Hen Do. Help!

March 4, 2011 1:23 AM

Help organising a hen do in London needed! I need to organise a hen do, in London (UK). The slight catch is that it's in two weeks' time and I have no idea what to do. Hoping the hive mind can come to my rescue!

Looking for fun things for a group of 8 twentysomething women to do in London to celebrate an upcoming wedding. The basic plan is to do some kind of fun activity in the afternoon before going out for dinner and then drinking.

While any suggestions for restaurants and clubs and cheap central hotels are very welcome, what I really need help for is the activity part. I found a company that do vintage-themed tea parties with manicures and stuff which was a popular idea with the bride, but they're all booked out. So far my other ideas consist of:
- cocktail making/mixology lessons
- er, that's it.

So any suggestions as to what we can do for a few hours as a group (who don't all know each other) in central London would be hugely appreciated.
Provisos:
- nothing involving naked men or other cheesy hen-do things
- we do not want to be empowered by learning to pole-dance
- ideally something where we can go straight out on the town afterwards without needing to change clothing etc
- we're not a particularly sporty/outdoorsy bunch so indoor activities please - preferably things that can be done with a glass of champagne in one hand...

Ideas for general activities we could do are good; suggestions of specific places /providers are GREAT.

Thanks!

posted by cmarie to sports, hobbies, & recreation (13 answers total)

How about Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes?
posted by hot soup girl at 1:41 AM on March 4, 2011 [2 favorites]

http://www.hens.org/hen-nights/london/ looks surprisingly helpful....!
posted by markkraft at 1:45 AM on March 4, 2011

I did a chocolate-making hen do party once (not in London), and it was very good fun. Afterwards we had high tea, it was very civilised and very good fun.
posted by ukdanae at 4:41 AM on March 4, 2011

Like hot soup girl, I thought of bowling.

Vinopolis can be fun with a group.

London Eye of course.

And I'm trying to think of the name of place in Notting Hill that was a cross between art class and night club. If I can find it, I'll come back.
posted by londonmark at 6:05 AM on March 4, 2011

I'm not in London, nor do I have any London-specific suggestions. However, I had the best vintage-style bachelorette party ever. My MOH told all the ladies to wear black dresses and pearls. We were all provided with short, black, flapper-style wigs (I also got a simple tiara to wear because I was the bride).

We had appetizers & games in a hotel suite, then fancy dinner, then bars & clubs. The best game was the Man Scavenger Hunt. At dinner, all the ladies got handed out man cards -- policeman, hipster, golfer, motorcycle rider, (I even got Groom from a Bachelor party), etc. Then we had to find these guys at the clubs & take pictures with them--
Police Officers, Motorcycle Riders, European Guy, Hipster Guy, and Bachelor Party (actually ran into my then fiance's group while we were out, so that was fun & cute). It was a fun way to be a little flirty & naughty, but avoid all the (corny?, gross?) naked men stuff. (And we got loads of free drinks.)

The next fall, I planned my best friend's hen party. The theme was vintage bombshells; we all wore 50s styled dresses and wigs (blond Marilyn wig for me, Betty Paige wig for the bride, etc). We played this amazing game where groups of two women are teamed up. You are each blindfolded. One woman holds a roll of toilet paper between her knees, and the other has a broom stick between her knees. The point of the game is to get the broomstick into the hole in the toilet paper roll; the only other contact between the teams is you each hold one hand. There were literally ladies falling on the floor laughing at the teams. (I have pictures from that as well, but not online...)
posted by Kronur at 6:05 AM on March 4, 2011

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a Hen Do?
posted by Gringos Without Borders at 7:44 AM on March 4, 2011

Hen Do.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:57 AM on March 4, 2011 [3 favorites]

I hate to break guidelines by not answering the question, but just wanted to say that this:

we do not want to be empowered by learning to pole-dance

made my day.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 8:52 AM on March 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks guys! Some great ideas here, love the retro bowling alleys. Will send this link to the bride later so she can pick. Keep em coming!

And thanks, Sweetie Darling ;)
posted by cmarie at 9:07 AM on March 4, 2011

If you do the bowling alley, make sure to do at least one game of Crazy Bowling - each frame has a rule; some examples: blindfolded, backward, through the legs, slow motion, etc.

I've linked to one list - you can google for other ideas or make up your own. It might be fun to have one where the bowler has to shout/sing something along the theme of the wedding - "if you couldn't marry your current spouse/boyfriend, which celebrity would you choose?" "Make up a quick song to show the specific reason why you think Bride is going to be very happy with her husband".

And - if you're going to do regular bowling for a score, see if they'll put the bumpers on like they do for little kid parties.

Bonus: that link I inserted is for a website called Diva Girl Parties and Stuff. There are lots of other girl-party ideas, though not London specific.
posted by CathyG at 10:29 AM on March 4, 2011

Crafting? This is just one place I found through Googling- there are other similar places.
posted by MadamM at 12:36 PM on March 4, 2011

I should also say: I suggested Bloomsbury Lanes because my husband had his stag do there and loved it.
posted by hot soup girl at 6:57 PM on March 4, 2011

Yes - I was going to suggest Make Lounge. A friend went on a fascinator course with a hen party and loved it.
posted by mippy at 3:01 PM on March 5, 2011