We’ve put together our top tips to planning a destination hens party in New Zealand. Often if you are planning a hens party for the first time it can be a bit hard to know where to start and a destination hens party comes with a new set of budgetary and logistic aspects to consider as well. Not to worry, we have got all the advice to keep it as stress and drama free as possible.

Top tips and important things to consider:

• Start planning at least 4 months in advance!
• Be transparent with the costs to everyone, no one likes to be surprised with things they have to pay for last minute.
• Factor into the costs the Brides share being covered by everyone.
• Bridal party getting to the accommodation before everyone else to decorate and set up if needed.
• A theme for part or all of the day/night? Whether it is white casual for the day and black for the evening etc. (Don’t make the theme too hard that people then have to go and buy specific outfits for it.)
• Do the online grocery shop in advance.
• Let people bring their own alcohol so they can choose how much they want to spend and what they want to drink.
• Figure out some games and get these organised in advance.

1. Talk to the Bride To Be

As always a hens party is all about the bride to be so whether you are having a hens party in your home town or looking to go away it needs to be what she wants. Talk to her about her expectations, desires and anything she would love to do and wouldn’t love to do. Even though you are planning a destination hens party there are a LOT of different options. Does she want a secluded getaway in a beautiful setting with a pool? Or perhaps she wants to be in the city, doing heaps of activities and letting loose on the town? Make sure to clarify all these things with her before you go any further with the planning.

2. Pick a date that suits the must-have guests

There is very rarely a date that is going to suit every person that is invited to the hens party, but make sure the date suits the non-negotiable guests that the bride wants there e.g. the bridal party, any other close friends or family.

3. Create a guest list

The easiest way to create a guest list is to start a private Facebook event with the date and “details to come” in the description. Get the Bride to invite everyone she wants to come to the hens party, once she has done this remove her from the event so you can tell everyone the plans and it is a surprise for her. It is important to do this prior to making any bookings to get a rough guide on how many people will be able to come. 

4. Choose a destination

Choose a destination for the hens party, take a quick look at the accommodation options and activities in that area to make sure it is suitable. Keep in mind where everyone is coming from (ideally so people don’t have to travel too far) and what location is going to tick most of the boxes for what the bride is wanting. Either get everyone to organise their own transport to the hens party (fly or road trip) or hire a mini van for the weekend.

5. The budget

This is often the trickiest part, trying to get a balance of planning an awesome getaway and not expecting it to cost people a massive amount of money. You can ask the guests in the Facebook event or create a separate chat group in Facebook Messenger to see what they would be happy to pay. It can be really handy to create a poll in messenger with different price points and everyone can vote (if people feel uncomfortable saying what they expect). Be willing to compromise to find a happy medium for everyone.

6. Book the accommodation

Accommodation can fill up really fast and is often one of the biggest expenses so it is good to lock this in early. No one wants to feel the stress of booking activities and then having nowhere to sleep! Depending on numbers an Air BnB might be suitable or a few rooms in a Hotel/Motel. It really depends on the area and how many people are coming. It is ideal to have everyone together or at least a common space to do any games, eat meals etc.

7. Book the activities

Book in the activities that you want to do. Again, be conscious of the cost of these and how many things you can fit into a day. You could also ask the guests in your messenger group if they like what you are planning and/or if they have any other ideas as well. For activity ideas check out: The Top Hens Party Ideas in New Zealand

8. Itinerary and payments

Put together an itinerary so everyone knows what is happening and how much it is all costing. There is nothing worse then being surprised days before with unexpected costs. That way if something needs to change because it is A. Too expensive or B. Quite a few people can’t participate, then there is time. Here is a very rough example of an itinerary. (It doesn’t have to be super detailed but pricing needs to be accurate.)

Give people a few months warning and suggest they can pay in installments or set up an automatic payment if they want too.Set up a spare bank account for the costs to go into to make it easier to track.Bridal party might also have their own spreadsheet to keep track of payments and with the total costs. 

9. Transport

Work out how you will travel around when you get to the destination. Do you know someone who you could pay to drive you? Is there someone who won’t be drinking that may be able to drive? Do you need to hire a mini van to fit everyone in? If you are hiring a mini van make sure you factor that cost into the above itinerary.

10. Organise the Decorations/Supplies/Games

Get the décor organised if you are decorating the accommodation and some things for the Bride To Be to wear like a sash, veil etc. Choose hens party games and get anything you need for those as well. Check out our Hens Party Decorations and Downloadable Games

11. Have a fun trip away and take heaps of photos.

Have any extra tips? put them in the comments below.