As your wedding day becomes closer, it seems like all your focus is on the finer details of your big day. Does the wedding dress fit? Has the veil had it’s embellishments finished? How are the cake preparations going? Have the invitations all been RSVPd? Do the caterers really understand what I want?
It can all become a little overwhelming!
Sometimes you will stop and think to yourself “why is everything so complicated? Why didn’t I just keep it simple from the start”. But don’t worry, these thoughts are quite common amongst brides-to-be, and can be put down to simple ‘wedding jitters’.
Planning a wedding can be exhausting, and that is why you need to take a break to recharge your batteries before your big day. This is the reason that Hen Parties and Hen Weekends were invented for!
It can be wonderful to relax and look forward to that special time with your closest female friends. You know your friends very well, and they will want the best possible hen weekend experience for you too. You can get together with all your bridesmaids well in advance to discuss your hen weekend ideas about what you would like, such as a relaxing spa weekend away, or a big city getaway for some retail therapy and some gourmet dining or how about an adventure weekend? A break away with all your girlfiends will be just the tonic you need!
A hen weekend package can be much more enjoyable than having a single hen party where you may spend one exhausting night out, only to be left with a nasty hangover the next morning. Long gone are the days of drinking endless cheap cocktails and staggering around town while wearing questionable outfits, silly hats and ‘L’ plates on your back.
A spa retreat for example will be a great idea if you are inviting younger and older friends along. Everyone will surely find some treatment or session they can really enjoy. Beauty treatments using luxurious creams and cleansing herbs will help all your girlfriends to shine at your wedding.
If a city break is more your style, then many hotels offer hen weekend packages where you can experience fine dining while staying in luxurious surroundings, often with some free beauty treatments or special nibbles and drinks on offer throughout the weekend.
In recent years hen weekends have become more popular, and there are several destination across the UK and Europe that can be easily reached even for a weekend, and offer a wide variety of vibrant culture and fantastic night life.
You may want to explore a place you have never been to before, or revisit a favourite city that you have not been to in a while. Cities like London are an obvious choice with its wide variety of shops, theatre, restaurants and nightlife, but other places are becoming increasingly popular, such as Cardiff, Liverpool, Brighton, Leeds and Edinburgh. Or how about a jaunt overseas to Paris, Dublin, Madrid or even Ibiza.
But what if spa weekends or shopping and dining are not your thing?
If the thought of being wrapped head to foot in seaweed leaves you cold, and you really would rather be anywhere than browsing through the rails of a clothes shop, then don’t worry. Many different activities can be worked into your weekend away.
How about something much more adventurous?
If you love the thrill of adventure, then why not try a day of Gorge Walking in the Brecon Beacons or Coasteering along the beautiful South Wales coastline? For the really adventurous, what about forsaking the luxuries of a hotel room and become Bear Grylls for the day in a wilderness adventure, hunting for your own food, water and shelter, far from other human contact.
If you have older female girlfriends with you who may prefer something a little more sedate, then why not book a round of golf for them at a nearby course, then you can all meet up later and share your experiences over a lovely home-cooked meal and a bottle of your favourite wine.
Specialist travel companies now offer Hen Weekend Packages to suit most tastes and budgets, so it is well worth checking these out to see what is on offer. Most packages offer comprensive plans that take care of every aspect of your weekend so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Above all, your hen weekend will allow you to relax and unwind in a friendly feminine atmosphere, so that you will wake up on your wedding day feeling refreshed and full of vigour ready to face your big day with great success.
So, there's a few of our hen weekend ideas. What about your hen weekend ideas? Have you started to plan your hen party yet? How about getting away from it all with a hen weekend of adventure?
