Cliche free hen do and last minute wedding dress

[SillySocks1]

I'm getting married in December this year. 4 months to go! I've booked a venue but nothing more. Bridal shops are scaring me about dresses but I haven't started looking yet. Going to start trying stuff on soon and hope to buy one online... Does anyone else have experience of planning 4 months before their wedding (I was going to say soon before, but it doesn't feel like it)!

Also, hen do - I can't stand the cliched stuff and whenever I search for "alternative" ideas I still get a load of cliches like having a cocktail making evening, spa day, or perfume making session (the last one sounds particularly awful). I have a couple of male friends I want to invite too so needs to be suitable for all genders.

Does anyone have any good ideas from previous hen do's?

Thanks!

What about this? I’m desperate to go, if you do it, I’ll come!

I planned mine in three and a half months. Went to the bridal shop basically to tick the box and get my mum a free glass of fizz, ended up much to my surprise falling in love with a dress that then needed a £50 ‘last minute’ order. All sorted and lovely though. I tried ordering dresses from Monsoon and places but didn’t find anything in the end that I loved as much!

We did it in two months with the exception of booking the venue - you'll be fine! Worth saying that a family member made my dress, so I was spared trying to find something online.

FWIW, I've enjoyed mixed 'hen' do's much more - it seems to reduce the tendency to cliches (fancy dress, colour scheme, anything penis related). I'm female, but always thought I'd enjoy typical stag do activities more, e.g. go karting. You don't have to have an activity at all - most of the hen do's I've been to have just been a meal.

Hope you come up with a day you can enjoy :)

I'm getting married in December and only just ordered my dress. I tried on dresses in a big shop so knew what suited me, then ordered online from jjshouse.co.uk.
The best hen nights (imo) are just nights out, keep it local, go out for drinks and dinner and dancing!

I've heard of camping trips for hen nights BTW, or something like go ape if that's your kind of thing?

I bought my wedding dress two weeks before my wedding from a store that sold samples. Store also recommended someone for my alterations, so it was just finished in time for my wedding. Might be worth looking to see if you have a similar store local to you?

The best hen nights to me are always a night drinking and dancing.

I had a mixed hen night (21 years ago...) and we went to a comedy club that did dinner and had a great night out

First of all, your dress.

Find a shop that sells samples and go and try some on. You might find something you love that you can buy straight away, which needs minimal alterations, and you'll probably get it cheaper as well.

Consider also the bridal ranges of "normal" shops like Phase Eight, Monsoon and Ted Baker. These will be more expensive than their regular dresses but cheaper than anything you'll get at a wedding boutique, so again, just order in your normal size and have it altered if need be.

Get this bit sorted soon though, because alterations can take a few weeks.

Secondly, your hen do. It can be anything you like. If you want to make a weekend of it, get an AirBnB somewhere nice, book a couple of activities and go out for a meal and some drinks. If you want to keep it even simpler, just make it one day/evening where you for a nice meal with your friends and then out afterwards if you want to. (Or not, if you don't want to.)

Activity ideas: a dance class (I've done Charleston and Bollywood), a walking tour/ghost walk, a craft activity, an escape room/crystal maze, going to see a play or a musical (I once went to see Chicago in the west end for a hen do), a theme park, medieval jousting (a friend did this on his stag do).

Literally, whatever you and your friends will enjoy.

Don't stress! Do what you want!

My husband and I have a lot of the same friends so we just did a day of fun things together for our stag and hen. We went to Thorpe Park, followed by meal out a pub and then karaoke bar it was hilarious and not that expensive. We got 2for1 at Thorpe Park and went during school time (pre children) So it was really quiet!

Re dress; I brought mine from Davids Bridal and it was a Vera Wang, in the clearance it was £500! Alterations were £80.

Good luck and don’t get stressed x

Hi, good luck with the planning. You could look at Wed2B dress shops you turn up try on what's there and take it home that day. No appointments necessary but they don't do alterations so if you need any you'd need to get a seamstress.

For my hen day I organised a Bollywood dance class for my friends in a community hall then a meal afterwards. Think it cost about £60 each for the whole thing and was great fun.

Have a look at Wed2B for your dress - you can walk out with it under your arm that day. No need it order it, as it's bought off the rack. Also no high pressure sales tactics. I had tweaks made to the bust by a local seamstress in a week for £100.

Hen do - mine was a day out doing things like segway, the dinner and cocktails at a lovely restaurant and cocktail bar. Simple and we could all afford it.

I’m getting married next weekend and also started properly planning mid July. I sorted out all the ‘big’ things early but left it ridiculous late for the rest and as a result my life have revolved around the wedding for the last few weeks. I’m self employed so have put some client work that I’m able to push back to the same for this period- so much so that the drop in the amount I will make this month could have paid for a wedding planner to sort this all out for me.

Of course it’s doable but I’d recommend being more organised that I have been.

My most helpful suggestion would be to write down how the entire day will go from start to finish, what will happen at what time as that’s where things to do pop up. Our wedding is very DIY so I’m having to write up guides for pretty much everyone that is helping but it’s really helping in the sense of discovering other things popping out of the woodwork that need doing

Wed2B is good if you need a dress you can take away that day. Although it depends what kind of thing you like. I didn't like anything there at all but I'm looking for something a bit more boho/less traditional.

I'd also recommend ASOS for wedding dresses. They have some gorgeous ones and so cheap!

I had a look at dresses on Amazon just to get some ideas and have seen loads that are incredible prices and really good delivery times so you have enough time to have them altered.

Wed2Be might be your best bet as the other lovelies have said - just make sure you get a good seamstress for alterations.

I've been to a fair few hen dos and the best one I went to was a sten party. We went for a meal, then to a comedy club, then off for cocktails/drinks.

I've also done paintballing, archery and extreme buggying, Segway tours and a ghost walk on hen parties so they are all options if you fancy stuff like that.

Just do something that you want to do :)

Another vote for Wed2B, they are fab and you can walk out with your dress on the day.

Hen do wise why not hire a cottage/bunk barn somewhere gorgeous for a weekend, bring booze, cook lovely food, and go exploring in the daytime (walks/climbing/mountain bikes/canoeing or art galleries/nice cafes/little shops)? What do you usually do with your best friends? It’s the people that make it special, don’t do something you won’t enjoy just because ‘that’s what people do’

My sister bought her dress from a store that sells second hand and ex sample dresses. She went with one that was an ex sample and fit her near perfect so could have walked away with t that day and just got a few adjustments made as necessary. Though she did get it a year before her wedding so wasn't a concern for her but look out for places that do ex sample dresses too. Also, new the store was wanting over £1000 for the dress, she got it for £499.

Hen do, I looked at (and now wish I had done) a total wipeout theme hen weekend through Hen haven. Looks so much fun and something the guys would enjoy too!

www.henheaven.co.uk/total-wipeout-hen-weekends

The best hen do anyone can have is a meal out and drinks with who you want to invite. Games and activities and spending too much money on nights away are too much imo. People just want to have a laugh.

What sort of wedding dress do you want? You could get a shop sample or the high street dresses don't need prevordering months in advance.