Hold On To Your L-Plates: Our Top Tips For Rescheduling A Hen Party

Hey there bride tribes! Were you looking forward to an epic hen party this year? Perhaps you were all packed and ready to hit the bars in a foreign city?Or had a case full of naughty games waiting for a wicked house party? Either way, it was going to be the hen party to end all hen parties, packed with your bride-to-be’s favourite things (not to mention those L-plates and naughty straws) and brimming with organisational flair. It was going to be the one you and your friends would be talking about for years to come.

Then the pandemic happened. Weddings are being rescheduled left, right and centre, and that means hen parties are too. All your efforts, plans and endless to-and-froing to please everyone has gone down the drain. It sucks, right?

But before you throw in the towel, it’s worth considering some options for rescheduling your hen party, especially now that some venues are opening up and small groups can meet up again.

Whether you’re a bride, bridesmaid or the friend who’s best at planning, here are our top tips for rescheduling your hen party, re-booting your plans, and making sure that whatever happens, your bride-to-be is sent off to the altar in style.

1. Read the Fine Print

Before you start making phone calls and hitting the ‘cancel’ button, check what terms and conditions you’ve agreed to, in case there’s a cancellation fee or you’ve paid or a non-refundable deposit.

Once you know what you had agreed to, give your supplier a call. Most of them are offering free reschedules because of Covidand willbe happy to accommodate you.

Just don’t leave it too long, as everyone else is also rebooking and next year’s dates are filling up fast!

2.Pick Your Perfect Date

If you’re keen to use the same suppliers, it’s worth checking their availability before you go through the process of figuring out when everyone’s free, as they probably already have a lot of bookings for next year.

Don’t stress out too much if you can’t accommodate everyone. As you probably realised the first time around, there’s bound to be a few people who can’t make the new date.

On the other hand, you may discover that some people who couldn’t make the original date are available for the new one – so be sure to go back over your original invite list and check!

3. Embrace the Change of Seasons

If money’s become a bit tighter or the wedding date is looming, considering switching to a winter or off-peak date – they’re sometimes a bit cheaper and lots of suppliers are offering ‘Back to Normal’ specials at the moment.

Just remember that if you’re switching from a summer to a winter hen party, you may need to reconsider any outdoor activities you had planned.

Instead, look for indoor hen party ideas that don’t involve physical contact, such as live art drawing, cocktail making or ten pin bowling.

4. Get to KnowYour Home Town

If you had planned to travel abroad or a long way from home, consider whether it’s possible to do the same activities on a smaller scale. Can you meet up in your home town so no one has to book accommodation?

If you’re still planning to travel, look for a hotel with individual rooms, as restrictions may not allow you all to stay in someone’s house or in an Airbnb.

If you have guests that will need to reschedule flights, be sure to check if they can get a refund or exchange before you make any changes.

5. Take it Outside

If you’ve still got a summer date, why not consider a picnic or day at the beach?

Outdoor get togethers have become the new way to catch up, and why not? It’s easy to space yourselves out, you can bring your own supplies and you don’t have to book or pay venue hire! Just remember if you’re going to be drinking, you’ll need to find a place that has accessible toilet facilities.

There are plenty of outdoor activities and games you can play, and since it’s within guidelines to meet outside if your group is under 30 people, you could even have suppliers come to you. How about aprivate chef, a bouncy castle or an outdoor dance party? Most hen party dance instructors have their own portable speakers, so all you have to do is pick your favourite music theme and get wiggling!

Keep Things Chilled

Don’t stress too much if things aren’t going to be exactly as you had dreamed – whatever you plan will still be fun and sometimes having a change of plan makes things even better than before!