how much is too much for hen night?

The answer to this question will vary from person to person. The closest thing to a 'right' answer is that too much is what you and your closest friends can't afford to spend.

My BMs and I worked out how much we'd be comfortable spending (4 of us) then when emailling the invitees gave them a breakdown of the costs, indicating which bits cost what and a total, so that each person can make an informed choice about whether they want to come and if so, how much it will cost or which bit they could miss out if they wanted to keep it a bit cheaper.

Hope this helps!

Yeh it really depends on the girls, but mine has worked out to be quite expensive (around £100 pp) not including food or drinks.

A few of my friends have had different things going on (one is due a baby in 1 week) and I just asked for their advice basically said this is what I would like to do and this is what it will cost, whats your thoughts? And to be honest I think they liked that they were getting a say in it and they knew there was no pressure to go along with it if they couldn't affor it.

x

Mine is £108 for a weekend, including food, accommodation and entertainment. I asked people how they felt about it before I booked it and most seemed ok with it. I didn't want to just book it if only a few we're able to come.

I'd personally say that £100 including whatever you are doing (whether thats food/drink/travel accomodation etc) is about the max if you want the majority to be able to afford it

x

Mine is costing 75 pounds all in including transport, food and drinks. We have also split it into day activities and night so people who can't afford the whole day will come for the evening rather than not at all. Obviously it could cost more dependant on how much booze they consume and what they order to eat.

I was concious of pricing people out of attending.

I've just been invited to one that's costing £300. The last one I went to was £200 per person. The one before they was £80. People don't seem to blink at these costs but I don't want mine to cost more than £100 per person.

I'm limiting mine to £150 all in. Pretty well impossible to sort anything cheaper as most people will need 2 nights accommodation but will try!

My spa 'taster' day is costing £35pp and even that was a struggle to get the girls to be happy with the price - I wanted to do a 1night stay at a spa but that would of been closer to £100 so we're having a girlie sleepover at mine in the evening instead

Hi!!

I really wanted to go abroad, doing something in England is just not really me & didn't appeal to me as a Hen so I planned to goto Vegas and then changed it to a West Coast road trip which is pretty expensive but it's also a holiday for those that could come. Obviously I didn't expect everyone to be able to afford it as total cost would probably be around £1000 but I'm doing something in the UK that will be really inexpensive.

For me as long as everyone is able to come we will a have a good time no matter what. If your friends cannot afford it & don't turn up how would you feel? If you wouldn't mind then go ahead and do a more expensive hen night/day etc but if you really want them there then you will need to compromise a bit on the price. I have now just left it up to my friends to plan & told them to contact everyone with a specific budget. That way no one will feel awkward telling me what their budget is if they think too low or whatever.

If you are looking at a Spa Day check websites such as Lastminute.com or Wahanda.com as they do loads of fantastic spa deals etc and I'm pretty sure you will able to find fantastic deals/offers for more around the £50 mark. A friend's friend went to a spa for her hen day in London, so they had full use of the facilities and I think one treatment each and then they had 2 hours in a private room with champagne, ipod player, strawberries etc and that was only £50 each! If people wanted more treatments then they just paid for that.

Hope this helps - let me know if you want any more tips re spa days as I love them !

My MOH (who is also planning her wedding) and I decided that we would have the same amounts for our hens to make it fair. So both of ours are costing £100 a head. Hers covers train fare from Glasgow to Newcastle, accommodation and outfits. Mine will cover flights from Glasgow to Belfast, accommodation and enough left over for either meals or a drinks kitty, or an activity of some sort. I think it's a reasonable amount to ask people and if anyone can't afford to come, or can't come for any other reason, I am also planning a cheapy night out in town a week or 2 before the wedding so that everyone can be included.

My issue with hens/stags is all the double standards!! Of the last few weddings there have been in our group of friends, the guys have had weekends abroad (read: £250+ cost plus almost the same in spending money!) and the girls have had a night out locally. How is that fair?!

I agree with Aroha, plan what you want to do and the people that want to be there will find the money. I don't think £85 for a hen is too much, I tried to limit mine to £150 and everyone I asked said they would come. If you give people enough time to save they should be fine.

We're going to Blackpool and it's coming in at £105pp for travel, 2 night hotel, a cabaret show with dinner and cocktails and nightclub entry, and a pleasure beach wristband. People will still have the costs of breakfast, lunch, one night's dinner, and all drinks.

This suits everyone who is coming, and I was upfront about the costs. I am still having a local hen night which will be the cost of drinks alone, everyone who can't make Blackpool will hopefully find that one more managable.

Personally I would struggle to both find and justify more than £100 for a friends hen (given that there'll be a wedding soon after and all). I'd talk to friends and then make a decision about what's more important to you - doing what you'd like or having more people there. Both are valid but if you want more people there you need to make it affordable.

How long's a piece of string?!

It depends on your friends, their income and their financial priorities.

My hen do is no more than £30 then money for food and drink on top. We're going to Manchester, getting a coach and a t-shirt each then god knows what else!

I can't afford anymore (I have a wedding to pay for!) and neither can my friends and family so we made it as cheap as we could.

Mine should cost no more than £100, hopefully less - we plan to go to Go Ape in the morning, have a cocktail lesson in the afternoon then go out for a lovely meal in the evening. I will tell everyone they are welcome to come to part or all of it as they prefer/can afford too.

I agree with this. This year is going to be really tough financially in comparison to the last few years.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED, WE'RE ALL DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!*

(I agree with Red Bazza)

Haha! This is what the headlines in the papers may as well be!

Speak to everyone individually to see what they can afford and if they can, give them plenty of time to save up. There's no point having a hen do doing something really really nice if hardly anyone can afford to join you. Call some spa's and say if they are doing any special offers or just go for the morning and have one treatment and then have a pampering seesion at home.

I would say that £100 is quite enough for a hen do.

I think the most important thing is to give people enough notice so they can plan their finances a friend got their invite to a hen doo 2 weeks before because the MOH didn't arrange it until the last minute (after my friend and other guests were badgering her to sort it) she then proposed about £300 of weekend activities hotels, spas meals etc and as a result hardly any people could make it so as long as you give people a few months notice if you want to do something that is big/expensive.

Mine will work out to about £120 if someone chooses to participate in it ALL, but I've got it broken down into several sections - a hat making workshop with cake and bubbly in the afternoon (£35), then a meal out (whatever people want to pay, but say £20), then cocktails (again, whatever people want to pay - say £20), then staying overnight in a motel (totally optional as it's within 'our' city but it's next to the cocktail bar!) which is £35 each, and then THE most amazing American breakfast in the cocktail bar's restaurant the next morning (less than £10). I imagine most people will do the workshop, meal, a cocktail or 2 and go home. Some (mothers!) will just do workshop and meal, or just meal. Some (skint friends!) will just do meal and cocktails, or even just cocktails! It's very mix and match, from preference and cost POV.