Activities
There are hundreds of hen do activities you could plan, but I have focused on those that are cheap, cheerful and easy to do yourself.
One piece of advice, don’t be tempted to cram your hen do schedule. One to two activities a day should be plenty and will allow for spontaneity and chill time. It’ll also avoid you constantly being “on” and yelling at people to get ready!
Games night
A games night is a great ice breaker on the first day and is also very purse friendly. I’ve done a whole section on hen do games - click the button below to find out more.
A night at the movies
This works well as a first or last night activity.
Make it a timed event to give it a sense of occasion, i.e. showtime at 8pm. Pick a film that feels hen do appropriate - anything from Father of the Bride to Bridesmaids. You can ask the bride to pick her fave film or even poll the guests.
Accompany with cinema friendly snacks such as popcorn, ice cream and pic n mix, and you’ve got your guests entertained cheaply for a couple of hours.
Everyone loves a spa day, but they can be pricey and tricky to organise if you have lots of guests. Creating your own pamper day (read couple of hours) however is reasonably easy to do and shouldn’t break the bank.
If you do decide to bring in the professionals, the place you’re staying might have a list of recommended providers nearby so don’t forget to ask. I’d suggest treatments being an optional extra as that will give guests more control of the budget.
Pamper day
Do it yourself spa day:
Tell guests to bring their PJs, dressing gown and slippers so that they can get nice and comfy
Create a relaxed atmosphere. Music, scented candles*, throws and a pile of magazines will set the scene
Dot around jugs of iced water - adding mint or berries will enhance the spa feel. Lay out healthy snacks such as rice cakes, crudités and fresh fruit platters. You can also offer guests a glass of prosecco “upon arrival” to make it feel like an event
In terms of treatments, a bowl of facemasks on the table for people to pick and choose from is an easy one, plus nail files, cuticle sticks, hand cream and nail polishes for an at home manicure
Finally, there are lots of guided meditations and relaxations available online which would be a good way to start or conclude your pamper time
*or battery operated if your hen do location won’t allow the real thing. Remember to check, and stay safe!
This gets people out and about exploring the local area, works for any number of guests and fits easily around other activities.
Split people into teams (anything from 2-6 people per team would work) and set them a list of photo challenges, such as pictures doing certain things or with certain things, in a set time period (avoid anything dangerous or that will get them into trouble).
You could focus the challenges on the hen do location, i.e a picture by the sea, cathedral, statue etc. You could link to the bride, i.e. a picture of an item that starts with each letter of her name. Or you could go wedding themed, i.e. something old, new, borrowed, blue. Be creative!
The winners are those with the most pictures from the list before the time runs out. Make the list as long as possible to make it impossible to finish, reducing the risk of a tie. A prize for the winning team is a nice touch.
Photo challenge
This is a nice and easy activity that everyone can partake in.
All you need is:
Sandwiches (best to make fresh on the day)
Scones plus condiments (jam, butter, clotted cream)
A variety of cakes. I’d suggest one hero cake, for example a Victoria Sponge, and then individuals like cupcakes, brownies etc.
Some savoury treats, e.g. crisps and crudités
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and a few bottles of cava (made in the same way as champagne and often cheaper and better quality than prosecco) and you’re there!
Ask guests to contribute - they can either buy or bake themselves - to provide some variety and help to cover different dietary requirements.
Afternoon tea
Theming the afternoon tea around something the bride loves brings a personal touch to the activity. We hosted a Disney themed afternoon tea for a friend which went down well and was super easy to do. Easy ways to theme include:
Soundtrack - in our case, Disney songs playing in the background
Photo props - a wide range available, including Disney ones
Cake toppers
Decorations such as confetti, tablecloths, napkins, banners etc.
Fancy dress - not something we did at our Disney themed tea, but wishing we had now!
You can also make your own! There are a couple of ways in which you could approach this:
Pick a number of key locations in the area. These can be landmarks, parks, statues - whatever you fancy. Write cryptic clues for each. When they work out the answer, they need to take a picture with it before moving onto the next clue. You can also incorporate the answer into the next clue to avoid someone simply working out the end point and heading there. You don’t need to know the area well to do this - a good map should be all you need!
The second option is to “host” via a messenger app. You send out the 1st clue, plus a question about the location for them to answer, for example “what date is shown on XX statue?”. They need to message this to you, and the correct answer, to unlock the next clue, i.e. you sending it back. This gives you a chance for a bit of chill time (which can be very welcome when you’re a stressed out hen do planner) in the end location - with a cup of tea or a cocktail in hand.
There are some great, and very reasonably priced, treasure hunt apps out there which are personalised to the area, allow you to set the length of the hunt and can incorporate breaks at certain locations if you desire.
Treasure hunt
Wine tasting
Getting a professional in to lead and provide all the kit (plus wine) is definitely a good option but, as we’re looking at ways to save money here, this is another activity that you can host yourself.
Step 1, buy wine! Go for a variety of the same type, i.e. fizz, or mix it up with white, red and rose. You could find out the bride’s favourite tipple or survey the guests in advance to guide your choice. Buy local if you can.
Step 2, pre-fill glasses for the first taste, and have a fellow bridesmaid on hand for pouring duty throughout
Step 3, create and share a “tasting notes” sheet. Guests should complete this as they taste each wine. Simple questions to include are “what do you smell” (the first part of wine tasting is to swirl your glass to release the wine’s bouquet before taking a good sniff) and “what do you taste” once you’ve taken a sip. A final section to name their favourite or rank the wines in order will round of the sheet.
As the host, you simply need to provide information about the wine. Kick things off with the history of the wine you’re tasting, i.e. vineyard, vintage, interesting facts etc. Once they’ve tasted you can provide detail of what it should smell and taste like (based on the tasting notes on the bottle). Ask people to share their favourites at the end (you can also share price of wine as that can be a surprise), and that’s simple wine tasting done and dusted!
To add a layer of complexity, you can introduce food pairings if you wish. The back of the wine bottle will often detail what food they’re best paired with, so you could create little treats to sample alongside. Chocolate is often a good pairing with fizz so this could be another area to explore (and avoids too much additional food prep). You can add as many layers to the activity as you see fit.
As a general rule it’s worth providing some sustenance to nibble on as you go. Cheese and meat platters, plus bread and crisps are easy options. Have a large jug of water on the table for people to cleanse their palates between tastings - and to avoid too many headaches!
Remember, some people might be alcohol free or unable to drink certain wine types. Gather this information up front and this will allow you to either pick wines that everyone can drink, or you can adapt by providing alcohol free options for that person to taste.
Finally, you don’t have to stick to wine - you can adapt according to the bride’s favourite tipple, including whisky, gin, rum, whatever! If you want to go alcohol free, chocolate tasting also works well.
