What is a Hen Party?

A Hen Party is a gathering of friends and family who celebrate with a friend due to get married. The hen party typically takes place after the engagement and before the wedding, involving a lot of fun. Many call a ‘Hen Party’ their ‘Last night of freedom​’.

‘What is a hen party’ might seem like a no-brainer, but let’s face it, if you’ve never had a close friend get married, or been on one yourself, you might not know exactly what to expect with a hen do! We’ve compiled this little guide; it’ll leave you feeling like a hen party expert in no time.

Hen Parties have been a tradition in the UK (and in many other areas of the world) for many years. Now a modern tradition, a Hen Party is as central to a wedding as a white dress.

Suppose you find yourself in one of the UK’s larger cities during the weekend. In that case, there is no doubt that you’ll have witnessed a group of ladies expertly negotiating their high heels through the doorframe of the bottomless brunch across the street (and getting a little merry) on their hen bar crawl.

The word ‘Hen’ was used as a slang term for women back in the 1600s. In 1897 a publication called ‘The Deseret News’ offered the observation that a ‘Hen Party’ was a time-honoured idea that tea and chit chats were adjuncts to these gatherings of women.

Today, a Hen Party is a modern write of passage! Throw in some cocktails, a dash of pink, bar crawls and nightclubs and there you have it, the modern-day Hen Party.

The traditional Hen Party as we know it did not really become popular until the 1990s, the era of expression and over-the-top! Think about it, the 90s were the main era of dance music! The decade when rave music, all-nighters and warehouse parties became popular.

People in the 90s partied, and they partied hard (this was when we witnessed the ‘Hen Party revolution’). During these times, people made any excuse to party and have a good time, so it is no surprise that Hen Parties grew in popularity.

Hen Parties were once known as the classy counterpart to the Stag Do’. If you have ever been to a Hen Party you will know this is often definitely not the case (The classy hen do has been making a return recently however!).

The vast majority of Hen Parties consist of a naughty game or two, cocktails for breakfast and a weekend of partying in cities around the world.

Not forgetting:

• Shots, shots and more shots
• Straw and inflatable willies
• Music and dancing for hours on end
• Drunk guys trying their luck with the bride
• Hen’s getting lost
• Hens crying and baring their souls
• Very sore heads in the morning

The definition of a Hen Party has changed dramatically over the years. What once was a gathering of ladies drinking English tea and having a chin wag, has now developed into a weekend of epic proportions. Travelling, Hen Party activities, afternoon bar crawls and nightclubs! The good thing about it is that there are no signs of things slowing down!