10 Alternative Hen Do Ideas that Don’t Involve Drinking
It’s the hen do that everyone has been talking about. The one where you and your mates get together, drink lots of wine and have a laugh-a-thon! But what if you don’t want to go down this route? What if you’d prefer a sober (yet still fun) occasion that doesn’t involve alcohol at all?
There are so many reasons you might prefer a hen night that doesn’t involve drinking. For example:
A - You’re pregnant
B - You can’t drink for some other reason (e.g. on medication)
C - Your religion doesn’t allow alcohol
E - Some of your hens are under 18
F - You’d rather have a night that everyone will remember the next day
G - Or – as shocking as it may sound to some – you just don’t like drinking! There’s nothing wrong with that.
If any of the above applies to you, here are some hen do ideas that don’t involve a single drop of bubbly, beer or booze of any kind. They’re all still a lot of fun, and will make for a fantastic and memorable pre-wedding party!
1. Spa Day
A spa is the absolute perfect place to relax and unwind pre-wedding. Wedding planning can be hectic and stressful (if you’ve ever planned one, you’ll know what we mean) – so what better way to let loose and enjoy yourself before your wedding than by having a spa day with your best girls?
Find a luxury spa with a pool, jacuzzi and steam room, and even invest in a special spa treatment for everyone. Oh, there are so many great options here: facials, manicures, pedicures, massages – you name it.
2. Karaoke
Karaoke is an awesome way to let loose and have a good time, while still staying sober. Yes, people often say that alcohol is necessary to enjoy a karaoke night, but this simply isn’t the case. You don’t need to be perfect singers – it’s all about having fun and laughing at yourselves! (Though don’t force anyone to sing if they don’t want to.)
Make sure that you have a karaoke machine with microphones and speakers for the best experience. You could even all dress up as your favourite singers to turn the event into a hilariously fun costume party. Madonna, anyone?
3. Escape Room
Escape games are challenging brain puzzles that take place in a physical space, where participants have to solve the clues and riddles inside within a certain time limit in order to 'escape'. It's a physical and mental test of wits, as you and your friends will work together to find your way out before running out of time.
Escaping is usually only possible when you use the provided tools logically, observe specific details which may be hidden from view or logically follow the rules set by the game designers. They're not too expensive, either, which helps! And solving tricky puzzles is certainly not an activity that can be done after you’ve had a tipple or two, so it’s a fantastic idea for a sober hen night.
4. Movie Night at Home
A hen do is often synonymous with a drunken night out at a bar, pub or club, but this doesn't have to be the case! It's not always necessary to go out out in order to have a good time. You could organise a cozy movie night instead, so you and your friends can watch the latest and greatest in films while staying sober.
Turn it into a pyjama party by getting your hens to arrive already kitted out in their PJs, slippers and dressing gowns. Don’t forget the snacks – popcorn, fizzy drinks, sweets and crisps are absolutely essential! What could be better?
5. Pizza Making Evening
Everyone loves pizza and there’s nothing better than making your own. Homemade pizza tastes infinitely superior to the takeaway kind, and is a lot cheaper – not to mention, having everyone toss, roll out and top their own pizzas will make for a brilliantly fun evening!
Why not turn it into a pizza eating contest if you’re up for a challenge? Compete against your guests to see who can eat the most slices of pizza in 10 minutes! This is a fun way to get all of your guests involved and have some laughs without any alcohol consumption attached.
6. Mocktail Party
A cocktail party is considered by many to be the height of sophistication and a great idea for a hen night. But if you’re not drinking, you don’t need to miss out on any of the fun! Consider having mocktails instead of alcoholic beverages.
Mocktails are non-alcoholic cocktails and come in a variety of different flavours. These are a lot of fun to make and extremely tasty to drink. Turn it into a mocktail-making event or simply have a night out at a good bar that has an extensive mocktail menu.
7. Afternoon Tea
Alternatively, consider a tea party! Tea is one of those things that people either love or hate, but absolutely everybody loves a good afternoon tea – especially if there’s a good range of snacks served, such as:
1) Finger sandwiches
2) Little cakes
3) Scones with jam and cream
4) Crisps and nuts
5) Fancy chocolates
Dress up in vintage afternoon tea dresses and be sure to have a few fun games ready to play, such as card games and quizzes, so everyone has something to do while they’re enjoying the food and drink. You could do it yourself at home, or find a hireable venue that serves afternoon tea – don’t forget to decorate the room with balloons, and give everyone a goody bag to take any leftover food home in.
8. Hire a Photographer
Hiring a photographer to photograph whatever kind of 'do' you choose to have is one of the best ideas! This will allow people to remember all of the special moments and also make for some awesome party snaps after.
The photographer could offer a number of different add-ons, such as:
1) Live feed photos – send out live updates on social media or an online blog as the event takes place.
2) Customised prints or albums – the bride can get photos printed or framed to put up in her new home.
3) Photo booth – a lot of people will have phones with a camera on them nowadays, but there’s something special about having a DIY photo booth with funny props.
4) Photo CD – this is a great option if you want to print the photos off at a later stage, and it's a cost-effective way for everyone to have their own album.
Another idea is to hire a video maker too, who can record the highlights of your night and make a montage of the day to go on YouTube—and because you won’t be drinking any alcohol, you’ll avoid any drunken antics and subsequent embarrassment!
9. Play Truth or Dare
You can create the same kind of atmosphere or vibe as a traditional hen do even if you don't drink easily... With party games! Truth or Dare has no age restrictions and is great to play at a hen do party. It helps break the ice and gets everyone talking.
To start, you should have people form a circle in the middle of wherever the party is being held. One person will be chosen to come up with a question or dare for the person who's it to answer or perform the dare.
Be creative when coming up with your 'challenges'. Make sure they're fun but achievable and that they reflect what your friends would actually do!
Obviously, games like these aren't for everyone - but they create a fun hen-do kind of vibe without any drinking necessary. Just make sure the bride is OK with playing before you organise it.
10. Have a Board Game Night
As an alternative to a traditional hen do, why not have a board game night? You can create the same kind of atmosphere or vibe as a traditional hen do even if you don't drink. If you want to get your friends together for something fun without having anything that will leave you hungover the next day then this is a great thing to try. You could play anything from Cluedo to Monopoly, or even tactical games like Jenga and Connect 4 - whatever floats your boat!
This is not for everyone. Some people might find playing games like this quite boring and it's important to make sure that your friend group are happy with doing something like this before you put in all of the organisation work. But you could always make things more entertaining by offering prizes for the winners!
Where Can I Buy Hen Party Accessories?
If you’re looking for a fantastic selection of hen party props and accessories, you’ve can find it all at Bride and Groom Direct. We stock everything from sashes and badges to photo albums and frames that will let you hold on to your hen do memories for years to come!
While you’re having a browse, why not order your personalised wedding save the dates, invitations, and thank you cards with us at the same time? We also stock table plans, place cards and a whole range of other wedding day must-haves. We offer a flat delivery fee across our entire range of accessories and wedding stationery, so the more you order, the more you’ll save on shipping.
We’re proud to have served thousands of happy customers in the past, evidenced by our excellent rating on Trustpilot, and we’re excited to have you join their ranks. Head over to Bride and Groom Direct today to see everything we have to offer. You won’t be disappoi