The much feted ‘hens night’ has become a popular western tradition for brides to be. It is typically a raucous night out on the town, where the female guests can let loose and blow off some steam together. However, over the years, brides and their VIPs come up with all kinds of great ideas.

Spa dates are particularly popular, as are things like group manicures, karaoke, and swanky dinners. The wonderful thing about hens night celebrations is that there are no real rules. As long as the bride gets an evening away from wedding planning to relax and unwind, anything goes; just think twice about ordering strippers if Great Aunt Ethel is on the guest list.

This guide to organising the perfect hens night will help you put together an evening to remember.

If You Aren’t Sure, Ask

The only real danger, when planning a hens night, is organising something that the bride won’t like. It can be lots of fun to organise naughty surprises and get a little wild, but you’ve got to know your audience. Things like male strippers and exclusive nightclubs should only be considered if you are 100% sure that the bride and her girls are going to love them. So, if you’re not sure, ask. And if she’s not happy with it, it’s best to think of something different.

Pinpoint Your Location

While most hens’ nights take place outside the home, there’s no reason why you can’t throw a private party or host a pampering session in your own house. Or, you could opt for photo booth hire services and make some memories while you’re celebrating. Photo booth vendors actually bring the booth to your location and provide everything that you need to create fun, silly, cool, crazy, and beautiful snaps of you and your friends.

Invite the Right People

If you’re organising a hens celebration, you have the option to keep the bride in the dark about what is happening, as a way to surprise her. However, this is the trickiest way to arrange a hens party, because you can never be sure that you’ve picked the right activity and invited the right people. So, don’t be afraid to liaise with the bride to be; get her to write you a guest list and don’t edit it. If she really wants her grandmother to be there, you’re going to have to accommodate her wishes and create a suitable plan.

Pick a Suitable Date

Traditionally, hens nights are held on the evening before the wedding, but as celebrations have become bigger, bolder, and a lot boozier, bridal parties have moved away from this idea. The last thing that you want is to be hungover on the morning of the wedding, so plan your party or night out for at least a couple of evenings before the big day. That way, there’ll be plenty of time to recover and more guests will be able to make the date.

Always Be Inclusive

One of the most common hens party faux pas is to organise something that not everybody can get involved with. Whether it’s an older guest forced to spend time in a trendy nightclub or a gaggle of bridesmaids without the funds to join in with planned activities; if one person is unhappy, it’ll upset the dynamic of the group. You have to be inclusive, so think creatively and don’t opt for things that you know will isolate some individuals.

Don’t Forget to Celebrate

The reality is that things might go wrong. Some of the guests might not turn up, your favourite bar might be full, but if you’re in charge of the night, it’s up to you to rally the troops and keep everybody happy. Try not to worry too much if little things don’t go to plan on the night. As long as you’re all happy, smiling, and excited about the wedding, you’ve done a good job and your blushing bride will thank you for it.