How to Choose a Hen Party House

Celebrating an upcoming wedding by renting a hen party house is one of the best ways to ensure an unforgettable event. With everyone staying in the same place it’s a great time to build a sense of closeness in the bridal party and when you spread the event out over a couple of days you have plenty of time to plan all kinds of special activities and experiences to commemorate the occasion.

With plenty of options available for hen parties, the prospect of choosing the right hen party house to rent can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you’re trying to cater to a lot of people. In this guide, we take you through everyone you need to consider in order to choose a hen party house that will provide the perfect setting to celebrate the bride-to-be.

Ask the Bride

First things first; if you’re planning a hen party and you’re not the one getting married, the most important thing you should do is ask the bride what kind of celebration she wants. A hen do is a very special occasion, and the last thing you want is to organise a party that the leading lady doesn’t actually enjoy.

Whether you’re organising a hen party as the chief bridesmaid or a group of you have been put in charge of making a plan, make sure that someone talks to the bride-to-be early on and asks her what kind of event she has in mind. She might want some surprises, which is great, but you should get a rough idea of her expectations so you can start coming up with ideas that will go down well.

It’s just as important to consider what the bride doesn’t want at her hen party as well. If her idea of hell is camping in a field for a weekend, you want to steer clear of any kind of rough and rustic accommodation!

If the bride has specific ideas about where she’d like to stay for her hen party, your job will be pretty straightforward. But even if she isn’t fussed, you should still check what her expectations are so you can choose a house for a hen party accordingly!

How Many Hens?

Another of the most important things to consider when choosing a house to rent for a hen party is how many people will be coming to the celebration. If it’s a multi-day event then you’ll need space for everyone to sleep comfortably, which will really influence your choice of accommodation.

For relatively small hen parties, you won’t be too limited with finding a hen party house, as most self-catering accommodations geared towards families should have space for you all. But if you’ve got a large group of more than eight attending, you’ll need to find somewhere to stay that can fit everyone, meaning that you’re typically looking at party houses instead of classic holiday homes.

When you’re considering how many people you need to find a hen party house to rent for, you should also think about whether everyone will be happy to share a room. Just because a house says that it sleeps ten, doesn’t mean that it will have ten separate bedrooms, and if your bridal party don’t know each other very well then people might prefer to not have to share a room. You should ask this once the guest list has been confirmed, so you know how many rooms and beds you need to look for.

Know Your Budget

Another really important thing to consider before you start hunting for hen party house ideas is the budget of the whole group. Whether there’s a pot of money going toward the occasion or you’re expecting everyone to make an equal contribution, getting the budget established early is essential in choosing the best hen party house.

Money can be a tricky topic of conversation, and as many hen parties grow more and more elaborate, there are also an increasing number of occasions where people can’t afford to attend a party or end up arguing because of misaligned expectations. By ensuring that everyone is on the same page about the cost of the hen party, you’ll avoid potential arguments and make sure that the whole experience is stress-free.

Accessible Locations

Once you know who is coming to the hen party and what your budget is, the next factor to consider in hen party house rental is the best location to host the hen party. This ties in with some of the other factors in this article, but should be thought about early on so that you can rule out any destinations that won’t work early on.

Of course, the first thing to decide is whether the hen party is going to be held in the UK or not. Hen dos abroad are a popular choice for a really special holiday and celebration, but there are plenty of excellent places in the UK to host a pre-wedding party that offer similarly unforgettable experiences. 

If you’re going to travel to another country, consider things like budget again and also consider whether travel options are going to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Spending a weekend in Europe is pretty simple to organise, but flying your entire group of friends to the Caribbean might not be feasible!

For hen parties in the UK, you might opt for a location that has particular significance for the bride or which fits in with the theme of the hen do. You might also choose a location that is easy for everyone to reach by public transport, or if the majority of hens live close together, you might opt for somewhere nearby to save on travel time and costs.

If you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve got a complete guide to the best places for a hen do in the UK on our blog.

Consider the Whole Group

A hen party is mainly about the bride-to-be, but you also want to make sure that everyone attending has a good time. Therefore, when you’re planning where to stay for a hen do and what kind of house to choose, take time to consider all of the people on the guest list and the kinds of experiences they’re going to enjoy.

This is particularly important if you have different ages of guests at a hen party, such as inviting the mother of the bride and maybe even the mother of the groom. If they’re going to be staying for the whole hen party, you should keep this in mind when choosing a hen party house, especially if you need to consider things like sharing rooms or different preferences for bedtime.

Your choice of hen party house might also influence the kinds of activities you plan, so make sure to consider this as well when weighing up the experiences and preferences of your guests. At the end of the day, you’ll never be able to please everyone, but you will have a much nicer experience if everyone else is also having the best time!

Date and Weather

Depending on the destination you choose for your hen party, you might want to consider the time of year and the average weather that you might experience during the celebration. If you’re lucky enough to be flying somewhere tropical then this isn’t really an important step. But if you’re looking to plan a hen party in the UK then you might want to take the month and season into consideration.

This is only really important if your hen party plans involve spending time outdoors, as if all you’re going to do is relax and socialise indoors, it doesn’t really matter if it’s raining. If you’re planning a hen do with a spooky, festive or just a cosy vibe, you might be better off staying somewhere known for its colder and gloomier weather to create the best possible atmosphere.

However, if your hen party is going to involve lots of outdoor activities, or you’re just hoping to spend a lot of time out in the sun, you should think about the time of year that’s best suited to these plans. This might impact the availability of hen party houses, especially if you plan a party during a school holiday, so it’s a good thing to think about early on.

Also consider researching the average weather of the location that you’re planning your hen do, so you know what to expect. It’s all well and good booking a gorgeous hen party country house with outdoor tennis courts and lavish gardens, but if it rains the whole time then you won’t get a chance to enjoy them!

How Long is the Event?

The length of your hen party might also influence the type of house you choose to rent for the occasion, so it’s another thing to consider. Firstly, you’ll need to know how long you need to book accommodation for, as some places might have a minimum number of nights stay or only be available if you arrive on a Friday or a Monday.

You should also think about the number of days the hen party is going to last in terms of the kind of space and facilities people are going to need. If you’re only staying somewhere overnight and planning on going out for meals, it doesn’t matter if you’re staying somewhere smaller with more limited facilities. But if you’re taking your bridal party away for a week, you’ll want to choose a house that has enough space for everyone to relax and unwind by themselves if needed, as well as enough room for people to cook and eat as needed.

What’s on the Itinerary?

A key question when you’re choosing a house to rent for a hen party concerns what is actually on the event itinerary. Not only does this influence where you stay location-wise, but if you want to organise particular activities in your accommodation, like catering, an art class or even live entertainment, you’ll need to make sure that you have space.

Similarly, if you like the idea of spending lots of time outdoors during the hen party then you might want to choose somewhere to stay that has a big garden. If relaxation is high on the agenda, you might look for a hen party house that is close to a spa or has the option of arranging beauty and wellness treatments to come to you.

Some hen do houses to rent that specially cater for these kinds of events might have a list of suppliers that can organise all kinds of experiences and things to do without having to leave your accommodation, which can be a real bonus when it comes to planning the party. For example, at Big House Experience we can arrange things like a private chef coming to the property to cook a special meal, or put you in touch with local beauty therapists to arrange all kinds of relaxing treatments. We even offer fully-staffed houses for a really luxurious experience.

Theme and Decor

The final thing to consider when you choose a hen party house is whether there’s a theme for the event that you’d like the style of the house to fit into. If you’re planning a really luxurious and special party then staying in a traditional manor house might fit the bill. 

If the bride and groom are more unconventional, you might look for a quirky house that feels like a better fit for the couple’s personalities. For something that really emphasises the romance of the upcoming nuptials, you could even consider staying in a castle!

You might also want to consider whether it’s a house that you can decorate, as if you have a particular theme in mind that will require some styling. It might be that there are hen do houses that perfectly fit what you have in mind, saving you the job of having to do any decorating altogether!

Summary

Planning a hen party can sometimes feel like a logistical challenge, but once you’ve decided on accommodation to host the event, things often get a lot simpler to organise. At the end of the day, what matters is planning something fun, personal and memorable, and choosing a really special hen party house can be a great way to ensure that the event is really enjoyable for everyone invited.

If you’re planning a hen party and are looking for a house to host the event, Big House Experience has a wide range of hen party houses that are perfect for celebrating an upcoming wedding.