Us Brits are forever seeking a little bit of sun in our lives and what better excuse to go abroad than for a hen party. We’re lucky enough to have planned our fair share of hen parties outside of the UK so here’s our top tips for planning your hen party holiday that everyone will be remembering for years to come.

Prepare a Checklist

When planning something like this, lists are going to be your best friend. Make this tedious part a little more fun-loving by designing a printable template from Canva or Pinterest. It’s easy to forget the minute details when planning a large group holiday so having a go-to ensures that everything has been covered is an absolute must!

Save the Date

The second most important thing you need to consider before rounding up the troops is coming up with a date. Get two or three different options together and put out the feelers to see which date is most popular with the potential attendees. Also remember that the bride may have some priority guests that she absolutely has to have there; think family members etc. So, their schedules will need to be in the forefront of your mind.

Numbers

Next, you need to make sure that you have a solid idea on numbers so that you can start looking at quotes for the trip. Get a group chat together and set a deadline whereby each person who is truly committed to attending the hen party has their deposit secured by a certain date. Once that’s all sorted you can then start looking at flights, accommodation, activities and all that other fun stuff without having a meltdown about who may and may not attend.

Budget

Your budget is one of the next key components of planning a hen party overseas. Refinery estimated that a hen party abroad can cost upwards of £1000.  It’s far too easy to get carried away and end up booking a multitude of excursions and activities. Before you know it, the whole concept of a budget may have totally gone out the window. Remember, everyone in the group may be at different points in their lives/career, so you need to create a budget that is friendly and accessible for everyone.

Logistics

The logistics of the event is the biggest part of planning the holiday. Does everyone live in the same area? How will you all get to the airport? Do you all want to be sitting together on the plane?

Where will you stay on the trip? If it’s a hotel, you can look at arranging a group discount. Nowadays, for larger groups, booking an Airbnb tends to give you a lot more value for money, a nicer calibre of accommodation and cooking facilities which is a great way to stretch the budget a little further.

Administrative duties also need to fall under this category, you don’t want people rocking up to the airport on the day of, just to realise that their passport is expired or that they don’t have a visa. If you’re leading the party make sure you gather everyone’s details beforehand, perhaps set up a google spreadsheet so that everyone can add their own information. It’s also worth checking that everyone in the group has appropriate travel insurance. Comparison sites have affordable insurance options for as little as a few pounds and will cover you in case of an emergency. 

Planning a Get Together Beforehand

There’s a high chance that the bride to be has a bunch of different friendship groups; old school friends, work colleagues, uni mates and so forth. It’s a great idea to try and get the whole gang together on home soil, just to break the ice before you all jet off together. This avoids any awkward first meetings when you get to your destination and you can focus all your efforts into having a great time rather than just getting to know each other. It’s also a good idea to exchange contact information in case anyone gets lost during the trip. 

Image Credit:

Photo by Ishan @seefromthesky