Hen Party Hiccups...

There's a certain point when you are planning a hen weekend that can cause all kinds of worries for the organiser - and strangely, it's not normally the initial planning or even getting people to pay it! The worries start to build up a couple of weeks before you travel, and they're always of the same kind - "What if things go wrong?"

And to that, we at the Stag and Hen Experience like to say - relax! If you've booked a weekend, then once it's all paid up and done, you shouldn't have anything major go wrong - and if something minor does, then you will find it should be quite easy to cope with.

Don't pack too much in - A common situation we often find ourselves in when planning hen parties, is explaining to people why it may not be a good idea to do a ninety minute cocktail making session at 2pm, then have a meal and then have a dance class booked for 4:30pm - you need time to breathe (and digest)! The reason the hen wants this group of people together is she wants to spend time with you all, so make sure you're not all so busy that you barely get a chance to talk. Relax - you've got all weekend together, make the most of the company you have.

Make new friends - Hen parties often consist of two or more groups of people - different friends or family members who have either never met or just spoke once at that BBQ that Sarah had when she moved into her new flat. If you're a member of one of these groups, feel free to chat to people from the other groups, you all like the Hen and the Hen likes all of you, so it's a good guess that you'll probably get on just fine. And if you're going out to drink until you can't see straight, the more girlfriends you have the better!

NEVER leave a lady behind - There are many dangers that can await a lady on a hen night. She might drink too much, eat some dodgy tapas or get stuck in the corner of the bar being chatted up by a gentleman who, if you look at him in bad light, manages to look almost exactly like Paddy McGuinness. The best way to avoid situations like this (or at least, to rectify them) is to stick together. Always be aware where everyone is, and make sure you've got everyone before you leave one bar and head to the next! This rule doesn't mean that you can't let people go - there will always be people who need to duck out or have run out of steam, and by all means let them head back to the hotel, but if you're still standing, make sure you're standing together.

Avoid Queues - On a regular night out, you may not mind waiting for a table at your favourite restaurant, or queuing to get into the best club in town, but on a hen weekend you don't want to be waiting! Make sure that whoever has organised the night out (whether its yourselves or us), you've got queue jumps and reservations wherever possible - less queuing equals happy hens!

Don't be too worried about it - Nothing kills a party atmosphere quicker than the people in charge having a faintly panicked air across the entire weekend. The trick is that once you are on the weekend itself, you just need to roll with it - sometimes the little things that deviate from the plan are the things you will remember most!

What are the biggest hiccups you've encountered on a hen weekend? How did you cope with them? Let us know through Facebook, Twitter or by e-mail!