What should be on the checklist?

A practical list covers headcount and dates, budget and payment collection, accommodation, anchor activities, transport, restaurant bookings, props, games, a packing list and final-week confirmations. Add a shared itinerary before travel so everyone knows where to be.

How far in advance should you plan a hen do?

We would start six months out for popular cities and summer weekends: confirm numbers, budget and dates first, then book the house and main activities around three months ahead. Final details, party favours and the packing list sit in the last month. Busy destinations like Bath and Brighton reward earlier house booking.

What is the difference between a checklist and an itinerary?

The checklist is task order: what to book and when. The hen party itinerary is the timed plan for the weekend itself, usually Fri-Sun blocks with addresses and meeting points. Use both through planning, then share the itinerary in the final fortnight.

Do I need a different checklist for each city?

The national timeline on this page works anywhere in the UK. Destination checklists add local pressure: spa lead times in Bath, accommodation rules in Brighton, neighbourhood clustering in London, July booking crunches in Leeds and festival clashes in Edinburgh. Open the city checklist once you know where you are going.

Who pays for what on a hen do?

There is no single rule, but most groups expect the bride not to pay for her share of the main weekend costs. Agree that early, split activity and house costs evenly among paying guests, and use a clear payment deadline so the maid of honour is not chasing money at the last minute.

Can I save progress on the destination checklists?

Yes. Each live destination checklist is interactive: tick tasks on mobile, reset if needed, and save the page to your Hen Hideaways planner account so you can pick up where you left off.

What should a maid of honour track?

Start with headcount, dates, budget and house booking, then add activities, restaurant holds, travel, outfits, games, party favours, a packing list and final-week confirmations. Use a hen party planner spreadsheet or our tools if you want the group to see progress without another essay in the chat.

Do I need hen party themes, decorations and accessories?

Only if the bride wants them. Themes help with outfits, sashes, balloons and props, but book the house first. Many groups keep hen party accessories light and spend the budget on one brilliant group activity instead.

Hen party group playing question games together

UK hen party planning & games

📋Organiser tips

🎲Party games

💷Budget help

✨Weekend plans

Hen party planning checklist: what to book, and when

Use our hen do checklist to move from group-chat chaos into booked dates, houses and activities. UK maid of honour timeline plus destination checklists for Bath, Brighton and more.

If you have been handed the clipboard, a good checklist is less about pretty stationery and more about booking order. We use a national timeline first, then open the destination version once you know where the weekend is heading.

This page covers the jobs every maid of honour faces, from headcount and budget conversations through to props, games and the final WhatsApp itinerary. When the city is fixed, jump to the interactive city checklist for local timing pressure. Popular starting points include Bath, Brighton, Bournemouth, London, Leeds, Manchester, York and Edinburgh.

What belongs on a hen party planning checklist

Whether you search for a hen party checklist, hen do checklist or planning a hen do checklist, the same jobs appear. We group them below in booking order so you are not decorating the house before you have confirmed headcount.

Confirming headcount, dates and budget before anyone spends money emotionally
Setting up a WhatsApp Group and payment collection so bridesmaids are not chasing deposits at midnight
Booking the hen party house or accommodation before group activities and restaurants sell out
Locking one anchor experience, then filling gaps with games, props and party favours
Final-week confirmations, packing list reminders and day-of timings so the bride-to-be can relax

Need broader context first? Read our hen party planning advice guide, then come back here when you are ready to execute.

Maid of honour timeline: hen party planning checklist by stage

Work through these stages in order. If you are planning a hen weekend with a shared house, we would always book accommodation before you spend budget on props and party favours you might not need.

Six months before the hen party

This is where most plans win or lose momentum. Nail the boring admin early and the fun bookings become easier.

Talk to the bride-to-be about vibe, budget band and dates she can actually do (even if the weekend is a surprise on the day)
Build the guest list and confirm headcount ranges before you quote houses or activities
Set a realistic budget per person and agree who pays for what, including the cost of the Bride for main items
Create a WhatsApp Group for organisers and another for the wider party once numbers are stable
Shortlist destinations and compare ideas by city before you commit transport for everyone
Research themes, balloons and props if the group wants a coordinated look
Block provisional dates in calendars and run a Doodle poll if the group is indecisive
Start a shared spreadsheet for deposits, invoices and who owes what

Three months before the hen do

Turn the shortlist into bookings. We would always prioritise the house and one anchor activity before smaller extras.

Book accommodation that explicitly welcomes groups and matches your noise expectations
Reserve the main group activities: spa day, cocktail class, bottomless brunch or whatever the bride cares about most
Collect deposits from guests on a clear deadline so you are not subsidising the weekend yourself
Draft an itinerary shape (even rough Fri-Sun blocks) before restaurant and activity times harden
Book dinner for both nights if you are in a busy city centre at the weekend
Order sashes, balloons, gift for the bride and party favours with delivery time in mind
Plan games and activities; link out to printable question lists if you want ready-made packs
Confirm travel plans: trains to Bath Spa, Brighton Station or your city equivalent beat arguing about parking

One week before travel: packing list and confirmations

Reconfirmation week. Assume something will slip unless you chase it now.

Reconfirm the house, activities, restaurants and any photographer or transport bookings in writing
Send the final itinerary to the group with addresses, timings and emergency contacts
Share a packing list reminder: outfits, chargers, pain relief and anything theme-specific
Collect outstanding balances and pay suppliers so you are not sorting invoices on the train
Prepare welcome packs, banners and a memory book if you are doing them at the house
Brief bridesmaids on roles: who leads games, who holds the card for dinner, who watches the bride
Book a photographer for one hour if the group wants professional shots without a full-day fee
Check the weather forecast and warn the group about hills, cobbles or seafront wind as needed

On the day of the hen party

Your job is timing and tone. Keep the bride-to-be at the centre and delegate the admin.

Arrive at accommodation or the meeting point early enough to decorate without rushing the bride
Stick to the first activity booking time; late spa or class slots rarely flex for large groups
Capture photos and short videos, but nominate one person so everyone is not living behind a screen
Keep an eye on spend if you are holding the group kitty
Build in quiet downtime before evening plans; exhausted hens are not fun hens
End the night knowing how everyone gets home safely to the house

When activities are pencilled in, draft timings in our hen party itinerary builder or start from sample blocks on the hen do itinerary guide. For games and icebreakers, browse hen party games and printable question packs.

Hen party budget, minimum spend and who pays for the bride

Before you plan a hen party properly, agree the budget in plain English. Most groups split house and activity costs among paying guests and cover the cost of the Bride for the main weekend items.

Set a per-person band early and share it in the WhatsApp group before anyone gets excited about a premium spa day
Use our budget calculator once headcount is stable so deposits feel fair rather than guesswork
Watch minimum spend clauses on bottomless brunch or private dining rooms before you promise the group a fancy meal
Collect deposits on a fixed date; the maid of honour should not be acting as an interest-free bank
Leave room for hen party accessories, party favours and a gift for the bride without blowing the core weekend budget

Bridesmaids, headcount and WhatsApp Group setup

The fastest way to derail planning is vague numbers. Lock headcount, roles and communication before you chase venues.

Confirm the guest list with the bride-to-be, including who is a maybe versus a definite
Ask bridesmaids to own slices of the plan: activities research, house shortlist, games and decorations
Create a WhatsApp group for organisers first, then a wider party chat once dates and budget are agreed
Run a Doodle poll if dates are messy, but give the group a deadline to respond
Share one source of truth for the hen party itinerary link, house address and emergency contacts in the final fortnight

Decorations and hen party accessories

Bunting and table decor are fun, but they should not eat the budget before the house is booked. We would keep accessories lightweight rather than buying everything twice.

Pick hen party themes early if the group wants matching outfits or colour-coded styling
Order banners and table bits with delivery to the house or a click-and-collect slot near your destination
Pack a small memory book or guest book if you want handwritten messages from the trip
Budget for tiaras and photo props, but avoid clutter that makes checkout harder at a rented house
Nominate one bridesmaid to set up on arrival so the bride walks into something finished, not chaos

Hen party games, group activities and icebreakers

Games and activities are not filler when you plan a hen party with mixed ages. They keep groups talking on the first night and give shy guests an easy way in.

Plan one low-effort icebreaker for arrival night before you head out to hen party activities
Mix printable hen party games with live question packs from our games hub or games generator
Book group activities with clear start times rather than hoping everyone wanders in from the pub
Ask whether the bride wants cheeky hen party games or something classy before you print anything risque
Nominate a photographer among the bridesmaids for candid shots, or book a short professional session if budget allows

Typical hen party budget by line item

Use this table alongside the budget calculator once your guest list is firm. It helps you plan a hen party without nasty minimum spend surprises later.

Line item	Typical cost	When to book
Hen party house (group of 12, one night)	£45–£85 per person	3–4 months before travel
Anchor activity (spa, cocktail class, brunch)	£35–£65 per person	2–3 months out
Decorations, balloons and hen party accessories	£10–£25 per person	4–6 weeks before travel
Hen party games, props and party favours	£5–£15 per person	2–4 weeks before the hen do
Gift for the bride and cost of the bride subsidy	£15–£40 pooled per guest	Agree at the guest list stage

Quick wins on your hen party planning checklist

If you only have ten minutes today, do these five jobs in order. They prevent the classic hen weekend failure modes: wrong headcount, no house, pretty decorations and no plan.

Confirm guest list ranges and hen party budget before you browse houses
Book accommodation before you bulk-buy balloons and party favours
Lock one anchor activity, then fill gaps with games and group activities
Send a packing list reminder one week out alongside the final itinerary
Open the destination checklist once the city is fixed for local booking pressure

Printable checklist extras

Tick these off in the final fortnight so the bride-to-be is not managing logistics on the train.

Save the bride-to-be contact and emergency numbers in the group chat
Confirm house check-in time and door codes with the owner
Screenshot train tickets and share live arrival windows
Print or save restaurant reservation references
Charge portable speakers and pack a spare phone cable
Label group payments in your spreadsheet so balances are obvious
Pack pain relief, plasters and stain remover for the morning after
Nominate who carries the group card for shared meals
Set a photo album link before the first night out
Leave one evening unplanned for spontaneous pub or beach time
Check taxi numbers for your destination rather than relying on apps alone
Write a short thank-you note for the bride from the bridesmaids

Checklist vs hen party itinerary

Your checklist is the to-do list: headcount, budget, house, anchor bookings, props, games and final confirmations. The hen party itinerary is the timed plan you share once those jobs are done.

We use the list through planning a hen party, then switch to an itinerary for the trip itself. If you only send tasks to the group chat on Friday, you will still get pinged every ten minutes. If you only send pretty timings without having booked anything, the weekend collapses.

Start from our hen do itinerary templates if you want sample Fri-Sun blocks, then customise in the itinerary builder when bookings are firm.

Compare sample blocks on our hen party itinerary page, then customise in the itinerary builder.

When to use a location checklist instead of this page alone

Stay on this national guide while you are still comparing cities or working through the basics. Once you have picked a destination, open the matching checklist for local booking pressure you will not see on a generic list.

We would not run two checklists in parallel. Use this page to understand the weekend shape, then switch to the city version for Thermae Bath Spa lead times, Brighton accommodation rules, London neighbourhood clustering or Leeds July booking crunches.

Bath hen party checklist

Thermae Bath Spa group slots can book out months ahead in peak season. Our Bath checklist pushes spa and Georgian house timing to the top.

Brighton hen party checklist

Competitive accommodation and strict party rules make early house booking essential. The Brighton checklist flags train-first logistics and Pride-season pricing.

London hen party checklist

London rewards neighbourhood clustering - a Shoreditch morning and a Mayfair dinner need different bookings and travel time. The London checklist keeps you in one or two areas per day.

Leeds hen party checklist

Call Lane and Greek Street fill fast on summer Saturdays, and July weekends squeeze apartments as well as activities. The Leeds checklist front-loads house and restaurant holds.

York hen party checklist

Compact centre and popular weekend dates mean restaurants and activities need earlier holds than you might expect for the group size.

Edinburgh hen party checklist

Festival dates and steep old-town walking change how much you can pack into one day. The local checklist balances culture with nightlife sensibly.

Bournemouth hen party checklist

Seafront noise rules and summer traffic change where you should book the house. The Bournemouth checklist balances beach days with Triangle nightlife sensibly.

Manchester hen party checklist

Northern Quarter bar crawls and Spinningfields dinners need different reservations. The Manchester checklist helps you pick a district before you chase deposits.

Plan the hen weekend without losing the fun

A strong hen party planning checklist keeps the bride-to-be at the centre while the bridesmaids handle logistics. These are the moods we are aiming for: organised before the weekend, present during it.

Maid of honour planning a hen party checklist with the group

Hen weekend planning checklist for UK destinations

Destination planning checklists

Open the interactive checklist once the city is fixed. Each page adds local booking pressure, progress tracking and save-to-planner support. Start with London, Leeds or Brighton if you are still deciding.

Choose your destination

Browse all 23 destination checklists▾

What to do after you have worked through the checklist

A checklist tells you what to book. Our free planning tools help you share numbers and timings with the group without another endless thread.

We would run the budget calculator once the guest list is firm, build a day-by-day plan in the itinerary builder when activities are pencilled in, and generate a packing list the week before travel.

Open itinerary builder Use budget calculator

Planning tools and related guides

Pair your checklist with the utilities and tips pages we send real groups to once bookings start.

Hen party budget calculator

Sense-check cost per head before you collect deposits and compare house options fairly.

Use calculator

Hen party itinerary builder

Turn booked activities into a shareable Fri-Sun schedule with timings you can tweak on mobile.

Open itinerary

Hen party packing list generator

Personalised packing list by trip type and season so nobody forgets chargers or hen party outfits.

Open guide

Hen do itinerary templates

Copy-paste sample weekends and a free PDF if you want printable blocks before you customise in the builder.