ONE FOR THE ’MAIDS: HOW TO ORGANISE A KILLER HEN’S PARTY

1 tImIng Is everythIng Arranging a whole day (or potentially a whole weekend) for 15 to 20 attendees will require some sound scheduling. A party without a thoughtout pace can quickly lose momentum and become exhausting before it has even started. Talk through best recommended timings with any of the vendors involved (the private bar tender you’ve hired, or the florist who’s teaching you all to make flower crowns) to be sure you’re estimating accurately. 2 Break the Ice Chances are, lots of your attendees won’t have met each other yet. Start the day with an activity that can act as an ice breaker: a DIY cocktail bar, for example, gives guests a fun talking point. That martini won’t hurt either. 3 ConsIder all budgets Everyone wants the bride to have a fantastic send-off, but it’s easy for costs to escalate if the day’s schedule gets too extravagant. If the price is rising, be sure to let guests know it’s okay to only come for part of the celebrations: they can enjoy a drink at the rooftop bar portion of the evening, for example, but skip the cabaret afterwards. And be sure to factor in the costs involved for guests ahead of the day. This means you can collect money in advance, and there’s no surprises for attendees. 4 dIvIde and conquer If you’re the maid of honour, don’t try and organise everything yourself – it’ll get chaotic quickly. 5 ask the brIde If the bride isn’t having a good time, no one else will be able to enjoy themselves either. Before arranging anything, ask her which guests she’d like to invite, and if any activities are offlimits. You can still keep proceedings a surprise, but at least you’ll know you’re on the right track.