To think I win the batshit hen do game...?

[mynotsohumbleopinion]

Months ago friend asked if I would come on her hen do... cited then as a "cheap weekend in Europe". No problem says I! Well cheap isnt how I'd describe it now!

The hen do is in A well known party island. This weekend. Thurs to Sunday.And the costs have just spiralled.

We were told it was There months and months ago and asked to pay around £450 to the MOH for "accommodation and food etc". It was so far in advance that flights weren't even fully released by easyJet at the time, but she assured us it was pre-opening weekend so they'd be cheap. I've never been so why would I argue this? Flash forward another couple of months to when they are released - turns out that the cheapest return is 90 quid and only then if you go to stanstead at stupid o'clock in the morning, which nobody can really as we all live far from there... the only viable options for pretty much everyone were expensive airlines like ba. £250 later I had flights.

Most people did think that the £450 we paid MOH would be covering most things, so nobody complained really. It was only this week when we were sent the "itinerary" that it became clear how much incorrect assumption we had all made on that front... turns out that the £4500 she's had overall only pays for 3 nights in an airbnb villa not even close to town. I know we all
Should have asked but who on earth would think to?! And actually, I seem to be the only person who thinks this is actually stupid...

The list of costs we will now incur are as follows...:

-- Taxis from airport - 50 euros (we can share this if others are on our plane)
-- Taxis to the main town for each and every activity and meal.
-- All meals out other than breakfast and some snacks for thurs night.
-- Although the villa has a lovely pool, we will apparently be spending Friday at a beach club. Paying for the entry. Where we will have lunch at another cost. Then dinner I suppose. Oh and we are expected to chip in to buy the bride lunch that day at around 10 euro each (100 overall??!)
-- outdoor early evening club at a cost of 40 euro on Saturday and then a later club at a cost of 80 euro after that as it closes early. That's without any drinks or even a table.
-- no booze included at all so she wants us to pick it up duty free. There are no shops near the villa.
-- stupid dress codes for the Saturday which I haven't personally bought anything for but others have had to.
-- she wants us to contribute to a "hen survival box".

I'm broke and I haven't even got there... I'd love to pull out now but flights and accommodation alone mean I'm £700 down!

I win don't I? This is just ridiculous...

Hen threads never cease to amaze me on MN. Because I know absolutely no one who has had a hen weekend somewhere abroad that costs the earth (I'm in my early 40s). In fact, I only know of one that was even a "weekend" and that was just overnight on the Saturday.

Bloody heck! I think you win

If this is Ibiza it's a complete rip off! My friends and I went there for a girly week last year in June. Flights and a good Hotel with bands playing cost us £150 each including a room upgrade! We don't really drink so was cheap when we were there. However this would be a completely different story if we had been clubbing etc, my mate usually spends about a grand for 4 nights there.

Good luck OP!

Does the bride actually know?

Does she understand what moh is doing?

This is simple. 'I thought £450 was for everything. I cannot afford anything more, so I'm not going.' If you have your flight tickets, then you flog them or go on your own holiday, if not, you ask for your money back or your tickets. The end. I'd have never handed the MOH that kind of money, anyway, but that is water under the bridge.

Do what expat suggests and forget them.

Some of the 'Hen Do' and wedding stories on MN are so horrific I find myself wishing the OP was a troll making it all up. Sadly though, I can believe every bit of it.

Madness. Awful, crass, entitled, ostentatious, self indulgent madness. For the love of God someone make it stop.

I would be mortified if I was the bride!

She may be loaded but that doesn't mean everyone else is, I wouldn't be going, it's completely ridiculous.

I once didn't pay £60 for a hen do as it consisted of sitting in her mums living room all evening. We had to chip in for decorations, food, drink and games. For the amount of people there in total it was looking at almost £1000 to sit in a living room. The general thinking was that the bride had overspent and was going to pocket the money!

Hen do prices are becoming obscene.

What ever happened to a night out on the town followed by a greasy kebab? Or an adult weekend in Butlins if people have to travel as are all dotted about the county! Only costs about 90 each! X

Has the bride paid too, or is everyone's contribution covering her too? Batshit.

Ah doodle when did THAT start to be a thing? It drives me mad!

Phone airline today to see about changing your flights and the cost to do that. Use them for a holiday. DO NOT GO IF IT IS IBIZA. You will come home with the equivalent of a small house deposit worth of debt.

This is beyond ridiculous.

Seems crazy!

We went shooting and to a spa for my hendo.

I and one other women came from the UK to my hometown, but we payed for her flight and most of her costs.

Well, actually, unless they wanted a special treatement or alcohol for dinner everything was payed for them (yes, the alcohol may sound weird. But my grandmother didn't think it was appropriate, so....)

I generally budget a grand for a long weekend in ibiza. It's an expensive place.

Why don't you get a couple of hire cars for the airport trips? You'll be able to pick one up for £25 a day and hen you can use it for a super market run as well.

I would defo push back on he beech club and suggest you have at least one day in the villa and do a BBQ or meal in the villa.

It is generally a fucking nightmare trying to get taxis to pick you up from villas in Ibiza, often we have had to do shuttle runs in a hire car to the nearest main road or town.

I've never been on a hen do.

Honestly the whole point of getting a nice villa is that you can eat and drink and swim and chill at the villa during the day and only leave to go to clubs.

Otherwise just get an apartment in Ibiza old town or near Pacha so you can walk to eat/drink and easily jump in a taxi to clubs.

You win. Absolutely ridiculous.
I would pull out, you will end up spending much more on top of what you have already paid. Ring MOH and say that the weekend has turned out to be much more expensive than the low cost weekend you envisaged and that you would like a return of as much as possible of your money and to withdraw.

Mental!

My dd is having a hen do and although most have good salaried they are staying in student accommodation in a city and doing lots of free things during the day, inorder to keep costs down for the few who can't afford a lot- a few are still students.

It's beyond rude and inconsiderate to expect others to pay over £700, for your hen do. Who the heck do these people think they are?!

ifyougodowntothewoods I don't think it's the hen, in my experience it has been a over the top MOH who thinks the sun shines out her arse and thinks nothing of getting into full rows about the money etc but then I could be projecting about my own experiences of late

Absolutely bloody ridiculous, Definitely pull out, even if you will be £700 down, at east you can write it off and not get into debt or even more skint!
What on earth happens to some people that thinks that's acceptable?!
Mine was a great night in the next big town - drinks and taxi money needed, that's all!
My sisters ended up being amount that amount. Plus similar for a stag for my DH. I didn't have one, and it honestly wrecked my relationship with my sister
For not having a hen do?! Your sister's crazy.

Oh it is way OTT.

But come on, you're asked for £450, for a long weekend-there's not even a flight in there.

It's unlikely to include taxis & drinks.

I do think some people need to wise up a bit instead of just agreeing, handing over money & moaning when asked for more.

But yes, Op, you win-so far!

Old gimmer here from the era when a hen night was a meal out with drinks and at most a nightclub and taxi home.
Echoes of Monty Python 'And we were grateful'

You may be right Stick but also it is the Hen's "do" and they should ensure it doesn't get out of hand, cost wise. They should asked to be kept in the loop.

didn't mention the €2000 minimum spend on the beds

What is this "spend on beds" people are mentioning?

I'm old and have never heard of this. In my time a hen do was a night on the lash and a kebab, and possibly public seeing in a gutter if you were really far gone.

Ha Donkey cross posted, those were the days!