How to Plan an Amazing Hen Weekend on a Realistic Budget

Step 2: Pick the Right Destination for Your Budget

Some places are naturally more expensive than others. That doesn’t mean you can’t go, it just means you need to be savvy.

Rough Destination Guide

More budget-friendly:

• Carrick-on-Shannon

• Kilkenny

• Carlingford

• Limerick

Mid-range:

• Cork

• Athlone

• Westport

• Galway

Spendy but iconic:

• Dublin

• Belfast

• Big UK cities

• Sun destinations (Salou, Albufeira, etc.)

• European cities (Prague, Budapest, Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Warsaw, Split)

If the group is on tighter budgets, lean into destinations where:

• Accommodation is better value

• Taxis aren’t eating half the night’s budget

• Bars and restaurants are hen-friendly without charging full city-centre prices

Balance the splurge and the save

You don’t have to avoid pricier places completely - you just need balance.

For example:

• Instead of a luxury hotel in Galway plus a chaotic (and pricey) bar crawl,
  book a central self-catering apartment, one big organised activity, and a set menu dinner.

Same memories. Less financial trauma.

Or if you’re set on Kilkenny:

• Swap a hotel for a central guesthouse,

• Keep the majority of the budget for fun activities, delicious food and cocktails,

• And let the accommodation be “nice and handy” rather than “Instagram showpiece”.

Step 3: Decide Where You’ll Splurge vs Save

Think of your hen like a mini-wedding: you can’t have everything top-tier, so you need to choose your priorities.

Good places to splurge

These are worth putting money into:

• Central vs. budget accommodation
  No one wants a 25-minute taxi each way or to be stranded in an industrial estate.
  That said, if you can get a nice apartment not too far out that’s much better value and offers extra space (great if you want a pamper night in), it can be a smart compromise.

• One hero activity
  Cocktail class, Draw a Nude, drag show, river cruise – that one thing everyone will remember.

• A decent group meal
  A proper seated meal where everyone’s together, with time for speeches, toasts and a bit of roasting of the bride.

Good places to save

Nobody will miss these if you trim them back:

• Over-the-top décor
  You don’t need a full Instagram backdrop shop.
  One good DIY balloon arch or backdrop + a few nice touches is plenty.

• Random paid extras
  Expensive goody bags full of stuff people will leave behind in the hotel.

• Too many paid activities
  One or two great activities + a few DIY games beats a jam-packed itinerary of back-to-back paid activities nobody has energy for.

If you’re booking through The Happy Hen, we can often bundle accommodation + activities so it works out better value than trying to piece everything together yourself. You focus on the vibe; we quietly bully the spreadsheet into behaving.

We can also offer multiple package options if some of the group can’t commit to the full weekend but would like to join for part of it. We’re here to help find the best solution for the whole group, not just the people with the biggest budgets.

Step 4: Consider a Day Trip Hen or 1-Night Stay

Not every hen has to be a full-blown weekend away. Lots of brides are now choosing day trip hens or 1-night stays to:

• Keep costs down

• Make it easier for mums, new parents, and people travelling from abroad

• Avoid everyone being absolutely destroyed for three days after

Just bear in mind: many accommodation options have a 2-night minimum stay, especially on busy weekends. That can limit your choices a bit, but it’s still very doable with the right location.

Option 1: Day Trip Hen

Perfect for brides who don’t want a massive fuss, or groups spread around the country.

You can structure it like this:

• Arrive around lunchtime

• One hero activity (drag brunch, cocktail class, old school sports day, Draw a Nude, etc.)

• Group meal and a few drinks afterwards

• Everyone heads home to their own bed – bliss

You still get the photos, the memories and the chaos… without paying for accommodation at all.

Option 2: 1 Night Hen

A great “best of both” option:

Day 1

• Arrive late morning / early afternoon

• Activity in the afternoon

• Dinner and night out

Day 2

• Chill brunch

• A walk, coffee, last photos

• Home at a reasonable hour

You’ve still had “a weekend away” – just without the extra night of accommodation and the 47 extra drinks “because we’re here anyway”.

Step 5: Build a Budget-Friendly Itinerary

Once you’ve got the destination and length of stay sorted, it’s time to build an itinerary that feels full without being full of expensive things.

Example of a 1 night hen itinerary

Day 1

• Check-in & prosecco in the room
  (Bought in Aldi or Lidl, no shame. We support sensible financial decisions.)

• Activity (pick one big thing):

  • Cocktail class

  • Draw a Nude

  • Drag bingo

  • Old school sports day

  Choose the one everyone will still be talking about at the wedding.

• Group dinner
  A pre-booked set menu so nobody is having heart palpitations when the bill lands.

• Optional late bar / club / back to the house
  Some will want to go big, others will want to go to bed. Both are valid life choices.

Day 2

• Lazy breakfast or brunch

• Quick walk, coffee and a last round of “remember when you…”

• Home at a sensible hour, not broken for a week

Free or low-cost fillers

You don’t need to pay for entertainment all day long. Mix in free bits like:

• Mr & Mrs quiz – endless material, always.

• Hen bingo – personalise the squares with in-jokes.

• “Prosecco pong” – cheap cups and a bottle or two, job done.

• DIY photo booth – ring light, nice backdrop, a couple of props.

These keep the energy going between the “big” moments without costing the group more money.

Step 6: Avoid the Money Drama Traps

This is where most hens descend into chaos – and not the fun kind.

Classic hen money nightmares

• One poor soul fronting everyone’s deposits on their own card

• People dropping out after everything is booked and paid

• “Oh, I thought that was included?” rows on the night

No, thank you.

How to dodge the drama

• Use an online payment portal where:

  • Each guest pays their own share

  • You can see at a glance who has and hasn’t paid

  • You’re not playing human Revolut reminder for three months

  (Hi from The Happy Hen 👋 – this is literally how we run our bookings over on thehappyhen.eu.)

• Have clear per-person pricing from the very start
  No “we’ll divide it later” nonsense.

• Set a payment deadline and stick to it
  Make it clear that deposits are non-refundable once suppliers are booked.

This isn’t about being harsh – it’s about not becoming the overdraft fairy just because you were kind enough (or foolish enough) to be maid of honour.

Step 7: Smart Ways to Cut Costs (That Guests Won’t Even Notice)

You don’t need to cut the fun – just cut the waste.

A few easy wins:

• Self-catering + one nice meal
  Often cheaper than 2 nights in a hotel, plus you can do breakfast, pre-drinks and games all in the same space.

• Choose an activity that doubles as drinks + entertainment:

  • Cocktail class

  • Drag brunch

  • Draw a Nude

  That way, you’re not paying separately for a day activity and a big night out.

• Use multi-buy deals on décor and hen accessories
  Pick one colour or theme instead of buying every single thing that says “bride” on it.

• Pick dates outside bank holiday weekends and major events
  Accommodation prices can jump massively those weekends – save yourself the pain if you can.

Step 8: When to Bring in a Hen Planner

Here’s when it makes sense to call in backup:

• You hate chasing money

• Your full-time job is… not “hen party coordinator”

• You’re juggling a large group in a busy destination

• The thought of researching 50 activities is making your eye twitch

This is where a planner like The Happy Hen quietly saves your sanity.

What we can do for you

At The Happy Hen, we can:

• Match you to the right destination for your budget and your bride

• Bundle accommodation + activities so you’re getting proper value

• Set up easy payment plans – low €50 deposit and staged payments

• Give the bride her spot free with 15+ guests, so you’re saving before you even start packing

You still pick the vibe, the theme, and the chaos level.
We just take on the admin, supplier wrangling, money-chasing and schedule juggling.

You get to be the fun one, not the stressed one.

Final Thoughts: It’s About the Bride, Not the Budget

A “good” hen isn’t about:

• How far you fly

• How expensive the cocktails are

• Or whether the apartment has a neon sign on the wall for Instagram

It’s about the bride feeling:

• Loved

• A bit spoiled

• And absolutely wrecked from laughing

Set a realistic budget.
Be upfront.
Pick one or two things to make incredible… and let the rest be simple.

If you want help building a budget that actually works – and a weekend that feels anything but cheap – drop us a message and we’ll sketch it all out with you.

You bring the bride and the group chat.
We’ll bring the plan, the payment link, and the organised chaos.

Here’s when it makes sense to call in backup:

• You hate chasing money

• Your full-time job is… not “hen party coordinator”

• You’re juggling a large group in a busy destination

• The thought of researching 47 activities is making your eye twitch

This is where a planner like The Happy Hen quietly saves your sanity.