7 unique ideas to help you choose a hen’s party theme

We know there is so much to think about when it comes to planning a hen’s party, there seems to be endless options everywhere you look! That’s where choosing a theme can help to give the celebrations an overall direction when it comes to the planning. The theme can then flow through the dress code, the activities and games, decorations and even down to the accessories!

Choosing the right theme for the bride-to-be is crucial. You want to make sure it’s something that everyone is going to enjoy, however it really needs to reflect the lady of the hour! Each theme can be tailored to your own taste, however, you’ll want to ensure that you at least are in the ballpark of what the hen is looking for. For example, if she tends to prefer more classy or elegant parties, maybe considering something more classic or traditional would be best. However, if the hen has always loved to dress up and isn’t afraid to laugh at herself, a character-based theme could be super fun!

We’ve found most brides tend to favour more traditional ideas when choosing a theme, however, they also tend to like to add their own personal flavour and originality to the party as well.

We have put together a list of genres and then broken them down into specific themes that may help to bring you some inspiration when choosing a theme to include in the hen’s party planning.

Character-based

This may be the ultimate fancy-dress category! Whether your hen loves Harry Potter or she considers herself to be a Disney Princess here are a few characters to consider;

• Super Heroes
• Spice Girls
• Disney Princess
• Cowgirls
• Pirates
• Fairytale
• Cheerleaders
• Harry Potter
• Playboy Bunnies
• Where’s Wally
  
  
  

Naughty and Nice

If you’re wanting something a little cheeky, we have some suggestions for you! These themes are a hell of a lot of fun. You can really go all out with games, costumes and accessories with these ones! From halos to handcuffs, you could even do a classic hen’s party scavenger hunt based around your theme as well!

• Angels and Demons
• Cops and Robbers
• Naughty Nurses
• Villains

Classic

Looking for more of a traditional vibe, or wanting a toned down or more subtle theme? These themes can be great fun if you’re keen to DIY or hit up the op-shops to find your attire. Incorporating activities to match this theme is easy too! Maybe you take a burlesque class or learn how to make some classic cocktails, these themes are definitely people pleasers! These may be right up your alley;

• Burlesque
• Masquerade
• Across the decades (20’s, 30’s, 40’s… you get my drift)
• Great Gatsby
• Red Carpet/Hollywood
• Vintage
  
  
  
  

Boho

Is the bride-to-be a self-confessed boho babe? Then embrace it and create a party centred around that! Pull out the white linen and create flower crowns, enjoy a pop-up picnic or even go glamping. These themes scream chilled vibes, and could be exactly what the bride was hoping for!

• Floral
• Festival Chic
• Beach babes
• Lace and Linens
  
  
  
  

Colourful

This may be one of the easier themes when trying to please all the people invited! You could have a set colour theme for the entire party, where all the decorations, accessories and costumes/outfits match, or you could have the bride in something contrasting to the rest of the group!

You could even have activities that revolve around colour. Such as body painting, having your make-up done featuring the chosen colour or a life drawing class using only the featured colour!

• Pretty in pink
• Little Black Dress
• Black and White
• Pastels
• Fluro
• Gold
• Glitter! (we know, not technically a colour, but it’s still super fun!)
  
  
  
  

Weird and Wonderful

Now, this can really be anything! If you’re wanting something outside of the box or something quite unique, here are some ideas that are food for thought. Whether you want to live out childhood fantasies of running away and joining the circus you could take hula-hoop classes and dress as a circus performer. Or maybe you want to show the world the boss babes you are and suit up, play some poker and sip on a martini! These themes will throw a few new ideas into the mix.

• Back to School
• Circus
• Hawaiian 
• Grannies
• Around the World
• Look-a-likes
• Tuxedo 

Do’s and Dont's

Do:

• Get creative! Put your heads together and brainstorm some original ideas, sometimes the crazier the better! 
• Commit to it! If the bride tribe has decided on a theme, stick to it! Make sure everyone is comfortable with the theme when choosing it, so everyone is keen to be involved.
• Check out some op-shops! Particularly when dressing up in fancy dress you may need to go out shopping for something that suits the theme. But this doesn’t mean that you need to buy something brand new. Finding a hidden gem in an op-shop can be the ultimate rush, plus it’s good for the environment too!
• Get Crafty! Whether you tinker with a sewing machine, or some scissors and a glue gun, creating your own costume could be the way to go. It certainly will be one of a kind! Don’t stop there, you could even DIY some decorations or accessories - the world is your oyster.

Don’t:

• Run out of time! There’s nothing worse than leaving any preparation to the last minute so make sure when a theme is chosen everyone is aware, so any costume buying etc can be done well ahead of time! This will make sure everyone has the opportunity to come up with something fabulous to show off at the party.
• Leave anyone behind. Figuratively and literally. If everyone isn’t behind the theme, don’t leave them out, work out a way for everyone to be involved. And during the celebrations, make sure everyone sticks together, you may be in for a wild time so look out for each other.
• Go against the bride! Remember what the bride likes and keep it within those parameters. There’s room for a bit of a surprise but don’t do anything that you know she is going to be uncomfortable with.

Some Final Advice

So as we mentioned earlier, there’s a lot to think about when planning the hen’s party. So hopefully narrowing it down to a theme will make the job just that little bit easier! When deciding upon the final theme, do keep the overall budget and the time of year for the party in mind, as these factors can also play a part in what to include in the celebrations. No one wants to be planning a boho picnic in the middle of a wet and windy winter, am I right?

Remember, it’s supposed to be fun, so share the load with the bride tribe and enjoy the planning process and the party afterwards!

Until next time,

House of Hens xox