Luxury Hen Parties
If you’re a bride-to-be, there’s every chance you won’t have much involvement in planning your hen party – at least, if your Maid of Honour has any say in the matter. But if you prefer the surprises to be kept to a minimum, you might want to at least put forward a few suggestions to ensure your send-off stays classy.
HOME
Gone are the days when a hen party meant a bar crawl along the high street and (at best) a night in a cheap chain hotel. Today’s bridesmaids have upped the stakes for their brides, putting property at the forefront of their planning, and we couldn’t be happier to see this trend continue to grow. It’s the perfect blend of home comforts and a change of scenery. For city-dwellers we recommend escaping to a country or coastal cottage, where the views are as beautiful as the interiors, and for brides from quieter corners of the map, nothing beats an urban pad in the heart of the action.
Both options provide the perfect environment in which to welcome a team of professional chefs and mixologists who’ll keep you suitably fed and watered throughout the night
AWAY
If you’re the type of girl who places more importance on quality than quantity, limit your guest list to VIPs and jet off to the Swiss Alps for a dose of rejuvenating alpine air and a sprinkling of Switzerland’s unique brand of spa magic. A few adrenalin-filled days on the slopes will encourage a healthy pre-wedding glow, and whilst hen party pampering is nothing new, Swiss spas pride themselves on doing more than just improving your complexion.
Meet the Vitamin Drip; the high-end therapy on everyone’s lips. Offering an alternative take on the term après ski, this is the intravenous treatment that reboots your tired body with an intensive dose of vitamins and minerals, while you recline with a view of the mountains. The combination of mountain air and spa treatments will leave your body perfectly primed to process a few celebratory glasses of Veuve with your closest friends.
FOODIE
Tradition seems to dictates that hen celebrations should be designed around drinking as much alcohol as possible, but what about a weekend designed around eating as much gourmet food as possible? Happily, for the foodie bride there are now many options in this department.
Food-based celebrations - from the sweet to the savoury - are officially on the rise, and our proposed itinerary starts with a boozy bottomless brunch and a wander around the produce stalls at London’s Borough Markets to aid digestion. We recommend following it up with a tasting trail, tailored to the bride’s specific likes and dislikes, before rounding off the day with a blind wine tasting session at The Stafford.
CRAFTY
Whatever you’d like to try your hand at craft-wise, there’s an abundance of experiential workshops available for hen groups. Our personal favourites include learning to make vintage-style flower crowns with a luxury florist, creating bespoke fragrances at a high-end perfumery, and infusing your own gin at a distillery where you learn the art of blending botanicals.
These workshops are a fun yet relaxed way to spend an afternoon getting creative with your friends, learning a new skill and enjoying a few glasses of fizz in the process.
GLAMOROUS
Girls just wanna have fun – and be glam! For the bride who wants to live like an A-lister for the day, book yourselves into a high-end beauty bar and get the head-to-toe treatment before travelling in style to a quintessentially English summer event.
Whether it be a Champagne picnic at Ascot or an exclusive dining experience at Henley Royal Regatta’s Temple Island, the glamorous hen party is the perfect option for anyone who wants to splash out, dress up and feel like a million dollars.
MUSICAL
However you’ve amused yourselves during the day, a city-based hen night can mean only one thing: drinks and dancing. For the musical bride we suggest warm up drinks at The Piano Works. Situated in the heart of Farringdon, this Victorian warehouse venue is where the pianists and musicians play nothing but songs requested by the crowd, and the Champagne flows as late as the tunes do.
NAUTICAL
If ever there was an appropriate moment for concentrated girl time, it’s right before your wedding. Leave land (and wedding planning) behind for a few days aboard a yacht, feel the wind in your hair and experience what a spot of island hopping in the Mediterranean does for the soul.
You can unwind with lazy lunches at secluded coves, let loose with cocktail parties on your very own floating gin palace, and cool off by diving into turquoise waters. This type of trip has several advantages: it’s easy to keep the whole group together, you and your friends can indulge in complete relaxation and it’s the perfect opportunity for cute nautical-themed attire.
