Top Tips for Planning a Hen Party

Whether it is your first time going to a hen party or your first time planning a hen party we have put together a list of our top planning tips for all. Here at Garavogue Hen Stag we want to start planning your next Hen Party Stress Free.

Who’s coming?

First stop on planning a hen is figuring out who is going to come. So start by sending out a message to all and gather email addresses and phone numbers from the get go. Having this all gathered from the beginning will be a life saver so your not scrolling through group messages looking for the correct spelling of someone’s name. You can always remove them from your list if they are not coming but having all that information will save you time.

All-inclusive package

Go for an all in one package. It works out so much cheaper and stress free in the long run. Booking bits and bobs with multiple suppliers and providers is going to be a lot of work and often doesn’t save you much money in the long run. Choose a Hen & Stag provider who can provide accommodation, activity, meals, transfers and drinks all in one package. Collecting deposits for each element and sending final numbers etc to multiple areas is only going to get messy to take away the stress of it and just go for an all inclusive package.

Use a payment system per person

We offer an online payment system where you can have all attendees be sent a direct payment link. This stops you having to chase everyone to have their payment in on time as once you have inputted their details the system will automatically send them reminders to ensure they are paid on time. Avoid the option to pay in installments and just give a payment deadline instead.

Covering the cost of the hen herself

My top tip always is not to split the cost of the hen amongst the number of attendees your originally planned. Inevitably your numbers will change and this means the amount will fluctuate and you will end up covering the cost yourself. What I always suggest is have someone pay the price of the hen to attend and then split the cost of the hen when you get there get everyone to give you the cash or transfer it to you.

Plan plenty of time between your activities

You want enough time for everyone to be ready and enjoy themselves. There is nothing worse than to be rushing from one place to another and people feeling panicked. The beauty of Sligo is everything will happen when it is supposed to happen. We don’t like the word rush here in Sligo. Give yourself enough time to stop for a drink in the Sun outside the Garavogue between your activities. You might think its a lot of time sitting around but the day will fly.

Book 2 nights

When you book your hen go for the 2 nights. She deserves it! And often it doesn’t actually work out that much more expensive to come for an additional night. Did you know all of our hens on a 2 night package get a complimentary round of shots and finger food included at no extra cost. Its a no brainer! More time out celebrating your fabulous friend.

Pre-book your transfers

Some of our accommodation is just a slight walk from the town and we recommend booking your taxi’s in advance. We offer a mini bus service for large groups – it works out cheaper than taxis. Here in Sligo we also have Free Now app which is suitable for smaller groups but remember all taxis have a flat fee so sometimes the mini bus is the better option. If you are ever struggling to get a taxi please ask any of our team on the night who would be delighted to help you get back safe.

Think about what else is on that weekend

When you are choosing to go on your hen it is worth looking into what events are happening in the town. Here in Sligo we are proud to have lots of annual festivals happening such as Sligo Live, Wild Roots, Sea Sessions, The Fleadh, Sligo Jazz Festival, The Warriors Run and Sligo Summer Festival. Ask your organiser if they can add in tickets to any of our Sligo Events in your package, Or even if there is a sports match on that you want to watch. Just let us know and we can show it on any of our screens.

Choose a non bank holiday weekend

Bank Holidays can be expensive and availability for bedrooms are always scarce. If you are looking for the most cost effective way of planning a hen then go with a date that is off peak. Bank Holiday dates will fill up for accommodation months in advance. Sligo is always hopping on a night out. Choosing an off peak weak just means you will have more choice but will still have a fantastic time.

Share the itinerary closer to the time

Keep the planning to the main organiser until the closer to the time of the hen. You will always have hen attendees who want to be super helpful in the beginning and share their experience and opinions. Every party has them. But things will change with your timings right up until the week of. So I would always suggest giving a rough idea of timings to your attendees in the beginning so they know arrival and departure times but keep it vague until the week of.

Have one main organiser

It is lovely to split the organising out of everything out to multiple people but often you can end up giving yourself double work. Make a plan together and decide on one point of contact for the planning. This stops anyone getting wrong messages or things being missed.
Contact our party planner Yasmina on 071 915 5537 or at bookings@garavoguehenstag.ie to enquire about availability today.