Hen parties are as popular as ever, but the formerly popular trips overseas are being shunned in favor of cheaper knees-ups nearer home as the downturn continues, suggests new research. Planning your weekend party in European cities like Paris, Barcelona or Dublin are increasingly being ditched for one night away in a UK-based town. In fact, one provider of hen party supplies reported a decrease in celebrations abroad of around a third.
Yet domestic hen bash bookings are up by more than 5%, interesting given the 10% fall in marriages over the past 10 years. At the same time, fewer couples are able to pay for a big, expensive wedding, now costing over £20K on average.
Towns including Norwich, Lincoln, and Reading have seen a steep increase in hen party bookings. But most popular destinations are Brighton, Blackpool, and Birmingham.
Many hens are happier staying in one place all night rather than going on a bar or pub crawl, evidenced by the rise in sales of tableware.
There’s also been a rise in the sale of hen party stuff like decorations, suggesting more women are choosing to celebrate with friends at home and decking out their living rooms.
The survey found the typical number of guests at a hen party to be 10, with Cowgirls the best-loved theme and cowboy hats the most popular accessory. Other perennial favorites include bridal L-plates and willy-shaped drinking straws.
So if you don’t want your mates to have to fork out for expensive celebrations you’re far from alone – even Una Healy from the Saturdays just had a one-night bash in London this year for close friends.
