First of all – thank god – we can forget the flights. Quite frankly the recent fad for jetting off to some far-flung corner of Europe for two nights and one hung over day was all a little unnecessary and inconvenient in the first place.

It’s now all about keeping the festivities close to home. There are plenty of fun activities both for the day time and the hen night itself, in all the major cities here in the good old UK.

Hen Nights in

And if you like the close-to-home theme, why not go the whole hog and have your hen party… at home? There’s nothing wrong with a having a big night in instead of a big night out, in fact it’s becoming quite fashionable, and you can make your budget go a lot further.

What you’ll need:

Decorations

If you’re providing the venue, you can still turn it into a proper hen party scene with a few not-too-expensive props and decorations.

You can find some great hen party balloons, personalised banners, ribbons, themed party poppers and the like, which make any room look fantastic but don’t cost much at all.

Here are some good hen party decorations.

An Activity

Of course, the point of a hen night to bring the hen’s favourite gals together and have a royal knees up – and if it’s fun, well that’s all that matters! As long as you’ve got your party hats on, you’ll be fine…

But…  It doesn’t hurt to bring in something a little unusual to break the ice or for you all have a good laugh at.

There are a number of hen night entertainment providers who will come to your home and bring the party to you. Two of the best are:

Butlers in the Buff. (having your cocktails served by a naked hunk can’t do your evening any harm!)

and…

The Pamper Party, which also does what it says on the tin: Get someone to come round and treat you all like princesses, but again without breaking the bank in the process.

Games and Dares

Don’t think that just because you’re not out and about, you can get away without some embarrassing dares!

If you haven’t got men to harass, you can always make your own! It’s simply amazing how versatile an inflatable, instant perfect man can be when it comes to that part of the evening…

See the best hen night games and dare accessories.

A Theme

Nothing helps to get everyone into the party frame of mind better than a dress-up theme. The sillier, the better – this is a hen night after all!

Co-ordinate your outfits around a theme. If you want to go traditional: bunny ears and tails are an easy winner; angels and devils, cowgirls, schoolgirls (this works great for a school-sports day theme!) or police women are all great, tried-and-tested party-starters.

For a more personal touch, choose a theme that means something specific to the hen. I recently went to a hen do for a half-Chinese friend marrying a Scottish guy. Theme: Scottish and Chinese!.

Silly Novelties

Now, whether you’re out or in, it’s the little (silly) details that make really a hen night.

You may scoff now… but after your first two drinks, don’t underestimate the childish pleasure of drinking your third one through a willy straw!

Themed novelties like head boppers – maybe willy boppers (should I seek help..?) – bubble blowers and party poppers can completely transform a night in, into a proper hen party!

Essential, silly hen night novelties. 

1. Mr and Mrs. Questions: 

This is the best hen party game in terms of it being cost effective, taking up time and it is personal to boot. It takes a bit more time to plan but it’s great as it gives the bride-to-be a good giggle, plus entertains the rest of the hens; they get to hear some saucy secrets from the nearly wedded couple!

Mr. and Mrs. Questions, here’s how: Get the groom to agree to be videod (if he refuses ask him if he’ll answer questions on email, though video is much more fun). Now get all the hens to write in with questions about the bride-to-be, which they want the groom to answer. It’s essentially a game of ‘how well does the groom know the bride-to-be.’ The questions can range from super embarrassing to every day minutia – ‘What is your bride-to-be’s bra size’ to more saucy questions about what they get up to in the bedroom! Now video the groom answering all the questions and during the hen party, get the bride-to-be to second guess what she thinks her fiance has answered. If she gets it right, give her a drink. And if she gets it wrong, give her a drink! (If you have minimised spend elsewhere, you can ask everyone to bring a really cheap present; if she gets the question right, she gets a present). Here are some more Mr. and Mrs. Questions: Mr. and Mrs. Questions.

2. Personalised hen gifts

Personalised hen gifts are a fantastic way of budgeting. You can buy really cheap hen gifts and for a  few extra pounds (sometimes even less) you can get them personalised with the hen’s name or with some personal message. A few ideas would be to personalise some saucy knickers; perhaps for the hen’s honeymoon; or a dressing gown which would always be a keepsake reminder from her hen party! You can even personalise cakes, canvases, photo albums – pretty much anything really. (A popular personalised hen gift item is a new personalised male calendar; it’s got a different male model for each month and you can personalise then hen’s name in various ways). 

If you think it’s going to be expensive, choose one gift to personalise and get your hens to each chip in a couple of quid. You’ll be able to find something that fits. It’s a really lovely way of going that extra mile and showing your chief hen that a little thought and time has gone into her hen party. 

3. Decorations 

Ok the fiddly bit. Decorations can be really expensive; you start buying a few things and then realise that it’s not going to be enough, so you buy more and more…STOP! You can make your own decorations really easily; buy a load of cheap balloons and personalise them with some coloured marker pens. For table decorations use a load of candy and sprinkle them around the place; star shaped sweets and hearts in pinks and reds work a treat. Get the hens to bring loads of photos and get them printed off on A3 (you don’t have to bother printing them off professionally; it’s a waste of money). Print off massive pics of naked/ half naked men and it will look more and more like a hen party. And to top it all off, buy some really cheap tea lights. You can get 100s for next to nothing at places like Robert Dyas. These make a place look amazing and doesn’t cost anything. 

4. Plan your own activities. 

Some activities cost a bomb; you can plan your own very easily. Do tournaments, or sports days. These cost nothing and with a little organisation can take up a whole day. You can do races (egg and spoon, three-legged etc). You can also get people to pay a small amount for prizes. Games and dares are also a great time-filler and don’t cost any money. If you want some pampering, you could have a pyjama party and get each girl to practise their massaging skills on the other hens. (If someone is rubbish at massage they can give a manicure). 

5. Make your own food. 

Ok the ingredients are going to cost a bit but it’s better than forking out for a private caterer. And if you get each person to bring a pre-planned dish, even better. If someone’s good at baking, get them to make a load of cupcakes with then hen’s name on them with sprinkles and silver balls; the personal touch will go a long way in making the hen feel special. 

Right – now the budget’s sorted, get organising and have fun! For more hen party planning ideas and resources, go to Hen gifts

Product Description
Model stitched on 28ct. Creme Brulee using DMC: 435, 647, 676, 729, 938, 3051 and 3052. Crescent Colours: Toasted Marshmallow, Roasted Chestnut and Manor Red. Uses Mill Hill Glass Seed Beads: Matte Maize #02039 and a Tiny Tuscan Sun Swirly Bud #2308t by Just Another Button Company. Stitch count: 82 x 54.

Hen Party – Cross Stitch Pattern

It’s the small details that make all the differnce when planning a hen party. While cocktail napkins are probably not on the top of your list for ‘must haves’ hen party accessories they will be noticed if you get them. When planning a stay-at-home bachelorette party (which is becoming increasingly popular btw!) you really need to focus on the small things.

Hatley hen party coctail napkins are cute and will provide that little extra detail to make this special celebration more that just another dinner party with friends.

Click The Image Below For More Details About The Napkins

• Cocktail napkins
• Packaged in sets of 20
• 5″ x 5″ / 12.7cm x 12.7cm

Product Description
Bring some fun to your party with a pack of Hatley cocktail napkins. They measure approximately 5 by 5 (12.7cm x 12.7 cm) and come?in packages of 20.

Hatley Hen Party Cocktail Napkins

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• Includes hat, boa, and fan
• Hat measures 16″ across(head insert 7″ across)
• Boa measures 6′(60g)
• Fits fits older girls to adults
• hat will be over-sized on young girls(will not fit toddlers)

Product Description

An adorable dress up set for a tea party. The set comes with an over sized red tea-party hat, a fluffy feather fan and a 6′ long red feather boa! Fits older girls to adults.

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.

Red Tea Party Dress-Up Set

• One size fits most
• Wear with anything
• Accented with a large Rhinestone at the hip of the Sash
• Satin-like fabric

Product Description
Fun and Festive Bride to Be Sash, perfect accessory for wearing to all the Pre-Wedding Parties and Events. Wear it to the Bachelorette Party, Wear it to your Bridal Showers, wear tit to rehearsal and the event planner/coordinator will love this!

Bride to Be Sash, Perfect for Bachelorette Parties, Bridal Showers or any Pre-wedding Event!

Product Description
Emma and Matthew’s lavish wedding is only a week away and with preparations reaching fever pitch, Emma’s hen party is going to be a welcome break. Her four closest friends agree on a quiet weekend in Dublin, but plans do have a habit of unravelling in the most unexpected way. Tasting both their freedom and a little too much of the local brew, the friends each embark on a series of accidental adventures.

Pauline finds herself face to face with the Mafia, Tracey makes a catastrophic stage debut, Donna alights upon a new family and Emma meets a rather attractive priest’s son just days before her own wedding. And Rosemary? Well, no one has seen her for days…Heartwarming and very funny, THE HEN PARTY confirms Kincaid as one of the wittiest writers around.

Click Here To Order: The Hen Party

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Product Description
Bride to Be Sash in Ivory & Camouflage, She will love wearing this sash to bridal showers, engagement parties, rehearsal, and the bachelorette party! A beautiful ivory satin sash trimmed in camoflage grosgrain ribbon, embroidered with black letters.Velcro secures the sash. 35″ (folded) x 4″. Sash features 3″ wide satin band and 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon trim on each side.

Bride to Be Sash in Ivory & Camouflage

• Measures 16″ across
• 6 Pink feather hats per order
• Fits older girls to adults
• Head opening is about 7″ across
• Cute over-sized dress-up hat for younger girls

Product Description

These absolutely fabulous feather hats are perfect for tea parties! Beautiful, soft feathers adorn the brim of the hat. These hats are also great for dress up, plays and really fun as party favors. Give one to all of the girls!

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.

Pink Feather Tea Party Hat Assortment

Product Description
Hen Party – A pale opal colour. Wear it when you feel like ‘a little something.’
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butter LONDON 3 Free Nail Lacquer, Hen Party .3 fl oz