Hen parties, or bachelorette parties as they're know in the US, have a pretty sordid reputation. The first thing that comes to mind for many when they hear the words "hen party" are excessive alcohol consumption and x-rated entertainment. The idea behind their NSFW nature stems from the perception that the gatherings, sometimes held the night before the wedding, symbolise the bride's last night of freedom.
If the thought of an x-rated night couldn't be further from your idea of fun, then these family-friendly hen party games are on hand to give you some alternative options. And don't worry! Wholesome doesn't have to mean horribly dull.
The proposal story
It's likely that if someone's attending the hen party, they've probably heard the proposal story at least once, but how well do they remember it? Test their knowledge with a "blankety blank" style questionnaire. To prepare, get the bride-to-be and groom-to-be to recount how they got engaged, write it up and then remove pivotal words and phrases. Hand a copy out to each of the guests as they arrive and award prizes for the ones who get the most correct answers.
Memory box
Ask each guest to bring along an item which relates to a specific experience they shared with the bride. Put all of the items in a bowl and get the bride to pick them out one by one and tell the story which explains the memorabilia. You can give guests prompters by picking a theme or several. For example: how you met the bride, the funniest moment you shared with the bride or your favourite memory of the bride.
Perfumery personalities
Perfume making workshops are growing in popularity, and they're a fantastic idea for a hen do activity. Get the bride's friends to choose scents based on her personality. If she's an outdoorsy, adventurous type, then cedarwood might make it into their perfume or if she has a calming demeanour, lavender. At the end of the workshop, each guest can talk through their "feature notes" and describe how they represent one of the bride's characteristics.
Pin the veil
This game requires minimal preparation. Print out an A3 size picture of the bride-to-be, fashion a veil out of some lace or tissue paper and attach a pin or bluetack to the top of the veil. Blindfold guests and spin them around three times before setting them off to pin the veil in the right place on the picture. You can adapt this game by using a picture of a the bride's hand and a wedding band, a wedding car and cans or an image which has a more uniquely sentimental meaning to her.
The key to...
Decide on a selection of topics – managing your finances, a happy home, communication, a happy marriage, and then buy or thrift the corresponding amount of old, vintage looking keys. Write your chosen topics on small squares of card in the following format: "The key to a happy marriage is...". Leave a blank space below each heading for attendees to fill out with their advice in response to the open-ended question. Create cards with the headings on in a different colour and attach them to each of the keys. Once guests have filled out the cards, attach all of them to the corresponding keys and give to the bride.
