8 Budget-Friendly & Brilliant Hen Party at Home Ideas

3 months ago 167

Karen Louise Daly

Whether you're a first time bridesmaid, or an experienced hen party planner you'll know that a constant source of worry is how to manage the question of the cost. Cash is always king (of concerns) and when organising a hen party and juggling so many different people and budgets, it's something to really bear in mind. There's definitely been a switch to having hens that are more cost-effective and staying at home is really popular now. A Hen Party at Home is also the perfect way to include your mum, mother-in-law, and aunties in the build-up for your day, without having to invite them to your hen too if you feel the itinerary isn't appropriate to their sensibilities. It's also a great way to include little ones in your family if you're planning an adults-only wedding. With that in mind we've compiled 8 Cheap & Cheerful Ideas for a Hen Party at Home, to prove it can be just as fun and fab as a trip to Las Vegas!

From the start of planning any Hen Party there are some key elements to remember and if you keep these 3 rules in mind you can't go far wrong:

Know your bride and what she would enjoy. Every bride is unique, some are super girlie girls that would love nothing more than an all-out pink themed party, while others would rather get worked up with a full on day of activities.
The main objective is to get all the pals together and celebrate the bride to be in all her glory.
Make it fun!

Even though this is a DIY hen party option it is still going to cost money for food and drinks but it will be a fraction of the cost of going away for the weekend. If you need help with the finances set out an 'entry fee' for everyone to cover these costs. You can also have a BYOB option and let everyone know it okay is bring your own drinks.

1. An Old School Sleepover

We don't know about you, but one of our all time favourite things growing up was having gal pals over for a sleepover. We may have grown up (a little) but the basic elements of a sleepover are still brilliant, plus now we can have some drinkies! An Old School Sleepover Hen Party is perfect for a small group of close pals instead of going out on the razz, get together and have some proper chats.

Choose a house, your own, a fellow bridesmaid's, or the brides family home if her mum is onboard, of course.
Supply the goodies, sweets treats and all that good stuff.
Order in some takeout, pizza party anyone?
Buy lots of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
Plan some fun games, twister, truth or dare, charades, 'Pin the Tie on the Groom' - A really easy take on 'Pin the Tale on the Donkey', all you have to do is print out a large photograph of the hubby to be and a separate tie or bow tie and get some pins!
Rent some girly movies - Bridesmaids, Father of the Bride, Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman, Clueless all the faves!
Buy the bride some pretty pjs and slippers.
Ask the guests to bring their own pjs (choose a colour or theme so you're all matching) and sleeping bag.
Add in a pampering spa element with face masks, manicures, and relaxation goodies.

Keep it simple the fun is having all her girlfriends together, add some drinkies and silliness and you'll be up all night!

2. A Cocktail Making Night (at Home)

What's a hen party without a cocktail in hand? Whether you decide to hire in a mixologist, or create your own DIY Cocktail Making Hen Party Night it's pretty easy to save the pennies and do it at home, and it's a fun way to get everyone one involved in an activity.

To hire your own mobile mixologist look to The Intoxication Club, The Beautiful Booze Club and Foxglove Cocktails in Ireland, and in the UK, Tipsy Parties, Mixology Brothers Poptop and Mixology Events.

If you plan to host the class yourself, choose recipes that you are comfortable making and teaching others to make, keep it simple with 3 different recipes. We've lots of posts about cocktails and there are amazing ones on Pinterest. Make sure you have plenty of ingredients (there will be accidents!) Most cocktails are mainly juice drinks or lemonades so it won't cost as much as you think. For the supplies you will need, chopping boards and knives, cocktail glasses, measuring jugs, shot glasses, cocktail shakers, decorations (little umbrellas, straws etc) and cleaning materials. Supermarkets, party supply stores and some of our fave home decor shops are filled with the stuff so pop in and stock up.

3. A Wine and Cheese Night

Wine and cheese, are there two better things in the world? This one is simple and depending on numbers should be reasonably inexpensive. Get good quality products from the local farmer's markets, and lots of good vino and just have some good ole girly chats. A Wine and Cheese Night Hen Party is a quiet type of hen party but if you're entertaining older members of the family or you're just looking for something more civilised this could be the one. (You can always have jagerbombs and tequila shots after the wine is gone!). Check out or tips on what to include here.

4. Pot Luck Dinner

At One Fab Day we love dinner parties but cooking for 10 plus people can be a lot of work so a Pot Luck Dinner Hen Party is a great idea for hen parties on a budget. The rules are simple: Everybody brings something. How does it work you ask?

Decide if you are having a theme like a Mexican or Italian night, or just a 'Pot Luck'.
Depending on how many people are coming divide up the meals. 2 people bring starters, 2 people bring mains and 2 people bring dessert.
If there are lots of guests ask some people to bring decorations, alcohol and props instead of cooking.
Use people's talents. If you have Martha Stewert on your hands ask them to cook. If you have a crafty creative attending ask them to make some table decor, like individual name cards for the table.
Anyone who doesn't want to cook can buy something pre-made (veggies and hummus, chips and dip, fruit platter, food from the pre-made section of a grocery store, take-out from a restaurant or bakery, etc, so there's no pressure
Make sure to get everyone involved.

5. A Summer BBQ

A BBQ Hen Party is a great way to get people together in a relaxed environment with some good food and wine. Weather dependent unfortunately, you may need to provide cover, or be ready to move everything inside if it does get a little wet. There are lots of great catering companies in Ireland offering mobile catering services, or if you know a master BBQ-er (maybe the bride's brother or dad) rope them in for the day!

Think barbecued burgers, chicken wings, hot dogs and the ever important hen party cocktail bar!
Choose a theme that reflects the bride's personality or interests, such as a tropical theme, glam picnic or a boho theme.

6. Glamping in the Garden

Something to get you out of the house for a little while, how about a Glamping in the Garden Hen Party? The key to throwing a camping themed Hen Party is to prepare. If your home is too small, there are loads of fabulous spots around Ireland to set up camp, pop over to the Irish Camping and Caravan Council for all the information you'll need on location and guidelines. Or, if you want to leave it in the hands of the experts be sure to check out our favourite glamping spots in Ireland. As for making camping a fantastic Hen Party at home on a budget don't forget:

Make sure to tell the guests what supplies (clothing, sleeping bags etc) to bring.
Borrow any items you can, you'd be surprised who has tents nowadays, or hire from a glamping hen party company.
Make sure to bring plenty of food and drink if you won't be near many shops.
Plan some lawn games.
Don't forget the flower crowns and s'mores!
If you don't want to travel, consider camping in your back garden, you'll love having a loo close by.

7. Murder Mystery Night

If mystery and mayhem is your thing, then what could be more fun than a Murder Mystery Hen Night? For a taste of what would be in store check out our former editor Naoise's 1930s murder mystery party she threw to celebrate her birthday. For all the rules and a guide on how to plan a murder mystery party, pop over to www.nightofmystery.com, they'll show you how it's done. A group of 10-14 is ideal for a dinner style Murder Mystery and make sure to pick a really good theme or era - let everyone get their best gladrags Gatsby or Victoriana style. Fun!

8. Clothes Swap Night

A bit of banter and a few new bits and pieces for the wardrobe, A Clothes Swap Hen Night works brilliantly over dinner and a few drinkies. This activity can be a fun and sustainable way to refresh wardrobes, reduce waste, and save money. Especially if you bring some hilarious bits that you really should dump rather than inflict on someone else!

Organise a venue, your house or your fellow bridesmaids.
Give guests plenty of notice as they'll want to raid their closets.
Make sure everyone is bringing good quality clothing that they still love but don't wear - No rags ladies! It's okay to through a few funny gems into the mix too.
Clothes should be in clean and in good quality - Both for the benefit of your hens, and in case you donate anything later.
Set up a space where the clothes can be laid out - a clothes rail and a full length mirror will be helpful - Maybe there’s a bedroom with a decent wardrobe and mirror. (Don’t forget hangers, too!)
Any clothes that don’t get taken home should be donated to any local charity shop. Don’t forget you can donate your hen party props like sashes and veils once you’re done with them, too.

The fun of the night is trying on each other's clothes. You will get rid of your old clothing while having lots of giggles and you might even nab yourself something fab of your friend's that you've been eyeing for ages.

Whatever You Do - Have Fun!

The most important thing to remember is to have fun. All the bride really wants is to hang out with her besties so just make it happens! Best of luck with the planning and make sure to check out our previous Hen Party posts for more ideas on how to throw the perfect party.