Throwing a hens night for your best friend is an exciting and memorable responsibility, especially if you are the Bridesmaid or Maid of Honour. This event captures treasured moments in your friendship that will stay with you forever in the form of photographs and memories. However, after the excitement of being chosen for such an important role subsides, practical questions arise, such as “Who pays for the hens night?”
Summary
Planning a hens night is a fun but significant responsibility, especially for the Bridesmaid or Maid of Honour. In Australia, it’s customary for each guest to cover her own costs, including meals, drinks, and activities. The bride’s costs are typically shared among the bridesmaids and guests. Clear communication about expenses is crucial to avoid surprises. While the event should be enjoyable, it’s important to keep costs manageable for all guests. A hens night differs from a bridal shower in that it’s a celebratory outing without the expectation of gifts, and attendees pay their own way.
Who Should Foot the Bill?
Should the bride cover her own expenses, or should the bridesmaids? What about the guests? In Australia, it’s customary for each guest at the hens night to cover her own costs. When sending out invitations, it’s essential to be clear about what’s included in the package so that guests know what to expect financially. The wedding party is not obligated to cover the costs for those invited. Typically, the bride’s attendants or the matron of honour will fund the deposit required for the hens night package. Guests not invited by the chief bridesmaid will need to pay a per-person fee.
Financial Planning and Cost Distribution
Planning a hens night can quickly become expensive when you factor in meals, drinks, transportation, and decorations. Even if you’re not going out of town, these costs can add up. To manage the expenses, start by establishing a reasonable spending limit, then plan the location and activities accordingly. Consider renting an Airbnb instead of a hotel room to find something affordable for everyone. Inform your guests about the costs associated with the events and meals they will be attending.
The Price of the Bride’s Hens Night
It’s expected that the bride’s bridesmaids and other guests will contribute to the bride’s costs. If the celebration takes place outside of the country, it’s customary for guests to chip in for one night’s worth of expenses. Spending on food and drinks during a bachelorette or hen party averages A$220 and A$190, respectively, per guest. Those travelling to attend should budget at least A$430 for transportation.
Etiquette and Considerations
When it comes to etiquette, it’s important to respect the financial limitations of your guests. Focus on keeping costs manageable and ensure that guests are informed of the fees in advance, giving them the option to decline if necessary. Each attendee is expected to contribute to the costs of events like meals, drinks, and transportation. The bridal party might plan the event, but it’s not considered a hosted event, so don’t expect gifts. The bride’s party will often pay for decorations and favours.
Common Mistakes and Best Practices
Avoiding Excessive Costs
One common mistake is planning a lavish celebration that is financially prohibitive for many invited guests. It is important to plan an event that everyone can afford, ensuring that the bride can be celebrated by all her friends and family. If someone has to decline due to financial reasons, they should not be made to feel guilty.
Accepting Contributions
While it is becoming more common for the bride’s family and friends to contribute to wedding expenses, it should never be an obligation. If someone offers financial assistance, it can be accepted, but it should not be solicited. Contributions should be divided among the bridal party if they wish to treat the bride.
Practical Tips for Planning a Hens Night
- Establish a Budget: Set a reasonable spending limit and communicate it clearly to all participants.
- Venue Selection: Consider affordable options like renting an Airbnb instead of booking expensive hotel rooms.
- Inform Guests: Ensure guests are aware of all costs associated with the event in advance.
- Activity Planning: Organise cost-effective activities that everyone can enjoy without financial strain.
Differences Between a Bridal Shower and Hens Night
Expectations for Each Event
The main difference between a bridal shower and a hens night is that the former is typically a gift-giving event hosted by a friend or relative of the bride. The host provides the venue, food, and beverages. In contrast, a hens night is a celebratory outing where attendees cover their own expenses, and gifts are not expected.
Hosting and Financial Responsibility
It is considered poor etiquette to ask for financial contributions from the Mother of the Bride (MoB) or the groom’s mother for these events. Instead, the bridesmaids or close friends usually take on the hosting responsibilities. If the event is held at a restaurant or other venue, the host is expected to cover the costs. However, in cases where this is not feasible, simplifying the event or combining it with the hens night can be a practical solution.
Conclusion
The joy of being included in a bridal party quickly gives way to practical considerations, such as “who pays for the hens night?” It is customary for the bride’s bridesmaids and other guests to contribute to the cost of the festivities. Clear communication about expenses is crucial, and guests should be given the option to decline if they cannot afford to participate. The bridal party should not feel pressured to buy expensive presents or cover all costs.
The goal is to celebrate the bride without causing financial stress to anyone involved. By following these guidelines and planning thoughtfully, the hens night can be a memorable and enjoyable occasion for everyone.
FAQs About Hens Nights
To What End Is a Hens Night Being Held?
A Hen’s Party is intended to be the bride’s “final hurrah” before her wedding. However, more often than not, this entails engaging in or purchasing things that teeter on the edge of discomfort or general squirm-worthiness.
Where Do Hens Nights and Bridal Showers Differ?
A Hens Night is usually “the last single night” and has more of an emphasis on “partying it up” than a Bridal Shower, which is similar to an Engagement Party but just for the bride to have the women in her life shower her with presents and love. You’ll find brides who do either, and even more who do both!
Why Is It Called a Hen Party?
The meaning of the term “Hen Party” stems from the fact that the word ‘hen’ hasn’t always meant female chicken, but rather way back in Middle English, a look at the etymology of the word ‘hen’ shows us that it used to be used to refer to the female of any bird, or sometimes the female gender of any species of animal.
Is Cake Served at Hens Parties?
At such a celebration, a hen’s night cake could make an appearance. It is customary to bake a cake for the bride-to-be during her hen’s night. The cake at a hen party can be decorated in any number of ways to fit the party’s theme.
Why Do We Use the Term “Hen”?
To most people, a hen is a female chicken, other gallinaceous bird, bird, or lobster. In slang, it’s used to refer to a female person.
