How Much Would You Pay For a Hen Do?

It depends on the hen. The thing that bugs me most is anything that's longer than a long weekend - the cost spirals but even more frustratingly it eats into so much annual leave that you can't spend with your own partner. That being said, a long weekend hen for a close friend I'd be willing to spend £150-250 depending on the quality of place/activities. A hen for just one night or if I felt like a seat filler for someone I wasn't that close to, then I'd be expecting to spend more around the £50 mark unless the activity was seriously amazing and something I'd want to do myself.

I do think it's lovely if the hens that are bridesmaids contribute to cover the bride - I know weddings are expensive but the bride will typically be buying their outfits and giving them pre-wedding gifts. I'm not so sure about hens that aren't bridesmaids having to cover the bride though, as they're already shelling out to attend the wedding/hen and will likely buy a wedding gift but aren't actually getting any reciprocated love as they haven't been given a role if that makes sense.

How much do you expect each guest to pay towards your Hen Do?
For me, I'm avoiding the big hen do event and my FH and I and a bunch of both our friends are going to Thorpe Park, which isn't too far away and is less than £50 each. We're more interested in spending time together than spending a lot of money! However, in the past I've spent up to £200 for friends hen dos, and in some cases had a great time, and other cases resented being asked to spend so much for something I had so little say in!

Should your Hen Do guests all contribute your portion of the Hen Do party?
If the event is something that's been decided on by all hens, and agreed to, then it seems fair to share everything equally. But if a bride turns around and demands an expensive week-long event, then this is a bit much to ask!

If you have attended a Hen Do before- how was the experience? Did you feel like you were getting your money's worth?
Yes and no. One was in my hometown (but not the bride's hometown), and I was made to feel pressured to entertain her and the other hens because it was my local area, and overall it was a let down - it didn't help that every tiny thing was something chosen specifically to please the very picky bride, rather than something a whole group would enjoy.

Another time I really enjoyed a city break with a small group, where we made joint decisions and paid for everything on our own, but shared the price of the airbnb. This felt more like a democracy, rather than a bride exerting her power over her hens, so was way more fun and something I was happy to spend money on.

I’ve probably been to about 3 or 4 hen do’s ranging from a couple of nights in Disneyland Paris to a night away in a hotel with dinner and drinks. I personally think it’s too much to ask for more than 2 nights away and also going abroad is too much for me. I don’t think I was ever asked to cover the brides costs but it was suggested for my hen do.
I think it can get too expensive and there’s too much pressure on it these days. I wouldn’t want to spend more than £200 on attending a hen. Hope that helps!

I'm on a low income, so I wouldn't want to spend much on a hen do, especially if I wasn't' particularly close to the bride. Plus I think the point should be spending time together, not spending a load of money.

I've been to a couple of weekend long hens, but they were great because the group was quite close knit (most of us already knew each other well) and we shared a lot of common interests. The basic cost was about £50 (both were self-catering and we took it in turn to cook meals) and you could pick the activities you did so had a fair amount of control over that. The bride paid her way as far as accommodation and food went, and the hens split the cost of some activities between us (for example, one hen do had a beautician booked to do manicures/pedicures/facials and we clubbed together to pay for the bride's facial and manicure. )

Most of my friends do local, one-night hens, and it's usually a nice meal out. We either pay for our own meal (if there is a big difference in what people order) or split the bill, but either way, we pay for the bride's meal between us.

I wouldn't want to spend more than £100 (or £30 if it were just an evening).

My hen do was last weekend and was the best weekend I could have dreamed for!

My mum and my maid of honour planned it and split the main cost between all 18 of the hens excluding me.

When we were at the hen we paid for two meals, one takeaway and one pub roast dinner which we split between all 19 of us. I was very happy to pay for my share of the hen but my mum / maid of honour were adamant!
From my experience hen do’s are really hit and miss. Some I have paid £100-£200 for and you don’t see your money or the joint drinks / bottles you’ve paid for you don’t feel as though you’re getting your share whereas others I’ve been surprised at how cheap it has been for everything we have had or done.