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Browsing Archive: May, 2012

What to write in a hen party book

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, In : Hen Party Poems 

Quite a few people are asking about hen party books and what messages they should write in them. This is quite a toughie as I guess you want the message to be fairly short and quite sweet (without being too sickly!) but also personal to the bride to be. 

I would suggest thinking about one or two key moments that you and the hen have shared and definitely write about them. Is there one particular memory that always come to mind when you think of her? Dancing around the living room and playing S...

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Mums and hen dos

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Sunday, May 27, 2012, In : Tips 
Someone asked me the other day whether I thought Mums should go on hen dos.  

I have to say I'm of the school of thought that says that mothers should be invited to at least one of their daughter's hen dos. I've been to quite a few celebrations where mothers and even mother-in-laws have been invited and it's been a really nice touch. There's always the option that the mothers peel off home before the night gets too raucous!
 
If you're close to your Mum then it probably won't be such a hard deci...

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TV series about hen and stag dos

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Thursday, May 24, 2012, In : General 

Want to be on TV? Then do read on. 

A TV company called RDF Television are making a documentary called 'Stags & Hens'. It's a fun, light-hearted documentary series for Channel 4, which is looking to examine the world of brides and grooms on their pre-wedding celebrations. They are currently seeking Brides and Grooms who are up for a laugh and would be happy for RDF to follow their Stag and Hen weekends in June and July. 

If you're interested, please contact Roisin Bourke on 020 7013 4302 or by ...

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Funny hen night poems - a testimonial

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Thursday, May 24, 2012, In : Hen Party Poems 

I received an email earlier this week from a girl asking for a poem to be written for her friend's hen do. (For details about my poem writing service, along with some sample verses, please check out the poems page of this website).

After asking her a few details about the bride, I then wrote the poem and sent it to her. The feedback I got back was great. She emailed me and said 

"I love it, that's brilliant thank you so much, it actually brought a tear to my eye as I read it. I can just see her...

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Hen party email invitation

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Saturday, May 19, 2012, In : Tips 

Are you a bridesmaid just about ready to send out that first hen party email? Wondering what to put in it and what tone it should take? 

I would keep the initial email fairly brief but friendly, make sure you put a relevant subject title, introduce who you are, say why you are emailing them, state the proposed dates for the hen do, as well as the location and may be a very rough outline of what you are going to be getting up to. Ask people to respond to you as soon as possible. And remember to...

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Cheap hen party ideas

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Friday, May 18, 2012, In : Tips 

Nowadays, hen parties can be extremely expensive affairs, with many brides to be opting to have multiple hen dos away from home. The money involved is one of the hardest things to manage - and those arranging the hen do need to make sure that all the activities are within everyone's budget and also that everybody pays up on time. 

So what about some cheap hen party ideas? What about people who may not want to drink? You may have some pregnant friends who can't drink. And what about those skint...

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Poem - a thank you

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, In : Hen Party Poems 

I've just written a poem for a girl (I won't reveal her name just in case her friend is reading this!) and she's got back to me and said 

"It's perfect! I really didn't think you'd be back to me so soon. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much, I'm sure she'll love it!"


For more details about the hen party poems that I write, check out the poems page of this site.  

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A lovely thank you

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, In : General 

I received an email from a girl called Frankie the other day and it said ...

"I was really stressing out about hen do stuff, but your site has been a huge help. Cheers!"

Thank you so much Frankie. That is exactly what this site was set up to do. Glad I could be of assistance!




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Heel stoppers!

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, In : General 

I was at a wedding this last weekend (a lovely do - congratulations Mr and Mrs Ross!) and there was one girl who was wearing one of the best inventions I have ever seen. 

They are called heel stoppers and they basically stop your heels from sinking into the grass!!! How clever is that!

You slot what looks like a mini clear funnel over your heels and there is a little plastic disc (again clear) at the end which stops your heels from sinking into the ground. 


A quick Google shows that they are qui...

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Hen Party Rhymes

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Monday, May 14, 2012, In : Hen Party Poems 

I've just had an email from a girl called Kerri. 

It says "I have loved having a little peek around your website!!! I just wondered if you charge for the poem service, I can't find anything which says whether you do or not."

For more details about the hen party poems that I write check out the poems page of this site. 

And just to let you know that I charge a small fee for writing a personal poem. 

To enquire about this service, just drop me an email help@henpartyhelp.co.uk  or fill in the form o...

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Hen Party Poems!

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Sunday, May 13, 2012, In : Hen Party Poems 

I've just written a poem for someone and their feedback has been great. 

She said "That is fantastic lisa!!! Thank you so much! :-) I will definitely use your services again." 


Check out some sample hen night verses here and do be in touch if you would like help writing a poem for your friend!


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London - Ellie's hen do

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, In : London 

Cassie from London went on Ellie’s hen party last weekend and this is what they got up to…..

Where did you have the hen party? London (Islington)

When? Saturday 5th May 2012, 11am til late

What did you know in advance? Everything, except what we were actually making in the craft session and the little, pretty surprises that the bridesmaids had in store i.e. name tags and place mats with the bride-to-be’s face on them!

How many were in your party? 14

Where did you stay? We didn’t ...


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Mr and Mrs

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Monday, May 7, 2012, In : Games 
Mr and Mrs can make a great game for any hen party. All you need to do is ask the groom some questions, note down his answers and then see if the bride says the same answers! Simple. For every one she gets wrong, you could make her do a forfeit and for every one she gets right she could get a little present. 

Example questions are 

About the groom.....
What is your shirt collar size? 
What's your favourite band? 
If the bride to be could get rid of one item in your wardrobe what would it be?
Where ...

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Chester - the bridesmaid's tips

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Saturday, May 5, 2012, In : Chester 

Super bridesmaid Liz organised the hen weekend in Chester for Anna and these are her top tips....

“Be cheeky! The spa gave a complementary treatment for the bride when asked to.

Take a megaphone, whistle etc if you have a particularly rowdy group of 16.

The cocktail bar, BarLounge, was brilliant particularly the cocktail which came with bread and cheese and the chilli ones. Allow plenty of time for cocktail drinking so everyone can enjoy at least two!

The staff at the restaurant, Conviv...


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Manchester hen parties

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Thursday, May 3, 2012, In : Manchester 

I've had my hair done today (highlighted and cut for anyone who's interested!) and my hairdresser said she's just been on a hen do in Manchester. They rented an apartment for the weekend in the Northern Quarter. On the Friday night they stayed in - and just had some wine and pizza while everyone got to know each other. 


On the Saturday they had lunch and then had hired a minibus to take them to the evening's racing at Haydock. After the races, they headed back to the Northern Quarter and went...


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Private dining rooms

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, In : General 

I'm on the lookout for good private dining rooms for hen parties in any of the locations we mention on this site. 

For private dining rooms in the capital, check out the London page of this site 

Have you had a fab hen do? What did you do for it? Email me suggestions to help@henpartyhelp.co.uk or use the Contact Us form. 




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Chester - Anna's hen do!

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Chester 

So what did we get up to in Chester? Well let me tell you.... 

Afternoon activity - The Spa
The bridesmaids had booked us in for the spa at the Hilton Double Tree Hotel in Chester (formerly known as Hoole Hall). It cost us £6 to get there in a taxi from the train station. There we got changed into our swim suits and bikinis and headed for the spa area (robes, towels and slippers were all provided). The spa had a couple of pools including a fun outdoor jacuzzi and waterfall area, as well as ...


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Hen party cupcakes

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Tips 

How about having cupcakes made for everyone? Try Brownsugarcupcakes.co.uk for London based hen parties. 

For Manchester based hen dos, check out www.chezzielechoux.co.uk. They do a special cocktail range for hen parties which are delivered to the event free of charge. The towers can make a great centre piece in a booth i.e. at Tiger Tiger, or can be delivered to your hotel for a spa night or for when the hen and her girlies are getting dolled up to hit the tiles. Jack Daniels and Coke/Pina Col...

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More hen party ideas!

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Tips 

·         How about making name badges for everyone coming? Might be worth having these professionally made. 

·         Create a CD with all the songs that remind you of the bride to be. 

·         Collect photos of the hen - from baby to babe - for a comedy album.

·         Games and quizzes such as Mr and Mrs or How Well Do You Know Your Bridesmaids always go down well. I have suggestions for these!

·         What about a little prop for everyone to wear at night - may be a tiara o...


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Oxford

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Oxford 
Helen from Nuneaton had the following to say about her hen do "My bridesmaids organised a wonderful hen do in which I relived my younger days. We returned to my university town and did a mixture of student activities (cheap drinking and cheesey dancing) and more classy activities such as pampering that we couldn't afford as students. 

It was a great idea as it felt very personal to me and best of all, my mum was able to join us in the day but then leave when things got a bit racier in the even...
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Dance routines!

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Tips 

Laura from Swindon says "It depends on the crowd. We had a nice weekend in a house in the Cotswolds and got a dance instructor to come and teach us the routine to "all the single ladies" to perform at the wedding - v funny :)

For more ideas, check out my hen party blog or read the tips page of this website. 

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Brighton

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Brighton 

I had the pleasure of being invited to Anna's hen do in Brighton in April 2012. We stayed at a house that sleeps up to 20 people and is right in the centre near the sea front and the pier. It's also walking distance from the train station. Some of the hens travelled down on the Friday evening and enjoyed a chilled night in with some wine and pizza. The other hens all arrived on Saturday and embarked on a treasure hunt around the town centre (the quiz was found through a Google search). After ...

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Bridesmaid tips

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Tips 

Super hen Ella has been a bridesmaid three times and lists below the best lessons she's learned from organising different hen parties:
 
  • book as much in advance as you possibly can and get as much paid for in advance as you can.
  • a spreadsheet of who's paid what, who's chosen what on the menu etc is invaluable and don't forget to print it out and take it with you!
  • if your credit card can take it, pay for meals etc on one card and charge people afterwards - saves all that horrible bill splitting on...

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Your stories!

Posted by Lisa Shaw on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Contact us 

Please share your hen party ideas, stories, photos and tips (generally - anything hen party related!) with others who are looking for hen do inspiration. Let me know if you had a fantastic hen do - what did you do for it? 

  • Tell me which places you want reviewing.
  • Or if you've had a great hen party - what did you do for it? 
  • Are you a bride to be who had a fantastic hen do?
  • Please email me story suggestions!


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About Me


After endless trawling on the internet looking for hen party inspiration, I decided to set up my own site offering help and advice for anyone organising a hen do. I have now been asked to be a bridesmaid seven times and I love playing a special part in the run up to the big day as well as during the wedding itself. I hope you find the site useful. Do drop me a line to help@henpartyhelp.co.uk with any questions or comments you have! Thanks for reading! Lisa

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