AWARD WINNING SERVICE
Anyone who knows me will be aware of how much I love a costume and so does the bride to be (BTB) as we have partnered up a few times at the school ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ She made a brilliant Slash and I’m not sure either of us looked great as Bros. Aghh! but I do love my lobster costume and my Christmas tree costume that come out every year. A chicken wasn’t on my costume wish list, but I’ll try anything once, and thank God we got full commitment from the rest of the hens. Go big or go home!
This weekend wasn’t about me it was about my best friend Henny Swan, who was having her hen party. With a name like that it didn’t take us long to come up with the perfect outfits. The Bride to be got to look glamorous and serene dressed as a swan whilst we as her entourage dressed like silly chickens. Quite frankly I think every hen party should include a few chickens whether your name is Henny or not. Rather than ‘foul play’ from the onlooker hens with a tradition of humiliating the bride with a stripper and a penis hat we decided to celebrate her and support her by being the foolish foul to her stunning swan. Thank God everyone was a good sport, even on the hottest day of the year when we all became ‘roast chickens’ in all that polyester.
So, after many meetups to make plans and so much research we decided on this heady mix of relaxation, fun, good food, surprises, games, silent disco, and lots of fizz, Margaritas, Aperol Spritzes and Rosé mix I regretted the morning after. We almost booked one of our ring-making workshop but given everything else was on the beach logistics wise it made sense to stay down there especially given it was such a sunny day. (Also, sometimes it's nice to have a day off from work!).
1. 10.30- 12.15 Beach Box Brighton
We knew, as it was hot and based in our wonderful city of Brighton that we wanted to put a large focus on the beach. Brighton seafront has so upped its game over the last few years especially to the east of the Palace Pier with so many fabulous attractions from crazy golf, zip lining to the brand-new Sea Lanes olympic size swimming pool on the beach. All were great options, but we went with the Beach Box Spa where you could take a cool swim in the sea and then warm up in your own group horse box sauna. It is such a fabulous place with mud masks, leaf whisking, ice-cold baths and plunge pools a real treat for mind, body and soul and what a way to meet people! Being in your swimmers definitely helps break the ice.
2. 12.30 -2.00 Picnic at a beach hut
This might be a bit harder to get hold of, but I honestly feel so lucky to have a friend who let us borrow it for lunch. It was so cute and just a short walk along the beach from the saunas. We had delicious sandwiches, deli delights and nibbles plus our first dose of fizz and cocktails. This was a brilliant break to the day and allowed us to relax in deckchairs, load up on carbs and celebrate with a quick game of Mr and Mrs. This game is always a winner and well worth doing. I called the stag/groom a few days before and sorted his answers and then it’s just about seeing if they think the same. Luckily Henny was either pre-warned or they are absolutely perfect together as most questions were spot on. They have known each other since uni so that’s probably why. After a great spread and much laughter, we headed off to our next location which was a few minutes’ walk along the beach again.
3. 2.00 – 3.00 Volleyball at Yellowave
This was a brilliant idea and we all got to learn the basics of volleyball from my friend Tanya who is an absolute star at the game. She was an incredible teacher and taught us all so much. It was really fun once we started to get the hang of it and weren’t throwing balls in all directions. The sand was super-hot but we got used to it and dug our toes deep beneath the top layer to the cool sand below. It was definitely something I want to do again, as like anything, you get better with practice, and I would definitely suggest wearing a support bra as there is a lot of jumping involved!
Food-wise if we hadn’t had the beach hut we would have stopped there for food and drinks (including wine and beer) as they have wood fired pizzas, salads and baguettes plus a lovely sail covered shaded sand pit area where you can get out of the sun and enjoy their extensive menu. Not only is it a fun place but they also really care about sustainability with their pledge to become net zero by introducing solar panels, returnable plastic cups (where you pay a deposit that you get back) so they don’t end up in the sea. You can see why they won silver for the most ethical, responsible and sustainable tourism business in the South East. Even if you’re not on a hen-do or don’t want to play volleyball it’s still worth a visit.
4. 3.30 – 5.00
By the time we had finished volleyball we were a sweaty mess so we went back home to K’s house for showers, games including a silly fun game where everybody brings a pair of (NEW) knickers to reflect their personality. The BTB has to guess whose they are and then gets to keep them. Everyone had really thought about it and had great knickers… mine on the other had were really embarrassing as I stuck sequins, beads, and googly eyes to a blank pair of navy blue (my fave colour) knickers. I even added the extra detail of sticking a barbie dolls hair as if it was escaping from the sides (nuff said). The problem was the glue was from the Pound Shop and when she put them on the whole thing fell apart although the googly eyes stayed on.
We had Margaritas and a beautiful swan sponge cake handmade by her daughter and I don’t usually like cake but it was truly delicious. We then got a cab back to the beach to the i360 for a silent disco.
5. 5.30 – 6.30 Silent Disco
I have spoken about this disco madness before but there really is nothing better than doing it with 10 hens. If there is one thing you should do for your hen party, it MUST be this. You get to dance around the streets and along the beach to fabulous classics that you scream from the top of your lungs. However silly you sound you are assured by Guru Dudu himself that when the notes leave your mouth they transform into perfect tones. So much fun and really has the feel-good factor. You walk away feeling exhausted but very very happy.
We finished off the events-of-the-day with a nice meal upstairs at The Lion And Lobster. This pub is great for a celebration as it has a beautiful Titanic-esque style dining room upstairs but a loud rowdy pub downstairs (with live music and sports) and good hearty food that will suit everyone’s needs. They can cater to large groups although I must be honest I didn’t say we were a hen party when I booked it, as it can put people off. Keep schtum until you arrive through the door dressed as chickens. The other pub that is very similar to The Lion And Lobster is the The Walrus that is owned by the same people and it would be another great option as they have a fantastic restaurant, a roof garden and a disco dancefloor in the basement. Plus they sometimes have live shows.
Once we had finished there we rolled back to mine to consume more booze in the garden until the early hours and to celebrate a great day had by all. Organising a hen party can be a stressful experience and we changed the plan over and over again, but I honestly think we pulled it off and everybody -especially the BTB had the best time. It worked out at £50 per head (not including the costume and dinner) Now I’m looking forward to seeing them all again at the wedding.
Some other ideas!
Silver Ring Making Workshops
We host them in our Brighton and London shops and can even run them on Saturday mornings (pre the boozy long lunch!).
Hen Party Jewellery
We also have some gorgeous jewellery that can be personalised for each of the hens. You can add the date, their nicknames, their initials…whatever you like! Each piece is crafted by hand making it unique and special. Just like the hens! ( ;
