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how to plan the hen weekend

This is a step-by-step guide to help break down the slightly daunting task of organising a hen weekend away for you and the girls. Once you've had a think about the steps and what you want to do, just send us an enquiry or give us a call on 0845 130 5225 and we'll get to work and set you up with an unforgettable weekend.

1 - set the date

make sure there's enough space between the hen do and the wedding to allow for recovery time or any unforseen events
watch out for clashes with any other events eg. birthdays, special occasions, holidays etc.
what time of year are you going? think about what the weather will be like
how many nights do you want to go for?
do you just want to go for whichever dates you can get the best deals on?

2 - approximate numbers

not too much to worry about with this one in the early stages, we only need an approximate number to start with, so it doesn't matter too much if there are a few 'maybe's

3 - where do you want to go?

UK or Europe, or maybe even further afield?
if it's the UK whereabouts is best suited for access / quality / group history / activities / entertainment / weather / temperature / budget / avoiding the stag do?
if you're going abroad, which airports can you fly there from? What are the flight times?
How expensive are the flights? (eg long haul New York or a short hop to Dublin?). How many people in the group can afford it? Is it expensive when you are there? (eg Gothenburg is a fair bit pricier than top value Vilnius)
are the activities that you want to do available in the destination?
what do you want from your destination?

see all of our hen weekend destinations

4 - what do you want to do?

what daytime activities do you want?
is there anything in particular?
does the hen have a favourite activity that she might want to do?
do you want a surprise for the hen?
what's most likely to be enjoyed by all of the group?
what kind of a budget are you working to?
if there's a particular activity that you want to do, how far are you willing to travel?
do you want the weekend to be action-packed, laid-back or something a bit different?

see all of our hen weekend activities

5 - what do you want to do on the hen night?

You need a plan for a hen night otherwise it can all start to fall apart once the cocktails start flowing, you don't want to end up queuing for ages to to get in anywhere or worse still getting turned away, so bear this in mind...

when do you want the night out to start and how much do you want to fit in?
do you have any local knowledge? if not, you may want to get some information or a bar guide, particularly in foreign countries
do you need any transport either between venues or back to the hotel at the end of the night?
when and where will you be eating? You want to make sure you're not waiting around for a table and losing precious hen night time!
does everyone in the group know each other? If not, you might want to book something as an ice-breaker on the first night, like a comedy club or cabaret night

6 - what kind of accommodation

what standard or accommodation do you want?
is the budget the most important thing when booking accommodation or is there a minimum standard that you want?
how close to the city centre do you want to be?
do you want a hotel, apartments, hostel, B&B or even self-catering?
are there any particular facilities that you want?

7 - relax

Once you've decided on what you want, just send us a brief enquiry or call 0845 130 5225 and then relax. Within 24 hours we'll send you back a quote for your approx group size. You can then send that onto the girls to have a look at. Remember, you don't have to confirm final group numbers until 5 weeks before the event. Your best bet to avoid any disappointment is to get us to hold your hen weekend as soon as possible so you get the best pick of activities and accommodation before they all get booked up.