Unless you’ve been living under a media-free rock for the last couple of weeks, you’ll no doubt know that there’s been a royal birth and a royal wedding! So naturally, we’re struck with baby and wedding fever! Even though you might not be in the final stages of organising your wedding, or waiting patiently for your little bundle of joy, you may be in charge of planning a hen party or baby shower for your BFF. We’re here to help! We’ve compiled a list of our top five tips for planning the best hen party or baby shower.
Choose a safe date
This is probably more crucial if you’re planning a baby shower, as you want to make sure the party is a couple of weeks before her due date! Make sure you leave enough time beforehand in case there’s an unexpected early arrival. Ideally, hen parties take place a couple of weeks before the big day as this leaves the bride with enough time to carry out any final wedding-preparations!
Involve the main lady
Unless the event is a surprise for the bride or mum-to-be, involve her with the planning as much as you can. The whole point of the party is for her to have a good time, and getting her input will ensure this! It’s also a good idea to get the guest list from her. That way, you’ll invite the people she actually wants there instead of trawling through her Facebook friends and picking people out.
Keep an eye on the budget
Setting a budget is one of the first things that should be done, and it needs to be agreed by everyone involved in planning. Not only will this ensure planning the event runs smoothly, but it could prevent messy arguments later down the line! If the budget is limited, why not throw the party at home or in the garden? It’s cheaper and easier to prepare, but you will get stuck with the tidying up after! If you’re heading out, be sensitive to how much guests are able to spend and plan activities accordingly.
Break the ice
It’s highly likely that not all guests will know each other. There might be a mix of people from the mum-to-be or brides family, their old friends and their work colleagues. Plan some ice-breaker games so people can get to know each other. Encourage people to talk about how they know the mum-to-be/bride and share any stories they might have!
Add essential extras
Keep decorations simple and elegant! Stick to a theme (we’re not talking jungles and pirates, unless you want that), but a main colour or design to ensure the event coordinates. If you’re serving food, keep it buffet style so it’s easier to eat and guests can nibble and graze as they please. A great idea for any event is to have photobooth and selfie props – make sure you get lots of fun pictures so the bride/mum-to-be can remember the special day! You could even make a guestbook for her to look back on.
If you’re planning a hen party or a baby shower, let us know if these tips helped, or share your own advice in the comments!
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