Wedding season is upon us, and while we promise we are all completely over the moon for our friends who have managed to escape the tumbleweed-filled wastelands of dating apps, we do have some gripes.
Not least how much the whole affair is going to cost us - a recent survey, reported by Stylist, revealed that on average it is costing us £507 to attend hen parties and weddings.
Now we know our contribution is a drop in the ocean compared to how much the bride and groom will be shelling out, but given we aren’t the ones who will end up with a ring on our finger at the end, we feel we have a right to be a little tighter with the purse strings.
So here are 11 do’s and don’ts for the bride when trying to organise a hen party and not lose all your friends in the process.
1. Do ask for everyone’s thoughts before settling on a destination that needs a long-haul flight.
2. Do not expect that people will want to spend all their holiday money for the year on your one occasion.
3. Do recognise that this might not be the only wedding they have to pay for this year.
4. Do not assume everyone has the same budget.
5. Do remember that people have other commitments of their own, like families and partners.
6. Do not organise 12 hours of back-to-back activities.
7. Do remember that this isn’t meant to be a competition.
8. Do not make people feel guilty if they aren’t constantly contributing to the hen Whatsapp thread.
9. Do consider alternatives to drinking, not everyone is on board.
10. Do not force people to spend lots of time with people they do not know or like.
11. Do not lose sight of what you enjoy doing, rather than what you feel obliged to do.