Planning Guide
Hen party activities at home: plan a relaxed group celebration
An at-home hen party often brings together friends and family who have not all met before, so the plan works best around one shared activity for everyone, with a few loose options around it. Below are six realistic options — prep, space and suitability for each — plus a flexible sample running order and the budget and housekeeping notes that keep the day calm.
Six activities to choose from
1. Hosted cocktail or mocktail class
This is the hosted service Blayss Mix provides; the other ideas below are activities you can organise yourselves. A mixologist travels to your home with spirits, mixers, glassware, tools and games, everyone makes three cocktails, and setup and cleanup are handled for you. From £35 per person, minimum 10 guests, with a mocktail menu so non-drinkers take part fully — see hen party packages. Prep for you: a workable table and enough room for the group to gather (the venue checklist covers space in detail).
2. Bride-to-be quiz
Self-organised: no supplier fee if a guest hosts; allow for any printing or materials. Write 10–15 questions about the couple, print answer sheets, and let a confident guest host. Prep: an hour of question-writing. Space: wherever everyone can sit in a circle. Suits any group size, and works alongside practically everything else on this list.
3. Playlist or music quiz
One person builds a playlist of songs from the bride's life stages — school, university, wedding-prep era — and guests guess the year or the occasion. Prep: one focused evening. Space: a good speaker and seating. Suits mixed-age groups because the answers favour people who were there, not people who know charts.
4. Simple craft table
Think decorate-a-headband, friendship bracelets or a customise-a-tote station. Buy a cheap kit, set it on a side table, and let guests dip in and out — no structure needed. Prep: one order and one table. Space: minimal. Suits creative groups and gives quieter guests something to do while conversation flows.
5. Shared food or potluck
Assign each guest one dish or one ingredient theme and you have a feast without one person cooking. Prep: a shared list and a fridge clear-out. Space: kitchen or dining room. Suits house-party formats and budget-conscious groups, and pairs naturally with any hosted activity.
6. Memory or photo game
Ask guests beforehand for one photo and one memory of the bride; print the photos and have everyone match memories to faces, then tell the stories. Prep: a few messages sent a week ahead. Space: a sofa area. Suits long-standing friend groups and works well as the sit-down wind-down.
A sample running order
This is an example shape for a relaxed afternoon; check the actual timing of any selected class with the team when you book:
- Guests arrive; drinks, nibbles and the craft table are open (unstructured).
- Anchor activity — for example, the hosted cocktail or mocktail class if you select one.
- Food: potluck or buffet while the drinks from the class are still going.
- Quiz or memory game as the sit-down wind-down.
More activity ideas live in our party games collection if you want to swap anything in or out.
Budget, inclusivity and house rules
- Budget in separate lines — accommodation, food, transport and optional extras each get their own line, alongside any paid activity. A hosted class does not include accommodation, food or transport. Holding the activity in a suitable space you already have — your own home, or a house you have hired for the weekend — can avoid additional room hire, but those other costs stay in your budget.
- Include non-drinkers from the start — mocktail options, quiz formats that need no drinking, and no pressure on anyone to keep up.
- Ask permission before sharing photographs — a hen party is other people's weekend too; agree what gets posted.
- Check Airbnb or rental house rules before booking outside suppliers — the same approval points (supplier, alcohol, guest count, finish time) from the venue checklist apply.
If a hosted class becomes your anchor activity, the hen party page covers packages and booking, or jump straight to the quote builder.
