Inviting the Mother of the Bride to the Hen Party: Yay or Nay?

Whether you’re the fun-loving maid of honour who’s worried it may kill the party vibe or you’re the bride-to-be who’s in two minds about the whole thing – deciding whether to invite the mother of the bride to the hen party can be a total minefield!

Will she hate it? Will she love it?

Will you have to ditch the strippers? Will she get involved in the action?

Will the bride be able to let loose? Will the mum have one cocktail too many and try to steal the show (we all know the type)?

We told you… M.I.N.E.F.I.E.L.D.

Stop your stressin’!

Here at GoHen, we’ve been planning hen parties since way back in 2002 and have seen the debate roll on throughout the decades – which is why we’ve decided to make this definitive go-to guide to inviting the mother of the bride to the hen do.

But first, check out the stats!

Inviting the Mother of the Bride to the Hen Do – The Stats

Yes, we decided to run the numbers and in a survey of over 500 different hen groups, we found that… *drumroll, please*… the majority would in fact invite the mother of the bride to the hen party – 46% of groups to be exact.

Only 37% said they wouldn’t invite any relations at all, whilst just 8% would go as far as inviting auties and grandparents.

A standout statistic for us was that 1 in 10 groups were willing to invite the groom’s mum to the hen do!

But enough with the stats – you can decide for yourselves, not by what everyone else is doing.

Here are the reasons you should or definitely shouldn’t invite the mother of the bride to the hen do…

Cheers to… Inviting the Mother of the Bride to the Hen Party

• The bride and the MoB are super close
• She’s a party animal
• You’re planning a lowkey hen
• She’s already a hit with the gang
• You’re using the party to introduce mum to the squad in prep for the big day
• Mum isn’t easily offended by hen party humour

And Pause… Reasons to Reconsider Inviting the Mother of the Bride to the Hen Party

• If it really wouldn’t be her thing
• You/they don’t get along
• You’re nervous your hen group won’t keep the hen party games PG
• She’s known to enjoy causing DRAMA – we want cheers, not tears!
• You feel pressured into sending an invite (and you’re hoping she declines)
• You’re planning some risqué activities (hunks in various forms)

Alternative Plan – Two Hen Parties!

If you’re worried about MoB crushing the vibe, have a separate hen do just for the oldies.

We’re not talking about another expensive weekend – just choose something chilled for a day so they feel involved.

Why not plan a spa day or an afternoon tea experience?

Then you can have your cake and eat it too!

If you just want some advice, feel free to get in touch with the guys here at GoHen – we’d be more than happy to help.