Is podcast is brought to you by what my reading the UK's most influential wedding Brandt. We're back. Hi. Hello. Thanks for bearing with us over our summer break. Yes, if that we just talked about summer. We were sort of lack thereof really bad about three days where I live about it. Yeah, not so much brunch on the patio as we might have expected. No, it wasn't but you have a nice time. Yeah, me too. We hope you did as well. Yeah, we do. Hope you had a lovely summer and we want to take this opportunity to thank you for listening again, which we do. Quite a bit, but we're now at drum roll. Please almost almost 80 thousand downloads which you know the quite Niche that's pretty good. So happy like literally just thrilled. Yes thrilled and the fact that you tell us that you miss us. Ah, we're so glad that you've missed us over the summer because feel loved and wanted we need to validate who doesn't but yeah, we're absolutely thrilled to have hit that figure and next week will be all this week. Even when you're listening is I year anniversary. Yeah of starting the which is a bit strange because I didn't realize it had been that long that you've had to listen to us. Yeah, why aren't really yeah, but apparently you want more so, you know, I must be doing something right? Sure. Yeah until you listen to this podcast that God has just get on with it, right? Okay. So we're back with said I thank yous most of you probably know what this It's about because I went on the stories didn't I you did to get your lovely input and your emails absolutely crap me up. So I'm going to refer to a few of them in the episode today, but we are going to be talking all things and do I'm just feel like I'm excited and I feel relaxed and I'm ready to the best up lamb and I'm gonna go downtown. the river So if you're listening In America, which we know some of you are which is quite cool isn't it International and all that? You might be thinking what the heck is a Hindu we're talking bachelorette party if you're in America, so we're going to try and cover off the types of Hindus that you can have who to invite another dreaded guest list that you've got to come up with how to control the money and just tips in general for planning a successful Hindu so it might be that if you're a bride who's not planning her own Hindu send a link to this. Episode 2 your bridesmaids maid of honor whoever it is that might be setting everything up for you. Okeydoke. Should we start with our own Hindus? They were quite different to each other's well a yeah, so tell us about yours first and then I'll tell you about mine. So my wedding was quite last minute in the end, which meant that by Hindu is relatively last minute as well. So there wasn't I mean even if the thought had been there to do, you know, like a weekend away or died just wouldn't really have been the time scales. To do it and organize the whole thing. Yeah, and I was very conscious that because I wedding was last minute people had sort of like change our plans in Ohio cases to to make it physically and I as we know not like a massive fan of huge groups of people young something. Yes makes sense. Yeah. I don't never involve myself like some really antisocial person, but for me, it was like One of my best friend's, you know, I see what all the time to all get together and have a nice time that's not massively pressured. You haven't got this very like detailed schedule because again, I'm not that type of person either so then kind of Hindu just wouldn't obviously representational of me. Yeah 1 o'clock. We are doing cocktail hitting 230. We're going to learn the entire routine to Beyonce. It's just not yeah. Yeah, I'd probably be get just get confused anyway, and be dressed as Beyonce don't care cuts hair like 5:30 so fancy. So yeah, that wouldn't have worked. So we just organized a weekend in London Yeah, ironic down there a lot now because of my job but back then I wasn't so it was just going to be a weekend do some shopping have a fancy afternoon tea because who doesn't love a scones. Oh it was Scone scone. Yeah go out for some drinks. Yeah, let's go out for a nice food. No particular theme I called it the Glamorous tool. Yes. Just thought everyone should have an excuse to wear their favorite outfit and some sequins if they wanted to. Yeah, and it was fairly laid-back I'd say and did you have a lot to do with the planning of it then I said what I wanted to do. Okay, so in terms of like low Location and the kind of things that I wanted. Yeah wasn't really down with having a butler in the buff. Yeah, for example, I just be there again like hiding in a Cupboard having a cocktail what everyone else enjoy you'll drift off Beyond so still just as Bill said I but my sister really helped a lot with it. Yeah at the time in terms of sort of the the accommodation and you know the money I suspect was a big dressy. But yeah, so that was really good for me because with planning a wedding in such a short time I already She had quite a lot of my player, you know, I obviously enjoyed it. I think this still though no matter who you are. If it's your hand do for me at the back of your minds of hype everyone like I hope everyone's having a good time. Yeah. Yeah think they are. Yeah. I'm not saying I thought that I was there every five minutes thinking that yeah, but you know, I was there. Yeah. Well, these people are here for you me and 5c cost of quite a lot of money, even though we try to keep costs down there still a cost implication there. Yeah, I put together. Whether my own little goodie bag for everybody. That's an added myself. Yeah, that's a cute which included a Mac lipstick fancy false lashes. Oh, I don't think so because we're going to talk a little bit later about creating Hindu kits for the hens. In attendance, but actually it's nice that you create something for everybody else. Yes. Yeah, you know like then that the henews organizing it doing it for everyone. Actually, that's really sweet kids say that I really appreciate that you've made this effort to come exactly this way exactly and it was just an excuse for me to go to the mat clouds or was it like worse? Hi-yah. I'd like to buy eight all in the same color. Thanks. It's really got to you. How many times I think it was 10? Okay 10 Channel mine. That's a nice name. Number isn't it a manageable number of people? Yeah. Yeah, you can fit something in for everybody suits everybody at that sort of level. Yeah. Yeah tons an island. One of my best friends at the time was living in Hong Kong and she was already traveling all the way from Hong Kong of my wedding. So I wouldn't write and ask her like oh, yeah. Also, could you think of a drink just for the weekend as well? And my other one either very good friends. It was her sisters hen do oh, right, so I didn't really Like I say just miss your sister send buddy, but never mind I'm day. I would really appreciate it. But I think as well any weekend that you pick for anyone somebody somewhere is going to have something else on of course and especially like me if you are so restricted on when I was available to go on my own and do and you got anything else so, you know, there was that if you're planning something last minute. Yeah, you have to accept that perhaps people that you really would like to have in their circumstances dictate than that can't happen. Yeah, true. Mine was polar opposite of yours. I barely knew anything about it. I did know that we were going tomorrow Bayer. Whoo, and I just about knew who was coming. I think I know the guest list which included my mom and also she was the Rave east of everybody literally they will last one up every single night unreal. But yeah, and and so I didn't have anything to do with it. Really. I didn't know what we do when we got there or but then I'm quite up for that element of surprise and that hole. Organizing of things and looking things it's just I've mentioned before in the podcast is just not my bag. Like I don't like doing that. So I was very happy that my bridesmaids took the whole thing and just told me what I needed to pay and where I needed to be and when and so it for me because I knew what they would do would be. Yeah, you knew that they knew well enough. Yeah, that is something that you would enjoy. Yeah, and it was great and it didn't anticipate I think there was 12 of us in the end maybe 13, and I didn't anticipate that. There would be that many people I figured we're going to My Bae are we went in June? Yes before like school holidays hit I still know people got trying to forward Flight Support accommodation afford your spending when you're there because you know, obviously we did the whole Nikki Beach and all those things where you gotta spend money. So I didn't anticipate that that many people so I was really surprised. I thought I might have a handful maybe five or six of us. Yeah. It was great. So there was 12 or 13 of us and obviously like saying to you too Mom, but that's fine. She's still one of the girls. Yeah, it was totally different and was kind of nice because I've got to have a girly weekend away with all my best mates, which I hadn't had for ages. It seemed like ages since we've done it. So it was it was a great excuse. Yeah. Yeah, and it didn't it was obviously all about me and they did they did focus on me, but it was still very much everyone just having a holiday. Yeah, and it was really really nice and we sunbathe and we drank cocktails and although there was a couple of things that have been organized. It was so chilled. Yeah, I realized Swine down. Yeah an escape from the planning. Yeah and all of that side of it which was probably the biggest benefit of getting on a plane and leaving and going far away. Yeah, I couldn't do any planning. I couldn't be I wasn't contactable really and you know found it easier to cut myself off. Yeah from anything and I think that's what like almost like we're starting at the end. It's like there's no point in you having a Hindu if you feel that you want if you have to let him do it ourselves on at all. That's amazing that and if you do it doesn't have It is all singing all dancing, please everyone massive like one-upmanship because apparently that's a thing like if you went on a you know and do and it was three days in Barcelona the next one to be five days in yeah, wherever one of your hot if you're having a five-day and durrani are welcome. We will just FYI your backpack on it. Yeah, how do you go about deciding who you're going to invite? It's a question we talked about when it comes to the wedding, but it's equally as important for the Hindu because some people have loads of groups of friends. Some people don't some people only have a handful of friends that they know they're going to want to share this experience with if you've got lots of family as well. It's how do you decide who to invite because you could end up with like, you're like you're guess this for your wedding you could end up with 40 people in family around someplace. Yeah, you know, yeah. So how do you accommodate a Hindu for that number of people it's very very tricky and perhaps if you get to a situation where I actually do what I feel that I want to invite All these people but logistically, how's that possible? How are they all going to be available on the same weekend? Is that realistic because it's also the demographic of weddings change. Yes, everyone's individual circumstances different. So you might be somebody for example where you're one of the last in your friendship group to get married. Yeah, so you may have already been on x amount of vendors already some of your friends might now have children. Yes. So there's the whole like child care if you're planning on I'm going away for a long weekend. Yeah, I know that the logistics of a couple who has a couple yes as friends. Yes, it's cause issues before because if you are planning on going on your hand do the same weekend as your future husband is on a stag do it is a both people away. I know that happened on my sister's over lot of her friends have got kids, right so they decided to have different weekends so that they could coordinate your the childcare because a lot of her friends have already got kids. Yeah, and so, you know, you've got that to make as a consideration. So why not organized to yes and everyone list is going what I mean as in organized. Yeah get someone else to organize it and make each thing as simple and straightforward as possible. So it might be one of them is going away for the weekend, but perhaps just keeps the UK and the other hand do is a night out locally to you and your favorite bar or never bore lifelike. The end because obviously, you know, I wanted to share the experience with Anthony's mom and any of his other family members and wanted to be involved as well. So we did, you know, the group of friends we did the Marbella and then we had just a night out in Birmingham which was my city back. Then with other members of my family members of Anthony's Family and the friends that just couldn't make more Bayer. You know, I wanted to share it with all my close friends, but obviously understood not all of them could make that And so we literally went out for a meal great and we just had a night out dancing and it was brilliant. So even if that's all you do that can be enough. Yeah well and if you've got a split between family and friends just do to really lovely nights. Yeah, it's it can be done. You don't have to spend a load of money and you don't have to have this big hoo-ha like we were just saying, yeah, if you've got loads of people that you want to do it with just separate it out and get by keeping it simple. It's something you can you know organic let your bridesmaid organize what on and then if you Want to do one with your family if they can all do it together that's simple and straightforward to you to sort yourself a nice meal a couple of glasses of champagne and everyone's just so happy to be there celebrating with you. Exactly and I re I really enjoyed that mini Hindu if you like it was lovely and it was with special people and great memories and I've got a friend who had to one was a cut. I didn't go to the one that was abroad but I went to the one that was in also Birmingham actually. Yeah, and she actually Said that she had more fun really on the one that was at her because the one of which I'm sure she had a great time. Yeah, I think there was so much pressure and it was quite to go away for the weekend. Obviously. We spent a lot of time at the airport getting on a plane and getting on your don't you so there was all of that then there was like the logistics of being in a place that you don't know. Yeah as well like nobody knew it. Yeah, so actually she didn't feel that any of that pressure. Yeah. Yeah that make them all of her friends could make it too. The local yet. I think it was actually because I was there but that aside you made with but ya know and she said like lashing out of the Simplicity of the time because I could just relax and let my hair down and everyone was there that I wanted to be there. And yeah, so again don't feel the pressure for the yacht. Yeah. Yeah, exactly and just invite those people who you really want to have there and just be aware like Charlotte mentioned. Earlier on not everybody will be able to make it for one reason or another don't take offense. It's not like they're going to be not making it on purpose you would hope but people sometimes just can't do it or it's just not their bag or you got you got to talk about the many aspects of it that are because exactly Rising friendship groups. A lot of people got married at the same time. Yeah, so you might have friends, you know, their system might be getting married their cousin three of their other friends. Yeah, they might have It's weddings you that year so during that time affording. It happens does we have those weddings are abroad. Yeah, they've got you know six of the Hindus to go to and it doesn't mean that yours is an important. Yeah, it just means that where does it stop yet? Like with how much it's costing lutely. Yeah, I think you know again like have the Hindu that you want but do you appreciate that? Not everybody? Yeah. I might have the disposable income that you do either. Absolutely. Okay, so hopefully we've covered off a few tips for your Guest list there and how to separate up friends and family and a few ideas for that. What I want to move on to now is tips for the organizer. So if you are the person who is organizing it be the bride or the maid of honor or the bridesmaid or the best mate or whoever it is. Hopefully these tips will help you to organize successful hen do the first of all we need to start with communication because everything needs to be well clear otherwise wires get crossed people. Confused no one knows you were wrong about everything needs to be crystal clear. And one of the best ways to communicate clearly with all the other hens is to have a sidekick to have somebody else who's willing to sort of help you with the organizing. Don't take the task on yourself. You need to make sure that whatever you're sending to everybody else is easily understood. So you need someone to run it past ideas. You need to run past the peak with that person because you don't want to be giving 15 ideas out to a group of 30 girls because you're never going to get an answer. And it just be a nightmare. Yeah, so get yourself a sidekick who can help you with decision-making and also, you know can help you make phone calls and look things and keep tabs on everything. It's just it's a big task to organize just looking at hotels. Next up is this you're not familiar with the area. I mean, obviously, you know, Airbnb is great now, isn't it? Yeah, but actually is the space, right? Yeah, and how many people you've got. Is it easy? I don't know if you got a book like x amount of different apartments. They all accessible with each other. Yeah, it's just somebody to help you with that like me activity. The second thing I would say is make sure you create deadlines and that you stick to them. I think the only way to survive Hindu planning is to be quite ruthless with that. You've got to have deadlines because you're going to end up in a pocket or you know, people have got to pay their deposit by a certain day. Yeah, exactly. And I think it's you can't really Pander to slow respond. You need to know people are reading their emails and they're going to respond because as you just cannot get anything sorted and I think the best way to probably do that as you get the bride to sort out her guest list and then you get contact details from the bride. What's that? Oh, yes everyone on there interestingly. I think set up a WhatsApp group, but I would suggest to send your main communication via email, but use the WhatsApp group to announce that an email has been sent. Oh God. I totally agree with me is nothing. There's nothing worse than everyone get chatting on a WhatsApp group. Exactly and that's what you To avoid and then and they are I think it's nonsense. I think I haven't checked my messages. Now, I can see that I've got 57 or some messages and I think maybe someone sent their Account Details somewhere and like me no, no that so only use the WhatsApp group to say check your email Come Back to Me by x y and also apparently there's a function on WhatsApp you can use that's called broadcast. So actually you can send out a message but the responses come back only to you. Okay, so that's interesting. So nobody else gets bombarded with instant green. You have several messages. Yeah, so that's an interesting thing that perhaps you could use but I would say everyone's got an email address it personal or work. We've all got one. So use your WhatsApp to announce an email and then hopefully you're going to get swift reply from people next. I want to talk about the initial communication and what it should entail. So before you can go to anyone with any information you really need to try and get as much detail as you can before you tell anybody about any of the plans so as much information about the plans as possible. So that when you go to the group and say okay, this is what we think the plan is. This is how much we estimate is going to cost. Yes. You can't look a figure out of the air you need to get as close to figures as you possibly can and everyone is there in night saying to a group of people half of which you as the organizer might not know. Oh, yeah, depending on the Dynamics of your friends friendship group. Yeah is because like, yeah, we're going to go to Edinburgh the weekend. Yeah. I didn't who's coming. Okay. Is it now? Yes, it may like yeah, we staying at five-star spa resort exactly. Are we staying at someone's house that you know like yeah, you've really got a yeah do your research before you approach the group? Absolutely so you can give them a very very close estimate of what it's going to cost them. So you need to go with like you say a rough date of when it is a month perhaps and then you need to go with approximate cost for accommodation. Obviously, you can save everybody's in it's going to cost around. And XYZ, if a few people can't make it obviously the price will adjust accordingly, but this is a base to start with which won't be a million miles out. It might mean everyone as pay an extra 20 quid or whatever. It might be go with all that and then you're going to get such a better response back from people and in that initial communication as well. I would say the best way to gauge the best date for people is to set up a doodle but to Doodle, you know, a dude or my NTT group you doodle if you set up a doodle you go to do.com you put in a list of dates. The bride is given you that she is available. Then you send that link to each person and they are registered on the doodle poll. They go on they select which dates work for them and then doodle will tell you which is the best date that can accommodate most people job done. You don't have to wait for people to embrace a oh, I can do this this and then someone comes back as well. I can't do this which gets very confusing because who can and can't do things is mind-boggling so dude, or does it all for you so that you can then see? Okay. I've sent out 15 emails 10 people can do the same. Same date. So that's the date. We've got to go really just makes it so much easier to figure out what date works best and it goes back into that thing of just be aware that not everyone's going to be able to do well start the same day the more people the less likely it is that I could all come but I mean in that instance you can go back to those five people and say this date works the best you said, you can't make any can you make any alliances or changes because that's going to be the best date for every one of them, you know type of thing. So once everyone comes back with a doodle dates and they've let you know that they're up for it and they can afford the costs you Communication then should be to confirm the pricing that you can at that point accommodation. You should know by then how much of flights going to cost hopefully depending on when you were organizing it. You'll know if the flights have been released or not activity cost anything that you can give them. That's a definite that you need to send out because again, if you like me, I don't know I keep saying a weekend away and out of it if that's what you do so we can write an edible, you know, there's gonna be accommodation course, you know, there's only a flight involved, you know, there's gonna be spending money for drinks and food. Yes. However, if the organizer plans on lots of activities that can become quite expensive. Yeah, so you need again to make the guests. Oh, look, there's not any awkward sort of. All right. Okay. Well, I you know, I'd allocated x amount of budget for this but actually now it's going to cost me an extra hundred quid what will you do with node and this than that, you know this special basket weaving calls that we're going to go on. Making a flower crown and and you know, it's easy. It's easy to tell people what to expect to spend. I organized a Hindu in Barcelona and obviously you have the base prices for a rough price for a flight from this airport or this airport. This is how much the accommodation is going to do some water sports activities. That's how much that is and then we're going to go for some meals saying that is fine. But people like to know how much is a meal going to cost me. It's quite simple just get the menu and send it to them and then they can sort of work out. Out what they think they might like to eat. I mean, I know that's quite in-depth but people need to budget for things don't know if you know, this could be an additional holiday for somebody in that year. Yeah sure as much information. You can give them to be prepared to save, you know, it's going to be way welcomed rather than God. She's giving me too much stuff like you want to know what you need to save. Ya talking about saving the money. So take the money that is required upfront so deposits for accommodation all those things that you need to have. I appreciate people have to maybe save For comedy can't necessarily pay it all up front. I mean if they can then better because you're definitely not going to be left out of pocket. But if they can't you need to set up a way of saving everyone saving the money in the same pot. So I know a lot of people will set up a separate bank account if they're organized and Hindu it figure out how much these things are going to cost and then each hen will send 40 quid a month that bank account. Ok to save that money just have to obviously trust that people are going to send you for even a month. That's when it gets tricky. Especially with people you don't know you know, like if if you going away with your best mate and she's meant to send your 40 quid a month. Do you like you haven't sent it yet? Come on, but if it's Jill that you've never met it's very difficult to say, I'm sorry Jill. Just let me know you now owe me 80 pound and we're not good at talking about money. Are we going now, you know were very shy when it comes to a not Brazen when it comes to saying you owe me some money. So I guess it depends on the type of person you are whether you ask for the full amount by a deadline. Well, which is why I'm making a player as clear as you can. Yeah from the outset set the deadlines. Yeah, it's you know, people have to take responsibility for themselves. Yeah, don't they absolute but you know, I wouldn't expect somebody to constantly be reminding me that I needed to pay. Yeah, because I'm a guest on that person's hand do and I've been invited. Yeah and to a certain extent solubility self out. Well, yeah, and the thing is you need people to be like that because otherwise it falls out of if you are the organizer nine times out of ten you will End up putting more money into the hen do than anybody else? Yeah, because you do something crops up in it's an extra 40 quid in you think we'll God mm. I don't know go and ask them again if they can all send me three pound fifty each. You know what I mean? Yeah. I realized that doesn't equate into 40 pounds. Yeah, which goes on with that if you have if you don't think you can do that then please don't say that you can honest but if they work out accommodation, so you've got two apartments and it's six people in each apartment then the cost of that apartment 300 It 50 creatures in it yet. But if you're not something I thank you, but one of those people drops out that's 50 Quid that they have to be split between the other five people. Yeah, so they've got a fighter Turner. Yeah, but those things can keep escalating exactly because then there's no part of an activity every time you say that you do something and then you change your mind and you drop out. Yeah that cost has then got to be covered by absolutely other people and it gets to a point where that's not fair. Yeah on anybody else after time and the bride Feels guilty because she feels like God that's my friend. They've totally let everybody down. I feel like I shouting yeah when you know, this is a troop ultimately this is a treat for the bride, you know you factor in things to do for the bride where she doesn't have to pay. She doesn't have to pay for any other dinners, you know, all you want to give the bride something but by people dropping out and be an unreliable and she misses out because you have to take claw that money back from somewhere. Yeah, so if you know and if you're in a sticky situation, you don't know you've just taken on a new job or you've got family, you know, I just can't commit. And don't then don't you're better to best not to you. Best to say I'd love to come. Yeah circumstances a bit difficult for me at the moment. But if I do decide to come I will let you know. I'll see you at that point if there's availability for me to join in with everything else or perhaps, you know, you can go along but you might have to put yourself a hotel room. That's it. Yeah, which is better then, you know, because then it's on you and the other people are organizing. It just don't have 24 hours in those more strongly. Don't commit if you can't From it exactly exactly. You can always join in like you've just said yeah at a later date just wanted to touch on a couple of other ways to help you control the money. So we just talked about perhaps you might set up a separate bank account get people to send you a monthly standing order to help everybody save up for what needs to be shelled out towards the end. Another way you can do it. If you don't want to go through the rigmarole of setting up a bank account is via Paypal. They now have PayPal money pools, which is basically a way that everyone gets invited to the pool pays their portion of money. In that way everyone can keep track of where the money's going as well. So it's toes Ace. Yes total transparency. So you can see that. I don't know Debbie's paid in 45-pound. Actually. It should have been 50 so debit will show Debbie you still owe five pound and then when that money gets taken out of PayPal there's a note left at this is going to pay for jet ski for the bride or whatever. It might be. So people can see where it's gone to so just think it's a really transparent way of yeah of managing it and then you don't physically have to ask people for money because they can see that they Still owe money into that pot. Yeah, that's really good. Yeah, I think it's really good. Another great way of keeping track of costs is to get a cost splitting app. These are a great way of divvying out what everybody owes and keeping track of what everybody owes as well as what people have paid out. You can get different levels of the app. So some of them work really well for if you're going for a meal. So, you know, if you go out with your girlfriends, I was going to mention their yeah. Well, nobody knows what they are when you think everyone knows that they're paying and then I don't know I had this and I had this My workouts a penny but they forget about that massive dose of Sauvignon that they had and then yeah, so then you're left with the people who are left at the end of the night and to foot the bill. Yeah, they've got an extra 25 to quit debate night Larry I'm going from so yeah, then they work really well for that. So if you're going out on a local Hindu just going for a really lovely meal whoever's organizing. It doesn't have to deal with that at the end of the day. They can get a cost lifting up that's geared at meals but there are also apps that are geared at events. So the like on a big basically the same thing but on a bigger scale, so it's definitely worth checking those out for monitoring who's paid. What who owes who what's a similar to the PayPal thing really, but just virus a separate app and you're not actually paying money into the app, whereas with PayPal you are. Yeah, but go and check them out by all means anyway and see if they work for you a couple that I've had a look at that thing look really good our settle up split wise and one called split which is SPL I do. Split it but yeah, go and have a look at those and there are some of the recommendations if you go to the balance.com, there's loads of other recommendations on there. I just think those three looked the most straightforward and it is hopping with straightforward. Is it as I could go for a meal if you can't find in restaurants got a set menu, it's 20 quid for two courses. Yeah, and you know, everyone's got about 20 quid. Yeah Sanic a allocated drinks budget. Yeah, and it's almost better to have pay more than pay less so Luca. Then you've either got a lovely tip to give ya a hard-working waiting stuff. Yeah, I think I feel good service. Obviously that point comes in as well about when you're giving out your initial budget just give more of a budget than we overestimate overestimate because then when you're left with one at the end you either all agreed to put it in the drinks or food Kitty or everyone gets a bit of money back as spending money. So you're not losing anything by over budget in the last thing you want to do is under budget because don't forget them when you can always go back to yeah, but it had given it to you in the first place. So yes another tip. One of the best and days I went on was one of my best friend's flawlessly. It was relatively small and it was nine of us that one and we had a bit of a theme we had Miss World. Oh, which is obviously why I like it is it meant that we could it was a bit of a laugh but yeah didn't have to dress up in something ridiculous. I eat it or wear. It really nice dress, but it was also like a look a bit silly. Yeah, and we all had sashes I met you though. That didn't cost a lot. Yeah, we went to Brighton for the weekend before it was brilliant. We actually had them. I think it was I want to say it was like student accommodation. So it was a fairly basic and it yeah like cheesy. Yeah, but it's fine. Like it had everything you need. Like I had a social kitchen living room area so you could all gather together, but we all had our own bedroom and en suite father. There was no fighting over the shower or the plug for their driving. That's a great point to make actually if you want I can The NBA or whatever accommodation don't check the box messages with one bathroom. Yes. There's going to be you'll never get out. They'll never get out now and it was fairly laid-back like we had some like we like put some little things together for her like an album photos and that you know of all her friends. Yeah things but there wasn't any sort of like, right we have to play this game at 5:30 or anything like that. Yeah. We went to the beach one day did like so did watersports. I actually took the photos. I was the designated. You look great carry on. I mean, of course so far all Hindus you've mentioned it was just we had a great weather which helped but it was just intimate enough that you could speak to everybody. Yeah, nice. No lights of really really restrictive schedule. But there was still like organization things that we knew we wanted to do during days and everything like that and it was just just I have good memories of it. Yeah, that's yours is the main thing is and yeah, absolutely we've mentioned already about planet contingency, especially if you're going to be doing any sort of Hindu kits and things as well if you want to make I invite gifts or yeah like yeah what we're doing on the weekend. This is the plan here's a box of goodies that are required. Yeah, dude. These like you said, you know, you gave the eyelashes and all that sort of stuff. If you want to make little gift boxes for the hens in attendance. You're going to spend more than you originally plan. So you've really got to try and work out how much those things that are actually going to cost those things can end up tighten up to more than you imagined is my point. So just make sure you try and get a real good idea of what they're going to cost you so you don't end up putting your hand in your pocket again to foot the bill for these things exactly and like a wedding. It's those last minute things isn't as I like so say if you've got We've got a kitchen and a living area and that's where you kind of congregate to have pre-meal drinks. Whatever it is. Well things will go in that fridge absolutely so you've got to sort of budget for travel. Yes imitation the activities that you do the meal that you go out on but all those in between things that are you going to break loose exactly breakfast meal pre going out drink this skits. Yeah cake chocolate fingers to all that all of them. Absolutely that has to be paid for by someone you organized by someone put the way apartment by someone. Yeah, the way that we normally do that when we have a girls weekend away is we do an online shop. Yeah, so that way you can put everything in the basket that you think you're going to need all the booze or the food or the soft drinks everything and you'll get a total. So you'll know how much that stuff is going to cost what that in your budget and then you just get Tesco a card. Oh whoever it is to deliver it to you as you know the morning that you arrived and yeah, so it then absolutely At the right price and you've got all the food that you need there and then without to go shopping. No, it's been two hours of the Hindu, you know, hop into Aldi now, you know, don't waste your time in there just get its living that's a really good way of doing it and a money Savvy way of doing it. So you don't over charge or under charge. The only other thing I wanted to talk about when it comes to money is flights. So few people messaged me after my shout-out on stories about was doing this episode to say that they found that bit of the planning really tricky. Organizing people's flights for them and all of that sort of stuff. Whereas my reaction I think is the same as yours, which is like get people to book their own don't you be doing your own the last thing you want to do is wanna put someone's flight on your credit card and then all can't imagine at the end that you entered the oh name wrong. Yeah Anthony. Yeah. So my advice would be individuals responsibility. Absolutely. Yeah Our advice on that would be let people put their own flights. I mean people don't necessarily want to fly from the same airport got no as long as they know. General time that the bride is going to be at the destination and try and book a flight. Even if it's the same flight whenever a but for around that time or give them the accommodation details, let them sort their own way of getting there because it might you know, it might just work better for them to go from a different airport at a different time. If you like that you say they've got children perhaps or work commitments or I would just leave the flights up to the individual person on the subject of flights. Why don't we talk through a couple of ideas for Hindus abroad other types of things you can do for him do it. Broad, it's quite tricky one because obviously each country has its own benefits when it comes to Hindus. For example, you might do wine tasting in Italy but you're not necessarily going to be able to do the same sort of wine tasting in Bruges or wherever they've all got their different things that they're known for haven't they when I organized the Barcelona hand it was a little bit of a mix of me doing things independently and also using a Hindu organizing zation company. I don't know what you call them an agent. Yes. Thank you like a Hindu So I thought I'd an Airbnb which as we've already talked about it. So easy to do these days anywhere in the world, you can find somewhere to stay. I then arrange meals and Club entries which was again a really easy to do in a world of PayPal and Bank transfers and email and I organized some water sports and that's the bit that I did through like the Hindu agency because that's the only bit that I really struggled with everything else was relatively straightforward, but I found them very very helpful when it came to something specific that was more tricky to organize. There's a Loads of resources out there to help you plan trips in certain cities, you know, there's chili sauce or don't go hen.com. They will list the top x amount of activities for the city that you're looking at. No, it could be there are recommended Flamenco class for example, or wine tasting venues or whatever. It might be that's relevant to that country. So most of these Hindu organizing agency companies are set up so that each guest pays their own part as well. So again, it's one less thing for you to have to keep track of sure if you go viral. Of these agencies. Everyone is name and email gets listed and they pay off their bits as and when they can so really really just make the whole process very very straightforward, especially if you're trying to plan it in a city that you don't know you might never have been to Barcelona or Madrid or Prague or wherever before and that's what these companies are therefore to make your life. Hell of a lot easier Google is everybody's best friend when it comes to this, you know, you can even type in specific activities you might want to do and then I'm sure you'll get an endless list of places that you can go and do that. Yeah, even if you don't necessarily use an agency have a look at the websites because you might just get some ideas from there that you can let go and Implement yourself. Anyway, they're there for inspiration as well as booking. So, you know, like when I was saying like it's a last minute. Okay, perhaps I could have been option for me. Yeah, if I didn't something that was less simple. Yes, let's actually just get in touch with and yeah an agent and do it. Yeah, absolutely. The only thing to a piece of advice I'd give you if you're doing things. Dependently, like booking restaurants and what have you is to check TripAdvisor like you would with anything floor reviews also check their websites for the latest news latest images from inside so you can make sure that you've got an up-to-date idea of what it's like in there. So social media accounts salute thee all those things. So you've got an idea of what you're going to turn up to ya when I put the story out the other day about asking people to get in touch with Hindu stories that they've have to share one lovely lovely Rita came back and told told me about a skiing hen do that. She'd organized see people that I don't know why I was even idea and I think if I call her and is a border just the act of beach. Yes see sometime in the last of it and that's not necessarily everybody's bag. Is it now? They might still want to go abroad and do some work. Daniel said you might be having a winter wedding. So why not have a winter Pender? Well, yeah, why not and I asked her actually if it's obviously quite Niche like the bride needs to enjoy skiing. The Unicorn is skiing all day look nice. Chalet in Austria, but yes, so I asked her a little bit about if actually any of the other attendees need to be skiers for that sort of thing. You know, it's a short weekend. Do you need to know how to ski to be able to enjoy a ski holiday? And she said ideally like it's cool. If you've been skiing before you don't necessarily even have to ski on a skiing holiday. So if your bride loves skiing, but you are like God I can't think of anything worse like a way to spend a weekend. Sighs in but then you still can have a good time on a holiday like that because you know, generally these ski resort you can do legging exactly. I mean I'd be there. I'm sorry, but I've been there I've now chocolate when I follow this is it these Resorts have sparse champagne? Yeah. So, you know while your Brides off having the time of her life doing a black run, you know, you're getting tipsy and everyone is winning and have something to do with a booked it around a time when I know there's like some sort of table dancing. What I'm going to do is share a link with you to a write up that she did about it. So if you're interested in having a ski hot ski, hen do or it's a possibility go and read it because it's really good and it tells you all about the time of year and places to go for sort of lower budgets and things like that was really really interesting read. And also you need to see the personalized bubble hats so cute. So I'll put a link to that but that is another idea for yeah a bit of a different Hindu abroad Right. That's a broad. What about UK ideas for UK Hindus. We know the basic things don't with the standard things. We do the cocktail making all of those things which are great because George has to be able to dance routine. Yes, and I'm kind of obsessed for but I actually have dinner my family had a Hindu in Glasgow, which I love it's not my favorite thing in the whole world. Yeah, and we did that on one of the days and we went to a live music venue. Oh, no, it's a nice went to like went for real. This meal I think I'm so sorry. I keep getting carried away with selling item. What Leah went man, but sometimes do that. You have to listen to what actually, you know, we can obviously predict what we think would be a good one. So don't burn if you go on a yacht as I mentioned before if you go skiing with a oh absolutely is and I've never been skiing and snowboarding or have you again? Yeah. Anyway be any good. All right. Putting it out there. Okay, you know I guess like pants was last minute like me. But yes, so Beyonce dance routine go it was hilarious. We did a similar thing for one hand do in Edinburgh. Amazing cities have a Hindu FYI. We did Fame so we were all you know, uh, it's easy to you perform it at the wedding. Oh, we did not we did. Oh, well you've won up with that imagine doing that as well like a good month after you've even done the dance routine. Anyway, that's oh and also, You doing it when you were like had a few? Oh, but surely that's so there's a bite. I think there was 18 of us like doing some kind of formation. Like we literally thought it was really come dancing at that point. Everyone was all over the place. Nothing made Zen. Oh, that's the keeper going to the right that says we're going to the left and I think sometimes people obviously dancing is not everybody strong point. I think sometimes when these ideas are put forward people can think the last thing I want to do is learn a bloody dance routine like couldn't care less per Mega basically once you get into it records basket once you get into it and you can see everyone's having a good crack. There's someone else there that can't dance either. It's just fun, isn't it? Yeah, you know and you just make it up as you go along. It doesn't matter if you're doing it right or wrong. Nobody gives two Hoots know everyone's having a laugh and you would have had a glass of champers before you start. So, you know by that point you feel like you JLo exactly, you know, booty shaking all over the shop. It's amazing. So we've just said Glasgow and Edinburgh cities that we think Great Hindus. I'm trying to I want to talk about sort of country based ideas for Hindus now and one reader got in touch with me and I'm going to give any secrets away, but there's a group of girls headed for a weekend of horse riding flower crown making and a meal followed by a night out and loads of the typical games. I really liked this because I thought what's Rollins bit different like not heard of that before? Some people might be absolutely petrified. Of course. I think that's totally different and something you will remember and I wanted to bring is that because one of the games that they're going to be playing is really think it has a name per se but everybody buys a gift for the hen and the henna has to Guess Who the gift is from it doesn't have to be an expensive gift. Just something that is relevant to the Friendship. Yeah, and what the reader is saying is that it's a great game. If you've got a lot of people who don't know each other as the gift is usually followed. Exactly. It's followed by the hand telling the tale and telling the story about why that gift was given to them and it really is a nice Icebreaker and it means that everybody is reminiscing which makes you always feel warm and fuzzy doesn't it and just a really nice touch and I thought that sounds like although there's itinerary involved. It sounds laid-back. It sounds like they've got this everyone's going to be in this whatever it might be. I'm not giving anything away Treehouse comes Chalet come, you know. Place in the woods and I've got a bit of itinerary but they've got really thoughtful nice activities activities are planned that's going to incorporate everybody and not leave anybody out. So just sort of really nice nice idea to share with everybody another idea. I really like the idea of for more of a country based hen do is glamping now never being dumping. No, I mean I've been camping. I've been camping. It's not for me. Like the bugs I don't like the grass. I don't like that any of it and like the putting the tent up not know but with these Gump insights, you've got beds. You've got proper duvets. Ya got fires, you know to keep you wipe it. Thanks. That's the watch man all of that. And I just think it's something really different and you can you could almost turn it into a mini Festival, you know, you've got that thing of being able to go and explore in the day do yourself a little pub crawl around? The country pubs coming back toasting marshmallows on the bonfire. Share your stories just really varied range of activities that can be super laid back. That's it in this whole thing like expectation that you know, Hindi. Yeah, we stayed out to 4 a.m. Everyone had to form Court does not Everyone likes drinking. Yeah. No one wants to drink. Yeah, and these glamping site took the kid out. You know, they've got hot tubs. I've got all this sort of stuff. So you kind of can get a little bit of the best of everything. Yeah, and I love the idea of paps. You've gone out to a pub you had a lovely walk there. You had a great meal. You've had a lovely walk back. Everyone's feeling in good spirits. You've had a silent disco in the field with your best mates toasting marshmallows for you. Go to sleep in a yurt, which is like it's just Lovely isn't it? Yeah lovely fun idea of something different to do and I'm like I was saying about you know, these glands insights of got hot tubs and things these days they will also be able to arrange things on site for you there cocktail making the Gin tasting things the flower. Crown making their fully equipped to bring companies in to make sure that you get all these experience again you so it's taking the onus off whoever's doing the main organizing the lutely which makes it a nice experience for them. Yeah, definitely and I think that's all sort of comes in one package as well. But it's just that accommodation is different and it's not something you might ever do again now. It's just a really nice alternative. And can we talk about the farm one? We're going to talk about the farm thing I've ever heard. So I or either Charlotte or I write the notes for the podcast episodes and then we send them to each other and sometimes they're just so funny what you lock him up with just like absolutely cracker so reader so if you got in touch to say, I've organized all the usual activities dance classes a cocktail making class and live drawing but the best was a farm Adventure in Yorkshire running around herding sheep herding pigs and driving a tractor was one of the funniest things and everyone loved it. I made the dress code flannel shirts. So it was really easy to do. I mean, I mean, I would just have another hilarious. I just think it's such a good idea and thinking about it. I mean perhaps I would have been different when I was in my twenties because I'm not now but I mean, I'd much rather do that. I just think it's the than crack like to have a laugh then rather than you know have gonna get Syria then yeah, you know, whatever it is. Yeah, it's all about tailoring it to that bride's style isn't it in the things that she enjoys and if she's a bit of a My own and just loves to have a good laugh and do something a bit different while that for me absolutely hilarious. And actually that would suit one of my friends absolutely down to a tee. Unfortunately. She's already married, but I don't like it just say like Becky died in betweens of recording this podcast of in that weird little pause. You'll be hurting hen do a toast and we were like we should be doing this. I know how can we pull this off? Like what we honey Hindus with rock might watch watch this space. Pace and somehow we're going to organize this and then I'll invite some of you on it. It's got to be done. It's got to be doing us and it will be chasing pig from farms and all saying in a year acting like Beyonce. Yeah. Only one other thing. I want to mention about this sort of in the country idea is Center parcs. Okay now in my time of life when you mention center parcs, it's just kids holidays and full of kids doing kids things. But actually if you go low season to Center parcs as an adult you can have a really enjoyable. Deviance a lot of them come with great Spa facilities and it's just a nice chilled way of making the most of the outdoors but without being in a tent or in a year to you know, and having everything on site you can obviously live site and go out if you want to or you make use of restaurants that are on site and everybody is sort of in the same sort of place. It's a really nice place to go as an adult to do. Adult things so we're just wanted to you know, put that out there in case people hadn't thought of Center parcs as an option. That was all that leads me on to spa days. We know people love a spa retreat some people don't love a spa retreat. So be careful with that one. Like we I know you and I are both not great at sitting in a spa. No find it really boring. But that is some people's idea of heaven and you know, I'm sure Spa this is from spot-on. Absolutely a lot more treatment depending on which one you pick. Yeah, people can have because I commit I'd be well up for a pedicure. Yes, but just not really interested in the whole sitting around a pool in a dressing gown sleeping on a waterbed next larger thing. That's not my and the thing with the spa days. I wanted to mention is obviously you can get like the Spa Retreats that you know you usual thing, but now you can get more sort of yoga. Treats. Yes. So if you've got a bride who's really into yoga or that kind of wellness and all of that lattes all that if that's really their jam and you think that they couldn't think of anything better to do than spend a weekend doing yoga being chilled eating healthfully drinking all the water having it, you know all of those things because that's absolutely fine. If that's your bag. You don't have to be drinking cocktails that I'm me then you can find yoga retreats, which I think is a really I mean there might be a bit spending. No the cost of these things but it's just an alternative idea to making a bride go out who doesn't really like going out and also with things like that. So say you've got a hobby that the bride is really into being a yoga plaster or boxing whatever it might be. Yeah, then you can find independent teachers absolutely who can come to your Air B&B or apartments or you can hire a venue. Yeah. Hi rooms. In hotels, it has to get that you might be staying at the hotel. Yeah might be Hotel me is where your apartment is. Yeah, but there is relatively straightforward ways of almost I suppose curating that were definitely the hen do like from scratch. Yeah, just so whoever that bride is. It's taking that Hobby in the thing that they really enjoy and making it a real special thing that they can share with you. Even if you're not into yoga you do it early because I enjoyed it. Yeah, you can do like I can't remember. Is somewhere in in think it might be Brighton you can do like yoga in the sky and basically you go up in this big in the lift to this sort of like rooftop rooftop and your glass all indoors, but it's all glass so you can see over the city that'll be just him. Even if you didn't actually turn the activity itself wasn't your experience of silly. Really? Yeah, absolutely. So yeah, it's taken that your Brides Hobbies like you say and just making it the best experience of that they could have yeah City tours. So we've mentioned a few you cities actually already we've covered off. So you did the London thing often people will pop to London for a meeting or a single night out for something or I don't know about you but I find I've done very little touristy things inlander. Absolutely. I keep very very heavy you saying this? Yeah. Yeah. I don't know my own Capital City. I've never I've been there and I've been out and been to a barber actually. I've never done the touristy things. I've never driven around in the bus or you know visited in the V&A Museum. As they say yeah, so I think that can be really exciting when you if you selling it like that. And also there's some amazing scavenger hunt companies and new companies now in London, which is a really exciting way for you to get to see the city on foot or by horse or whatever it is. That's part of the scavenger hunt and check out different restaurants and pubs and bars along the way that's a really good way of seeing a city. I'm sure they're they've got them in Liverpool and restore them away. Wherever else as well. I only know of a couple of in London, but I'm sure Manchester, you know, everywhere will have that sort of thing set up. So if your bride particularly likes the city then that's a great idea as well as set up the scavenger hunt you basically split into teams. I think and you go around the city see who finishes first and you get the champagne at the end of whatever it is that the winner receives. So yeah, that's a great way of seeing a city. There's always the big house hen do so. This is where you hire a big country house or city-based Airbnb or wherever it might. Database your activities around and you can sort of go two ways without sort of Hindu. I think it's sort of that becomes your base for your out party. And that's why you come back to or you can make that part of your party to hire a chef in that's right hire a chef into somewhere. That's got hot tub or recall. We've had a girls weekend before where we had a great Bond. It was brilliant and it had a swimming pool a head like a cinema room had a swimming pool. It was gorgeous and we sort of had a theme day for the in the swimming pool. Everyone had like Hawaiian skirts and coconut Cox and Garland's and there was a few inflatable plum trees going around just so we sort of, you know, paying some of music and just giving it a bit of a extra Vibe. Yeah. I'm not everybody loves fancy dress. I'm not heating on fancy dress, but in these situations, she's just kind of are doing it see it and everybody's involved and you get into it and just adds a little extra element to that experience. And also I know I'm going to talk a bit about theme. Now it's a bit of a night. You can be a bit of an icebreaker as well. As I was saying before like you can have a theme that doesn't require people to have to spend like save quite a bit of money. I got time sourcing some costume than ever going to wear again absolute those I people like I think dressing up of course, I don't have any excuse to the camera store. So everyone just has a nice base. Like what's you know, what's the dress code if you like I'll just wear your favorite outfit like what's your favorite weather? Yeah when we did Miss World, so just meant that. We just wore a nice frock. Yeah, and I also went to one that was Oscars seemed really unfair we put like a red carpet in the hot it was and had to hand out these Oscars of that but it just meant that everyone essentially War evening gown is probably pushing it a bit. Yeah, but you know, yeah just cocktail for a super fans. Like I could you know my hair. However, I want yeah this new font to them is you can make it. Seems he have all the fun and laughs at go with it, but not to the extreme that yeah, everyone's a caricature of some. Yeah, basically, I remember when I went on the Brighton hen. Do this was a Hindu that was probably three different groups of friends. And I knew there'd be one girl there that didn't know anybody at all. Okay, and she was more than happy to go just quite sociable person. So, you know, she was fine and we all had to meet in this Pub car park to get ready to order coach to get us to Brighton and we would like to turn up in Fancy. Dress as our favorite pop star. Okay, so immediately you turn up the three people all dresses the same pop star. So that's an immediate Icebreaker because even if they don't know each other they're like, ah, you came the same as me and blah blah blah and then it's something you remember of the weekend. Yeah, you know and then you you're all you calling each other Jerry all weekend or whatever because you know, it is a good way of breaking the ice and the girl that came by herself came as Blondie. She looked so good. No one realizes its She wearing a wig so welcome. I got to the air B&B and by the time it came to go out. She had long brown hair. Everyone was like it's blunt. So all of those little things like just a nice little Icebreaker. So, you know, even if you're not up for fancy dress in that swear on a dress that is fancy. Literally, I went as Gwen Stefani and put quicker my hair and a red lip simple, but you and you'd like to say it doesn't have to be this big caricature. Thing, you know, it can just be a simple thing like that Oscars. That's such a good idea trying to think if I can have some sort of party and I tell you I don't know what's going to go on with this what my wedding Hindu family like hundreds of you - and there's gonna be a year and there's only my skis. Oh my let's get me a hot tub and there's gonna be like some more boarding in bolland and we're all going to give you an Academy Award at the end. Yeah. It's gonna be great. Just going back to the big country house thing and me saying about You know using that as the base for your whole hen do is that you can hire people in to do manicures or makeup or it's all those things now that are so easily accessible for those Brides who don't want the big out out. This is still out Araya. Yeah can be like exactly excuse for some R&R. Oh, absolutely and then I wanted to just look at a couple of something different ideas. I'm going to link a couple of things. That what we've said already are a little bit herding sheep. I mean casual something. I found that really cracked me up that I mean, this is not for everyone. But if you're going to pop yourself to London, you could have a hot tug Yes. You heard me right took which is basically you sail along the Thames in a fully emerged hot tub as in on the back of the boat as in light up. It is a boat the hot tub itself. It's got The motor and it just struck drives you down the sails you down the Thames might not be wanting see that in January just saying I've never heard anything like it in my life, but for some people they would find that absolutely hysterical and so many whole boat tour thing Harley the ball. No hot tub. Yes, but don't fall in the time now don't panic. He's we do in London for a meeting or something. I don't know. I did BBC Radio. All right back when I was Fancy and we had like an hour to kill or something and it was a really hot day and then this is big bow, like on the Thames that had this bar in it and they serve like is amazing fully loaded chips and look at the top - we cannot tell you this would be the best party if you're was a fully loaded chip and we're literally anyone with a glow that bowl with as much as you possibly can. Sorry, oh the thought of chips anyway, as you were Satan has everything so yeah, it seems like that again. Yes, I you can consider events I suppose. Yeah that you wouldn't normally do that Chloe, but and this is the big but your head and do can just be a really fun relaxed. Yeah weekend or Daven or just the evening news. That's the afternoon. Yeah within budget within the Realms of feasibility in terms of location and travel you're right of it. You might really want to have a boat party. You talking about boats. You don't have to go to Ibiza to have a really good boat party. You can sort that in the UK and a barge. Oh get yourself a narrow boat with a fully loaded bar and a speaker system. Hey guys sorted. Okay amazing. Don't don't ever say that. We don't provide you with all the inspiration. I actually got engaged on a narrow boat is ya did ya the after-party was like half on half off the boat so good push love to tell everyone about our engagement stories one day won't we that's for another podcast. But this one is already really long story about that. Anyway, so I was on about something different hot tug yet might want that a shot and I were talking earlier about a pamper party when we you hire out for example, a boutique hairdressers, whatever it might be Even got to blow dry. Everyone gets a manicure might get a facial. I'm asks them at like that a makeup done get your makeup done and just have a proper good early day. If that's like your bag obviously don't do that. If you don't wear makeup or like having your hair blowdried be terrible, but it's things. I don't think I would have been able to do that when it was my hen do like it's just not the same flexible by what if considered. Yeah, but yeah, I mean, I I know like lots of my friends would love that. Yeah. Spending money or whatever it is. So it sort of makes sense. I guess to entice everyone yes to do something that they would normally that is a treat. Yes. Yes, so that kind of pampering I think so if your planned on this lovely meal has great restaurant or I don't know you are going to a bar or a club or zip thing anymore dressing up. Yeah, everyone having night their hair done the nails painted or the makeup done. Is it really nice tree and it seems that operation for for ya that night a yeah, absolutely. I think it's a really nice idea. One more thing. You can do that two more things. You can do that a little bit different. What about making your own perfume for the wedding The Saturdays? I mean, so what if it's something totally unique so both you and the bride will always tie that sent to her hen do and her wedding lovely is that and there's several companies that you can go do to do it. I mean, obviously there's the obvious Jo Malone, but then there are other companies. You can go and create perfume. And then they will give you the makeup of your perfume. Then you can reorder it as well. So you can you can keep buying it. I just thought that's really nice totally different really unique and a memory you're making a memory with that and something that you're going to wear again. And again nice, isn't it? That's nice. And the only other one I wanted to mention that is slightly different is a weekend cruise over the med Amsterdam to Bruges to somewhere like that really close. It's something I've done in the past and when I was on that in fact T' there were a couple of stag dues on the one that I went on. And basically you're you know, you're on the boat quite a lot of the time but if you've got good weather, it is great because your food is all included and I'm talking the one I went on was a la carte restaurants five courses incredible food. You've got certain amount of drink included in your package as well. You you know, you've got the swimming pool the spa or these things and you get taken to your destination where ever it was mine was Bruges you get Depending on how you want to do it 10 hours to explore go and eat loads of chips french fries even not chips because it's french fries are eat all the chocolate because oh my goodness so good and then you get back on your bow. You have your dinner and then your home before, you know, it's such a nice way to spend a weekend totally different and it's the whole package then isn't it the whole clip may exist in organizing very very simple and straightforward budgets very easy. So people have just gotten to do that. Extra spending money, which is absolutely individual to the Perth worked out cheapest then some weekends that I've had insane London or Liverpool. And yeah, I so just something to consider as long as your bride doesn't get seasick. Yeah, add that one to your list and do a bit of investigating into that. But yeah, I would definitely recommend that as an experienced one reader has had her family hen do this weekend. I'm gone. I want to share with you what she did because I just thought it's just love it just speaks. It's just Lovely, so it consisted of a group of 10. So again that really nice number the ages of the hens raged from 14 to 70 plus so like a real like mishmash of and friends and family and it was both bride and groom's family and they booked a cafe Who provided them with an afternoon tea and they Supply their own Prosecco bonus and a lady came along a bought some silk flowers and taught them all how to make buttonholes and corsages and between them all all they'd made enough so that all Family will have something to wear on the wedding day that's of life. And I just wanted to put that in at the end there after my you know Cruz and making a perfume and all this to hone in on the point that actually that's a unique idea because it's entirely unique to them as a family and it's given them you don't have to go far to have fun. Literally. It's she's in the same Village, you know that she lives in you don't have to go to Bruges. Just stay in Walton. Yeah, and she's having another Hindu she mentioned with friends. It's obviously going to be a bit more rawkus. She said but that for her it was just absolutely perfect. So, yeah, the I guess I'm ending on the point of your hand you your way. Absolutely. I'm not finished. Can you believe it or not? Goodness? Can't stop us today. We're not told about any Hindu games. You have really nice. So we need to give the people what they want and they want to play some games on their head, dude. So spoken about the bride gift game, huh? We're from price of magic gift and she guesses who is from Barbara the Barcelona Hindu that I organized. I did a mr. And mrs. Which I think is something most people will do with a group. I'd asked him to record himself and saying the answers. Okay, because I thought was a bit more personal things him to the brings immediate closure. Yeah and see him squirm a little bit because he's having to say nice things in is a bit like this is a bit embarrassing unfortunately couldn't make the Hindu in the end which was unbelievable, but they It's time to me into it so I could watch and it was so lovely. And then at the end he said like a really nice thing about the bride and everybody cried. And that was one thing that was worth the extra effort of getting him to record himself send it to me and sort of try and edit it together in some sort. Yay. Because the bride said that it was one of the favorite things of the entire weekend to have that. Yeah, they've got that forever as well. Yes, so nice to look back on. I also know that they played never have I ever okay. So never have I ever whatever you want to say. And if you've if you if you have done that, then you have to drink or take a forfeit or whatever. It's like never have I ever joined the mile high club or whatever. It might be. I mean that is just an example. I'm not saying who hasn't joined the mile high club. Let's move on. If you are staying in for a pajama party type thing or having a night in you could always have a game of Prosecco pong. These things are so easy to set up these days and you can buy Buy packs of like, you know, I'm talking about beer pong but Prosecco or Jinn or whatever you prefer to drink. That's a load of fun doesn't make too much mess if you're careful, but it's another thing to get everyone involved and up on their feet a little bit and yeah, you know involved in team, you know chanting and all that sort of stuff but the little games are really easy. I'm just trying to think of things that are easy for people to do really you can have advice sheets for the bride. You know that when you go to a baby shower and they say, yes, you know, how heavy is the baby going to be what's a piece? Fight for the men to be and all those sort of things you can do an equivalent version for the bride make up your own or I'm sure there's loads of templates online. You can download from that's just another something cute to fill out five minutes, you know, there's a game called about the bride where each member of the group writes down a fun fact about the bride and she has to read them out and guess who wrote it if she gets it wrong. She has a forfeit and again, this is this is a nice way of cutting cooperating people who might not be there as well. So you might have a couple of friends who haven't been Been able to attend but they could still say this again. And again, yeah, which I think is really nice trying to incorporate people who can't be present for whatever reason it might be one game. I really like to get everyone interactive. This is good for groups where perhaps nobody knows each other too. Well, it's called the cocktail challenge. So different ingredients are written down on pieces of paper the group split into teams and then each team selects a number of ingredients, so it'll be like, they'll be fruits Spirits mixers whatever it is and they have to pick from the pile. And obviously left with whatever they've chosen and they have to create cocktail made from those ingredients and then the bride has to decide who made the best cocktail and that team wins more cocktails. I don't know what whenever it is that you are maybe those could be recreated at the wedding. Yeah, if they're any good, I guess the summation of that is to have fun games. You don't need to spend loads of money. No. Oh, hey, none of those things that I've just mentioned other than maybe making the cocktails. They don't cost any money. It's all just about Having fun and getting people to communicate with each other and enjoying each other's company. Really the only other thing I really wanted to mention. I'm getting their people promise is special touches and people had mentioned when they got in touch with me about Hank. It's and making like we've already talked about we briefly things that you can include in these Little Hen kids when I made some for the Barcelona trip one thing. I wanted to make sure I put in there was a little card with the address on and the accommodation and my phone number. I know that's really like all ring is really important. Everybody had. Yes that piece of information. You never know. Do you case you get lost and you need to get a taxi and you forget where you're staying or so, if you're abroad just a point of contact like that that people can have on them. They might lose their phone but they might have their bag still in might be able to have that card to show a taxi. You know what I mean? Just that all the webbing and practical element. So I included like cute hair ties a little Flamingo glass because that was sort of the theme of the whole thing. Was that a bit like tropical a little cocktail umbrella for everyone to put in their little glasses. I found these little cute quote cards that say things like stupid things like a my God. Your eyebrows are banging or whatever like you've got such a great smile up these just little positivity card to put a few of those things so that they were quite sweet everyone a little mirror to take out with us and the night out and then a little mini survival kit, which was like a rehydration sachet from love hearts and paracetamol. Pasta, I think just you know funny little things. I mean these kids you could you could make anything out of them. So you had eyelashes in your list is really useful practical things. Yeah, I'm like false lashes and my lash glue in case you and a lipstick. I'm in such a lovely cute touch isn't it? And I've got a few other ideas. I've got a things you could you know, you could embellish that morning after kick thing with the rehydration sachet say face mask my mask really strong coffee strong coffee tea bag or whatever. It might be. I've seen a few Hindu kits where people have put in like slippers which made me laugh Party Poppers badges just cute little things. It's just say thanks for coming and I'm really glad that he has is hard. Yeah take this away and Hearty and all that. Yeah acted but again as we've said it start don't forget to budget for these things. It might even be a simple thing that you want to just give everyone. Or something like a cocktail glass charm or something like that, you know that fits around the bottom of the glass another name on it could have what's its Hindu or whatever it might be just budget for it before you you go ahead and buy them. And also if you're getting things like that from eBay or wherever allow time for delivery, yes, because often a lot of these things you can be ordering and perhaps they're going to come from somewhere far away. It might take two weeks three weeks to come so don't leave it to the end. Just make sure you know, you don't just get us for everything and it might be nice. I mean you don't have to this is obviously each their own is just to get a little something extra for the bride for her to keep so we got a bright photo frame so she could take a photo from the weekend and put it in there like the memory and made her a little photo book as well. It's all the girls. Did you? Yeah, my sister my friend organized it. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, but what they actually did was they did it after the hen do so, I don't know anything about It's a picture together and then they gave it to me on the morning of getting ready for my wedding. Oh my word. So it was really lovely to look back on it. Yeah, and then we put it on the table where the guest book was. That's so everyone could then have her formative look up what we gotta do. But anyway, that's a good idea. I really like that because I got all the girls to send me photos of With the bride and a little caption about this like some of these photos were going back 15 years and I know it's hilarious. It's absolutely hilarious just with a little caption to say, you know, like a memory from that photo or whatever, correct your soundtrack to be good thing really like zoo on for a wedding, but sort of, you know, depending on your friendship group, but I'm sure even if like you were saying that all different friends different places. Yeah, they'd all have some kind of song. That's a great idea the thing. Yeah, that would remind them of a certain time something together. Whether it's just like putting a Spotify playlist together. I'm playing it during the head and yeah absolute whether it's physically creating something. Yeah, you know, that's such a good idea. Yeah. It's just that little special to again. It's a price and cost anything. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. The final final thing I wanted to end on I promise you I promise or she keeps promising me and I'm still waiting. I promise is have you thought about having a hag or Sten do which is a joint. Hence now my Been hot and I'm not commit on that. Yeah, and I thought I don't know. I don't sure know and they had to sort of separate houses in the same place. I'm sure of where they went now. It might have been Amsterdam. So I think I'm so they went for two nights. And on one of the nights they mess up, right? Okay, and the houses which they say is no Apartments weren't too far from each other. So one of our just don't know whether don't the Dynamics of that is a see it's a bit strange that seems a bit. It's one of one of our readers Chloe Louise w89 had she called it s 10 do and what they've done is they'd hired a house for everybody. So everybody stayed in this game. It depends on the circumstances of your friendship group. Yeah. So if you've got lots of couples who are all friends. Yes, then why not? Yeah. Yeah makes sense doesn't it? But she also made the point of saying that it was a 3-day thing. So they're hired this house for three days if you were coming you pay her. Gavin which is for the three days but there's no pressure to be there or three days. If you can only come Saturday Sunday or Friday Saturday, that's cool. And yeah, and she said everyone was really fine with that if one just paid and then turned up as and when they could but she said what they did on the Friday the boys went out and did the Stag do the girls went out and did the hen do and then on the Saturday they all went out separately for the evening but ended up in the same Club. Okay, and then all obviously went home together so that it was together, but To me sounds like a good balance if you want to. Yeah, I stay in the same place but go off and do your own things but come back and she said what was so good about it is it meant that all the Bridesmaids and close friends and Usher's and close friends of her fiancé. They all met before the wedding and that's it. Was it just like girls admit and the boys had met literally everybody a man. Everyone is very much Matt. So when it came to the wedding, it was just like everybody was mates and she felt like it made a big difference to the day. So I think that's something to consider in it. I just got one piece of advice from reader Gemma and I think it's really important and rounds off really really nicely. So she said it's difficult and I would say the most stressful thing for me is I'm so worried about people spending money on my hen do so. I made sure the flights and accommodation were a great deal and tried to give people enough time to stagger payments my maid of honor my sister. / mom of taken the lead now, so it's given me a chance to sit back and enjoy the run up to it. I suppose if I could give it. I said to myself it would be to soak it all up and try and enjoy every single second and to not worry about pleasing everyone else because I think that's something we all get far too worried about and it's pretty much impossible to please everyone and that's okay your Hindu your way and on that note. I'm going to let you go. Just one final thing. I'm going to put it in the show notes. I've got a list of really funny movies to get you in the mood for the run up to your head and do so go and visit the show notes to get a run. Down of really funny obviously includes bridesmaids films just to get you loosened up in the mood for Hindu and something fun for you to have a future that night. So yeah you girls as well. I'm so sorry for how long that was. Thanks for listening if you still here. Oh God legislation. If you've made it this far you dedicated and I appreciate very much and we will be back with that. See you soon with another much shorter episode. This podcast was brought to you by Becky and Charlotte from Rupp my wedding the UK's most influential wedding band for more content visit with my reading got code at UK follow us on Instagram at rock my wedding or by the book your day your way from Amazon or any leaving book retailer. This podcast is produced by we are the flux.
We're back after a summer break with an episode all about how to organise a successful hen do both in the UK and abroad. HEN DO ORGANISATION TIPS Not sure who to invite? Yep, it's another dreaded guest list to think about but don't worry we talk through how to go organise all the different people in your life. We talk about how to book an appropriate place to stay, how to manage the money involved and how to stay on track of everything. PLANNING A HEN DO IN THE UK We talk about epic places and activities for a hen do in the UK and also some ideas for hen dos abroad too where we've tried to cater for a mix of gorgeous brides from those who love to go out-out and those who like a much quieter much more chilled vibe. As with everything to do with your wedding we want you to have your hen do your way be that a night out, a weekend away, having a pamper party or partaking in a hot tug. Yep, you read that right, a hot tug. Strap in guys and girls, this is the longest episode yet! Oh and here's a list of hilarious movies to get you in the mood for your impending hen do: Bridesmaids - OBVS - Even if you’ve already seen it! Watch it again! (Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy) Rough Night (Scarlett Johanssen, Zoe Kravitz) The Bachelorette (Kirsten Dunst, Rebel Wilson, Isla Fisher) The Proposal (Sandra Bullock) Girls Trip - Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith Sex And The City (You know the cast of this one)  Visit our show notes page for more hen do inspiration! 