Nowadays, hen parties can be extremely expensive affairs, with many brides to be opting to have multiple hen dos away from home. The money involved is one of the hardest things to manage - and those arranging the hen do need to make sure that all the activities are within everyone's budget and also that everybody pays up on time. 

So what about some cheap hen party ideas? What about people who may not want to drink? You may have some pregnant friends who can't drink. And what about those skint friends? 

Cheap hen party accessories
For a wide range of cheap hen party accessories check out www.funkyhen.com and use the discount code HELP5 to get 5% off all your purchases. 

Party at home  
The biggest costs involved with a hen do are probably travel, hotel and alcohol. So....why not have the hen party at home? 

You could see if one of the hens is willing to give up their house for a party. You could cater it yourself - may be have afternoon tea with some fizz (Cava can be a nice cheap alternative to champagne) and then have pizzas or cook something like a big vat of chilli in the evening. Ask everyone to contribute towards this. See if you can borrow someone's Wii or Playstation as part of the evening's entertainment. Singstar, Buzz and Just Dance are excellent for parties. 

You could also see what old school games other hens have got that would make for good entertainment. Has anyone got Twister? Or hungry hippos? You could have some kind of tournament!

It's also the nice special touches that the bride is going to remember. Could one of the hens bake cakes for the do? And what about someone writing a poem? A hen party poem can make a really nice touch for a hen do. See the poems page of this website for some inspiration. I charge just £20 to write a poem that is personal to the bride to be. You could split this cost between all the hens, or may be between the bridesmaids? 

Another nice idea is to collect photos of the bride to be and make a comedy photo album for her - from baby to babe!!

Or what about making a CD of all the songs that remind you of the hen? Collect ideas off everyone coming to the party for songs and then if you haven't got the songs already it's just the cost of a download. You could then play it during the evening. 

Accommodation may be a bit tricky - unless your friend hosting the party has a massive house that can sleep everyone!! Some people might need to book into local accommodation.. but the person hosting the party will know the area well so will be able to tell you where to get budget hotels. 


If a house party isn't an option what about going out in your home town? There isn't a rule that says you all have to go away for a weekend. And staying in your home town means that you cut out the costs of travel and accommodation for quite a few people - or at least those who live in the same area. Plus people know the area so you know where to go and which places to avoid!

Other tips for keeping the costs down...

  • Contact me on help@henpartyhelp.co.uk to see if I can negotiate you a deal with hotels, restaurants etc. 
  • Be cheeky - ask places if they will give you something free for the bride to be.
  • Say that you will write a review of their place on www.henpartyhelp.co.uk if they give you a discount. 
  • Book travel as far in advance as possible. 
  • Make your own badges for everyone coming.
  • If you're having a weekend away see if there are any budget accommodation options? When we went to Cardiff, all the hotels were booked up as we'd chosen the same weekend as the Ryder Cup. We ended up staying somewhere a bit like a youth hostel but it was absolutely fine as it was in a good location. Read what we got up on the Cardiff page of this site. 
  • Make sure your hotel is within walking distance of at least one of the activities you are doing. That way you cut down on taxi costs. 


More ideas to follow. If you've got any tips for a cheap hen party then please get in touch by email to help@henpartyhelp.co.uk or fill in the form on the Contact Us page of this website.