Dos and Don'ts for organising a Stress-Free Hen Weekend

Organising any kind of holiday can be stressful, if you’re not properly prepared – and nowhere is this more true than with hen weekends. You may think it’s hard work getting your significant other to commit to a romantic city break – that's nothing in comparison with trying to keep fifteen overly-excited ladies happy with a weekend away!

But don't worry, we're here to help and to ensure that you are able to stay sane throughout the planning stages. Here are five do's and dont's for organising a stress-free weekend.

Ask for everyone's opinion

By and large, the only people who should be involved in making the decisions are the following:

• You (I am assuming that you were picked to organise the weekend for a reason. Maybe you're the maid of honour? Or maybe you just have an innate ability to get things done.)
• The Hen (unless it's being kept as a surprise)
• One (or maybe two) bridesmaids. (To provide a "voice of the people" reaction)

You can, of course, invite other people to give opinions. However, bear in mind that the more people you ask, the longer it will take to get any kind of decision, and the more people will want to weigh in with their ideas. A hen weekend should be all about what the hen would enjoy – and everyone else only needs to know when, where and how much. We’ve been booking hen weekends for five years now, and the most stress free ones are where the person in charge makes the decision and tells the rest of the party what's happening.

Find out about the Company that you are using

We all know that there is a lot of competition among stag and hen companies out there in the big wide world of the internet. How do you know which are good and which are bad? Well the first stage is to check out some reviews. Websites like Trustpilot give you real customer reviews of the company, allowing you to see what experiences others have had.

Also, ask them direct questions – are there charges to make changes to a booking? Can we arrange payment plans? Can everyone pay individually? Any company who won’t give you a straight answer to questions like that ought to be avoided like the plague! (And if you are curious, our answers to those three questions are as follows – No, Yes and Yes).

Be afraid of asking for exactly what you want

When you are looking to book a hen or stag weekend, do not be afraid to ask the company for exactly what you want, no matter how silly it may seem. We at the Stag and Hen Experience will always tailor a weekend to suit the group – so if the hen’s idea of fun is riding a horse while dressed in a onesie flanked by naked butlers, then ask and we will do our damndest to make sure it happens for you!

There are more sensible questions that are always worth asking as well – will the hotel be central? Are the activities close to each other? Do you need to provide a deposit for the hotel?

Check your money is safe

It may sound boring, but one of the most essential things is to check that any company you are booking with has suitable financial protection. In order to operate legally in the UK, tour operators must be bonded – in other words, your money must be paid into a secure account which would not be affected in the event of any emergency. That way, if the supplier for any part of your weekend goes bankrupt, or if the company itself has financial troubles, your money will be secure.

We at the Stag and Hen Experience are fully bonded under the Package Travel Regulations 1992 for that very reason, so you are safe with us!

Wait until the very last minute

This is the most important of them all. As you know, there are hundreds of things you can do on a stag or hen weekend – so why restrict yourself to options that are only available at last minute? You will always get better activities and accommodation for your money if you book months in advance, than if you leave it all to the last few weeks.

A popular misconception is that it's like booking a last minute holiday and that if you hold off until the last minute, the price will drop. This is not true – if anything, the price will go up because there will be less availability!

Generally speaking we’ve noticed that hens tend to plan earlier than stags (I wonder why that is, eh girls? Guess you’re all just better prepared than the boys!) – but it’s always worth working in advance – especially since you don’t have to pay the balance until a few weeks before you go!

Have you organised a stag or hen weekend? Do you have any further dos or don'ts that we’ve not mentioned here? Why not email us on [email protected] and let us know what you think!