Farm Adventure is now in its tenth year of operation! Woohoo!
With all the conversations I had with organizers of a stag or hen parties, I knew I had some knowledge about planning and organizing these significant events. Ten years later, it’s only fair to share ten of my top tips.
When it comes to organizing a hen or stag party, there are many emotions.. for the organizers, the bride/groom-to-be, the invitees, and, yup, even myself sometimes!!
We have a lot of knowledge about hen and stag parties. COVID has certainly not helped. You need to start thinking about the pre-wedding party.
Make a list of the potential bride and groom. Be sure to only invite the people they want to invite. We all worry about how we will be treated if someone is invited. The truth is that only the groom or bride really wants to have this list! Sometimes, the bride or groom must think about what kind of activities they will be doing at the hen party. Do you want your mom to see you sharing a few moments with the butler?!
The Invited Lot
Make sure you write everything down It seems obvious, right? It doesn’t. It isn’t! It is obvious It’s all about learning! This is a brand-new event. This event is unique. Participants, where are you going? What are you doing? How do you get everyone from A to B? Are there special dietary requirements? How are you going to organize food and budget, and how will you communicate with everyone? Start a spreadsheet and start entering details. Why? Because most people organize an event in advance. What happens between now, and the event? Time. This means that you will forget all the details and conversations you had with so many people. It will make you so happy that you took the time to write it down. Write down as much as you can
BUDGET! First, ask the groom or bride what they consider a reasonable and good budget. Everybody is different, and not everyone has the same disposable earnings. The B2B/G2B will be able to determine the spending capacity of each person on the list. This will allow you to know how much you can afford for the offset. Don’t waste time or the time of your suppliers! Don’t plan things that are too expensive! It’s simple! You’ll have something to work with once you understand the basics. Know what you can and can’t afford
Do your research. This refers back to the previous point. However, once you have found the right thing to do, look through the websites of the suppliers, social media, and take note of the details. Take note of their offerings, what you need, and the logistics. It’s not good to not know what you’re getting into and then appear completely unprepared before the supplier or attendees. Without all the details, you can’t plan logistics. How does everyone get to the destination? What do you do when you get there? What are you going to do to feed everyone? What advice can the accommodation and other suppliers offer on what to do?
We’re very relaxed about questions!
Tell people that they need to transfer their money to you. This is the one I stand by. Once you know what you want to do and have a budget in place (taking note of any extras), tell people that they must transfer the money to you. Everyone has their own lives and agendas. You don’t want to hear their opinion on whether or not they should pay you the money. They must pay if they wish to attend. Give them the full details on what they’re paying for; the money is refundable/non-refundable, what it’s covering etc. Keep in mind that the cost of certain things, such as accommodation, can vary depending on how many people stay. If someone says they are coming but doesn’t pay the deposit, which means you have to pay them on their behalf with your credit card. They then return and you will be responsible for someone else’s costs. This is unfair.
You may have multiple pay points. In this case, you will need to make a deposit (Paypoint 1) and then pay the balance (Paypoint 2). People can be asked to pay “Pay point 1” at a specific date and “Paypoint 2” at a later date. Paydays are important for people. The end of the month should be a good pay point. Allow people to save money or plan to give their funds to you. Ask your supplier if you can hold your provisional booking up until that date or when you must make the payment. Be organized and establish expectations for everyone involved in this transaction so that they all know what to expect.
You don’t have to be weak, it can be a tug-of-war
THINK about other eventualities; we wish we knew more about COVID! The point is to be prepared for the worst. Are all attendees provided with mobile numbers? Are you able to quickly and easily get information to your group? You arrive at the location earlier than you, but they don’t know how to get in. Can you help them? How can you communicate with someone at the location you are going? Is there WiFi? Cancellation policies for the accommodations you have booked. It may sound silly, but these small things can cause stress and can be handled easily if everyone has the right information.
If A talks to A, but not B, then C and D aren’t involved
At least one activity that requires you to leave your accommodation and, if possible, a competition should be planned. This adds to the logistics, but there’s nothing worse than spending your weekend doing nothing. There is worse than sitting around doing nothing, but that’s what happens when you have a hangover. We are regularly (and soon will be again!) Thank you, COVID! You can see people coming to the site or leaving their accommodation with sunglasses on, but they don’t look nearly as sharp as the day before. This is funny from our point of view, but many people have heard me over the years say that our activities are the best way just to get over a hangover. It’s true! You might need to take a break, but you will have something to look forward to. It is important to plan it in advance. You know the times and how everyone will get there.
Sometimes you just need a cuddle and a power nap
It’s All in the details Once you have all the pieces in place, you can start planning the fun details. These little extras will make people smile. You don’t need to be creative or have no idea where to begin, you can check out social media websites. Team Hen It will help you plan what it is that you want. It will help you to understand your budget. Be realistic, but don’t overspend! Start following other people on Instagram to get ideas! Consider whether these items would interfere with your actual activities. One example: North Yorkshire’s accommodation is on a farm. We can’t allow decorations outside. It isn’t good for the environment if balloons fly into fields. Also, think about sustainability – Don’t get too obsessed with plastics and non-reusable. This is a beautiful thing. Blog These ideas will give you more inspiration!