Are you looking forward to your hen party, or does the mere idea of drinking shots of tequila off the bare chests of firemen fill you with utter dread? Then you should sit down with your bridesmaid and come up with hen party ideas that amount to a classier hen night.
Check out these ideas for hen nights from WeddingTV:
Hen nights are about getting your closest friends together and talking about your single past and your married future. Those days when marriage was seen as an end to going out with your friends have passed, so there isn't the need to have a so called 'last night of freedom'. Instead, many brides, like Katy Turner, are hinting at their bridesmaids to organise a day of pampering and relaxation before the celebrations on the actual wedding day...
"Jake and I had been together for seven years and have a great group of mutual friends between us, so it never really felt like I needed to have this grand gesture of losing my freedom or social life to married life! Instead, I went with 16 of my closest friends and family to The Ritz for high tea and cocktails. Afterwards we went on to The Sanctuary (a women only spa in Covent Garden) for wonderful treatments before ending the night in a private room for dinner. It was the best girls day out I've ever had, and I learned more about my girlfriends in that one day than I ever would have done during a boozy weekend in Marbella!"
Here are a few of our favorite recommendations for that classier hen party:
Visit a Day Spa
You really are spoilt for choice with fantastic hotel spas up and down the country. Our favourites include:
Champneys for their Rasul mud chamber treatments and glasses of chilled champagne on arrival.
Dart Marina in Devon whose £95 per person package includes coffee on arrival followed by an Aroma-Spa Body Wrap and Deep Tissue Back Massage.
And with 20 treatment rooms and 70 types of treatment, every one of your party will find something perfectly suited to her relaxation needs at the Heritage Spa in Ireland.
Home Entertaining
Treat you and your friends to a lesson in loving! Luxury erotic emporium Coco de Mer have 'sexperts' ready to educate you in the comfort of your chosen venue with private lessons in everything from Striptease to Spanking!
Turn your lounge into a Spa, and hire your very own team of beauty therapists to give everyone manicures, pedicures and various other treatments while you sip a glass of wine! There are companies nationwide who offer this service, including the Pamper Party girls.
During these long hot summer months, what better way to gossip while you nibble than with a picnic hamper from Fortnum and Mason or your local delicatessen, just make sure you give them at least a week's notice!
A Makeover and Photo Shoot
Who doesn't like dressing up and having their photo taken? The double bonus of having a photo shoot is you are all given a make over and hair stylist for the day, and have a wonderful momento to take home afterwards.
The Original Afternoon Tea
Take a tip from our grandmothers and discover how divine afternoon tea can be. Head for the fanciest hotel available, and blow your budget on the full works with finger sandwiches, clotted cream scones and petit fours. The originals are still served at The Ritz and Claridges, but with most hotels and tea rooms serving their own version with champagne also included, it's good to look at all your options, and perhaps test a couple in advance!
As an alternative, why not host your own afternoon tea, and ask your local bespoke bakery to make scones, cupcakes and cookies for you with the bride's name written on them? Try Konditor and Cook for their hand made 'magic cakes' or PAUL for their sumptuously tiny macaroons.
Hire a Chef and Cocktail Maker
There are few things better than sipping a Passionfruit Martini whilst watching a culinary expert go to work in your very own kitchen, and even clear up the mess afterwards!
Several catering companies offer a private chef service, and will work with you in advance to create an incredible menu, which suits everyone's tastes. Look on the internet to locate chefs in your local area who will come fully prepared with their own tools and food, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the evening!
Whatever you do, the event is about making memories – so relax and have a great time with great friends.
