Your best friend from school is getting married and you are the maid of honour. While it is the maid of honour’s duty to host the all-important bridal shower and hens night, question is, who exactly would be entitled to the hen party invitations?
Unless you want to keep it under wraps, it’s best you consult the bride as to who she would want to send out hen night invitations to. It’s mandatory, unless in certain circumstances to invite guests who would also be attending the wedding to the hens night. Hen night invitations also include bigger complications such as inviting mothers, older female relatives and alas, in-laws.
But depending on how much you are willing to splurge, the issue could be dealt with easily: organise two events namely, a bridal shower or kitchen tea for all female relatives and friends and send out exclusive hen night invitations to the girlfriends.
Bridal Showers
A bridal shower is usually held to “shower” the bride with gifts and wishes before the wedding and can happen either separate from a hens night or could double as both.
Kitchen Teas
Another way in which a bridal shower could be hosted is by having a kitchen tea, which is like a high tea but a less “over the top” tea party hosted especially for the bride-to-be. A kitchen tea can include all female relatives and friends irrespective of age and there are games organised as well, for everyone to have a good time. Kitchen teas can be held at the home of the maid of honour, a café or an eatery that is central to all those attending and even at the home at one of the relatives or friends.
Kitchen tea invitations are predominantly salmon pink or even red with white polka dots for a feminine and elegant look. Usually the “after party” of a kitchen tea is where the hens night invitations come into play as the girls let their hair down.
Hens Night
Perhaps one of the most awaited and looked forward to maid of honour duties is to host the hens night and to send out hen night invitations to your circle of friends. If your hens night is followed by a kitchen tea or bridal shower with a selected group of girls, be sure to discuss with the bride as to how to go about distributing hen night invitations without offending those not invited.
It’s your best friend’s final fling before the ring, make sure that her bridal shower and hens night is one that is memorable, safe and filled with polaroid pictures.
