HarperCollins - #TeamBride: How to Plan the Perfect Party for Your BFF

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Thou shalt not cock up the hen. Follow this simple etiquette guide and you wont need to worry about ruffling any feathers.

DO

Plan ahead. Failing to plan, as they say, is planning to fail!

DO

Consult your bride on the basics. Surprises are great, but not everything can be left to chance.

DO

Arrive well rested. You want to bring your A game.

DO

Read the room. Not everyone loves a stripper!

DO

Listen to your fellow hens. Too many cooks and all that, but make sure everyone feels included.

DONT

Talk about the brides partners genitalia too loudly in front of her mother-in-law.

DONT

Steal the show. Remember, the bride is queen for the day!

DONT

Get too competitive with the private anecdotes. We get it, okay. You all love the bride the most.

DONT

Fall asleep in plain sight (unless its designated nap time).

DONT

Get arrested this one is quite self-explanatory.

Top Tips for the Bridesmaids

Congratulations, bridesmaids, youve got your call-up. It goes without saying that the smug phase will pass the million WhatsApp notifications about big-day logistics will probably put paid to any complacency but dont stress, youve got this do in the bag! And remember, theres a whole brood of fabulous, supportive hens right behind you.

• BUST A MOVE, NOT THE BANK

  Youve got ideas galore, but remember that, unfortunately, you can put a price on fun. Know your budget from the beginning and work within your means best to avoid fights with angry hens when you have to ask them to cough up last-minute cash for that impromptu sky dive.

• GET HAPPY

  Theres an overwhelming amount of themed fun around when it comes to hen parties, but Pinterest is a brilliant source of inspiration and provides an easy method for collating all those ideas from the get-go. Appy days!

• NO HEN LEFT BEHIND

  Chances are, not every guest will be able to make the party, but filming short video messages of any otherwise-engaged hens is a nice way to make them feel involved, and a bonus surprise for the bride. (You could also get cardboard cut-outs of any AWOL friends, if youre feeling really fancy.)

• DARE TO DECORATE

  Whether youre glamping, riding in a karaoke party bus or having a stay-at-home affair, a little decoration never goes amiss. And DIY decoration can be cheap and cheerful, too! Ask your hens to contribute everything from old photos of the bride, balloons and confetti to a pair of pants for the knicker bunting (a new pair ideally, but were not here to judge). Think Linda Barker in Changing Rooms youll be amazed at how resourceful you can be.

• GROOMS ON FILM

  It goes without saying that the hen party is strictly a spouse-free zone, but make sure youre Mr and Mrs ready (see ). If the grooms game for this party pleaser which he should be call on him beforehand and put his relationship knowledge to the test. Perhaps itll be sweet, perhaps itll be excruciating Either way, watching back the Q&A will be top entertainment for your bride and her hens. The camera never lies!

• PICTURE PERFECT

  Its one of the rare occasions when all the brides favourite people will be in the same place together, so why not create a photo wall as a montage to the fun times with her besties! Pre-party, ask your hens to send over their favourite photos of the bride. No photo is too old or too embarrassing.

• NEXT STOP, PARTYVILLE

  Perhaps this without saying, but make sure youve got the transport sussed way ahead of time. Getting from A to B sounds simple, but theres always one who ends up in Northampton when everyone else is popping prosecco in Northumberland. Also make sure you factor the transport into the original cost plan to avoid any grumbles all-in means all-in!

• #TEAM

  Get hashtag brainstorming! With any luck your hens will be having far too good a time to be glued to their phones during the celebrations, but having an individualised hashtag is a great way for everyone to share and find photos after the event. Remember to make it distinct (and not too smutty, who knows what might pop up online, literally ).

• GIRLS ON TOUR

  Why not invest in some team tees to make everyone feel part of the gang? Cheesy? Perhaps. But T-shirts are guaranteed to bring nervous strangers together, not least as you can laugh at all the crap nicknames on display. Alternatively, think about personalised badges, flip-flops, party hats, even temporary tats anything that will make a hen easily identifiable should they prove a drunken flight risk.

Top Tips for the Hens

• YOU GUYS HAVE GOT IT EASY

  What is there to do besides turn up, love bomb the bride, be fun enough that youll give her lots of hilarious memories but not so fun that she ends up holding back your hair at 9 p.m. Its true that the hens get the party without the pressure, but we all know that organised fun is notoriously the best kind of fun, and there are a few things you can do to make sure that a) the bridesmaids dont combust, and b) the celebrations go down as smoothly as a Slippery Nipple cocktail (more on that later).

• GET CONNECTED

  Dont be shy, its time to reach out, ladies! If there are any hens that you havent met before, why not ask the bridesmaids for their numbers or find them on Facebook before the do. Any solo hens who arent attached to a group will be especially grateful, and itll also help to put the bride at ease as her different social groups merge less chance of fisticuffs at dawn!

• DONT DRAG YOUR (HIGH) HEELS

  Party planning is no easy feat, and chances are the bridesmaids have a hell of a lot of people/timetables/creative endeavours to carefully manage in the run-up to the hen. Weve all got busy lives, but make sure you respond to the bridesmaids as speedily as you can especially when it comes to pinning down a date and transferring over any funds. Get a gold star or a gratuitous glass of prosecco before the hen partys even started!

• THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC

  You can always bank on top tunes to bring people together. Depending on your mode of travel, why not create a top playlist of bangerz for the hen party journey. You can hit play again during the actual celebrations, too, and dance until the sun comes up. Think Bruno Mars Marry You, Run the World (Girls) by Beyonc, Madonnas Like a Virgin and any power ballad classics. Youll be bonding with old-family-friend Rachel and singing into hairbrushes together in no time.