To say the majority of us don’t enjoy hen weekends

[ShrunkInTheWashAgain]

It’s the forced fun, the excessive costs
bring back a simple night out on the town

or do you actually enjoy it ?

Never been on one, I turned the one I was invited too down as I knew I wouldn’t enjoy it

I don't like them cos I've 0 interest in wedding talk (and there was often baby talk as well before I had kids which was boring). Also, I often found I was only good friends with the bride so was hanging around with people I didn't really know. Would never have one.

I'm old and have only ever been at one but I was a family member and I knew most of the other guests already. It wasn't an inflatable penis fancy dress kind of event though, we went to Alton Towers and stayed in the hotel so it was just a female only weekend away. All very civilised.

Agree though that weddings are getting crazier and crazier and I have no idea how young people afford them.

I definitely used to love them but I'm 39 now and don't have the energy for it to be honest. I also can't be bothered with a large group of women all together, loud and drunk.

I see why people do it I will never be one of them, going away in a group to do fun things like brunch and galleries or cooking classes together I will happily do

Hen weekends no

As for costs if small group fully agrees fine but not 'my hen weekend now pay the organose heaps on money' no

I used to enjoy them in my late 20s, early 30s when I went to so many of them.
Now in my 40s with kids I wouldn't want to go on one...unless it was a very chilled affair in a spa like place with a hot tub.

I've got 2 to attend this year, I loathe them but really like the people that invited me so agreed and went along with it but I'm honestly dreading it. The group chat enforced fun and matching outfits rubbish has already started. Send help 🙈

I’m not a stereotypical wedding/hen/babyshower/girlgroup kind of person so I would hate the stereotypical ones.

I wouldn’t say no to a trip that was more low key and less getting wasted and doing cocktail making with Willy straws etc.

No, once it’s a weekend rather than a day or night it stops being fun. The group is usually too big or too varied and the activities are usually nobody’s idea of fun.

Been on a couple. Last one was fantastic. Hired a house set in the 1920’s. Played some amazing non traditional hen party games. Hens male friends dressed as waiters/chef etc to serve dinner. It’s was superb.

I’ve only been to my own and sadly I hated it. The only thing I said was no stripper - surprise surprise a strangers penis is in my face.

Half of my friends left before I woke up in the morning because they felt bullied by my other friends (I hadn’t seen any of this). Another friend hadn’t come back from the night out and had left all her stuff to go to a man’s house. She wasn’t back by checkout time.

All I wanted was to do a fun activity, play a few silly wedding games and enjoy a night out. Should have planned it myself.

On Mumsnet no one likes anything like this.

Personally because I like my friends, I enjoy spending time with them. I even enjoy going to their weddings

Also I prefer travelling with DH and my child as we are 100% compatible travellers.

The idea of having to spend a load of money on a trip with travellers I’m not compatible with would be hell.

Yep. Same with Baby showers and any other event where adult women are expected to play twee 'games', wear matching outfits and silly hats or whatever. I'm 40 years old and I can't be arsed.

Mine was a two nighter in Leeds. I got so drunk I was ill in bed all the next day and the following night everyone went out without me!!!

This 🤣🤣🤣 I can’t be arsed nails it.

I went to my nieces last year .. hired a big house, activites, cocktails, I was in a twin room with my SIL in my 50s,,, all things hated on MN, I had a fantastic time. What a lovely bunch of (much younger) people. The MoH organised the best weekend, and most importantly my Niece loved it, and felt special all weekend.

I do really like weddings tho….
the outfits the flowers, the venues the food and it feels like you’re celebrating an actual occasion

Never been on one. Got invited once last minute to a week long hen do in Spain that was going to cost £1K. No chance. I guess she'd had people dropping out.

I hate them. There’s always one friend who wants all the attention (mine was one that was going through a divorce and kept drinking all the drinks as “I need it right now”) and then an overbearing best friend / sister of the bride / organiser in chief

I always moan like mad, dread it… and then really enjoy it! And I like already knowing people by the time the wedding comes around too, which isn’t always the case at big dos.

This !

Look if weekends away with your friends isn’t something you’d enjoy then no, one for a hen weekend wouldn’t work for you.

the full on Willy straws and stripper nonsense only seem to be arranged by people who like that sort of thing, who aren’t really people I gravitate towards, so hen weekends I’ve been on haven’t been like that.

My friends are all married now, but we still go away together regularly.

I enjoy a hen party if it’s just a group of friends having a nice night/weekend away, hanging out and catching up etc.

What I’m not (and have never been) interested in is inflatable penises, matching outfits, cringey ‘games’ and all that shite, so it depends what kind of hen party it’s going to be.

Baby showers fall into the same category for me, I’ve been on some where it’s a lunch/afternoon tea and lovey but any kind of forced fun/games I don’t enjoy.

I've been to two and they were hideous. I'm married three times first at 19, then 35 then 40 and never had one. Cos they are hideous.

Completely agree. I also hate baby showers and gender reveals.
Love a wedding and a christening though!