organising then do whatever the bride would like and don’t make it more than 2 nights or too expensive so she gets a good turn out.

Mine 😂 I got married in St Lucia, so all the women had open air massages overlooking the sea, then the whole wedding party went to dinner, then the grandparents babysat, while the young hen + stag groups went to a pool foam party with a dj- it was an incredible night! ❤️

My friend had hers at a spa. We had massages used the facilities, had an amazing dinner and stayed overnight. It was really nice.

My own was a shared stag and hen because we have mostly joint friends. We went kayaking and had a nice dinner later that day, so people could do whichever parts they wanted.