Organising any event is easy if you plan properly. If you go at it with a scattergun approach then expect problems and lots of headaches. Not everyone is organised and systematic in the way they do things, so let’s make organisation easy with this step by step guide to planning and executing the best-ever hen party.
Ask The Bride
Sounds obvious, but it’s amazing how many hen parties are organsied as a surprise and the bride absolutely hates it. You can still keep your plans a surprise, but at least you’ll know what the bride to be likes and, more importantly, doesn’t. A casual chat over coffee should give you all you need to know – no need to grill the poor girl. You will have to ask outright what sort of budget she wants to work to though and if she favours staying in the country or going abroad. She’s your friend, probably your best friend, so you’ll know the definite no nos.
Create An Invitation List
Your bride will know who she wants to come to her hen do and some of the guests the names will probably surprise you. Many brides are very close to their family and will want their mother, sisters and cousins to come along and many wouldn’t dream of inviting them. As a good friend, you should have a good idea about her relationship with her family and probably have a good idea who her other friends are, but I would ask for a list anyway as you wouldn’t want to miss anyone important. You’ll also need their contact details.
Set the Date
This one’s a bit trickier so a list of possible dates will be the option to go for. Once you know the bride’s preferred date list, then you need to check with the most important people on the guest list to see who can attend on the dates you have. The bride will make the ultimate decision on the date; probably going for the date that most of her ‘must attend’ friends can make it. If your bride is important to them, they should also be prepared to ‘juggle’ things a bit to make it for the chosen date.
Where Are You Going?
Because you live in one part of the UK, it doesn’t mean that the bride to be wants a home-town hen do. She may very well have a favourite destination in mind or even want to go abroad. Best check that one before you go any further. Your destination can make an impact on costs and activity choices so that needs to be matched-up too.
Set Up a Geronigo Event Page
This is one of your easiest tasks. Download the Geronigo® App or visit the website www.geronigo.com is the first step. Then contact the Geronigo® team and let them know you want a Hen Party Event Page. Once that’s in place then you can add all your activities, nightlife choices, accommodation, transport and everything else. Geronigo® offer the full service including a dedicated hen party coordinator.
What Do You Want To Do?
That is, what activities do you want to include as I sure you don’t want to sit on your hands in the hotel room? Your bride will be able to tell you if any of the guests is unable to take part in certain activities. If 50% of the guests are pregnant or someone has a disability, then paintball would not be a good option. Gentler activities would definitely be the go in these circumstances. But, if you are all fit and well and not pregnant then you have a huge choice of possible activities on Geronigo®. Go for adventure and excitement, after all this is your bride’s ‘last night of freedom’ event and it needs to be exciting, fun and memorable.
Sign-up and Payment
We are back on easy street here if you have a Geronigo® hen party page because you can invite the chosen guests through the page, where they can accept or decline, message you and pay individually. Easy peesy. Now you have a full list of your attendees, who’s signed-up for what you can finalise your bookings for the whole event through your dedicated hen page. If at any time you want to clarify anything at all, just contact your event coordinator; they are there to help.
No Unknowns or Lack of Payments
The beauty of having an event page on Geronigo® is that once everyone has accepted and paid you don’t have any worries about collecting money or chasing acceptance of the invitation. It is all completely automatic. So, if anyone doesn’t accept the invitation or does pay, or only pays for part of the event, then that person is not coming, or doesn’t want to do certain events. It’s that easy.
Dropouts
It happens; attendees that said they wanted to come, don’t accept the invitation and that is a clear signal that they want to dropout. You can’t win them all. Send out a message through Geronigo® that there is a cut-off date and then stick to it. Let the bride know who has not accepted or paid and if she is okay with progressing without these invitees, then go ahead and confirm everything once the stated deadline has been reached. There is a possibility of adding them back in at a later date providing the hotel can accommodate them and the activities chosen can take extra participants.
Perfect Planning Makes a Perfect Event
Now, sit back and look forward to your perfectly planned hen party event. I could say that organising a hen weekend is stressful, but if you used Geronigo’s® hen event page, it would be a lie, because all the hard work is done for you. You can take all the credit though, because, after all, it was your clever idea to use Geronigoｮ. Have fun!
By CJ