Monday's Muse: Celebrity Hens

Stuck for ideas for a fabulous hens night? Whether it's your own or you're planning one for a friend these celebrity hens are the perfect inspiration.

Gail Elliott
"Dinner was at Balthazar on Spring Street in Soho (NY) and Ten’s Cabaret on East 21st Street! ...we ended up at a strip club downtown where we met up with the guys."
More...





Lindy Klim
"I had my hen’s night 2 weeks before my wedding, in 2006...I’d only just had Stella, my daughter, a few months before and I was still breastfeeding, so it was fairly low key. We went to Koko’s Teppanyaki at Crown in Melbourne for dinner, and then to Boutique, which is a nightclub in Melbourne, for a dance."
More...

Clare Press

"I’m known to be pretty squeamish about strippers and have a low tackiness threshold, so they avoided the penises/dress made of condoms etc. They had to be creative! When I arrived (at Lo Studio, Surry Hills) I was met with 60 versions of me, in black dresses – my friends were all holding up masks of my face. It was weird! Very Being John Malkovich. After that shock, it was just chic: canapés, champagne and a lot of dancing (at Lady Lux in Kings Cross)"
More...

And, moi!

"The evening was held in the private dining room of Otto restaurant at Woolloomooloo wharf in Sydney. It is has great food and a private dining area which was key to make it more intimate and special. Afterwards we partied at a fabulous city apartment!" More...

Thank you Sucheta (Chief Hen) for including me in this fun feature!

See here for more on these fabulous hens and here for great ideas and advice from the Chief Hen herself!

We Amour: Sucheta of Hens.com.au

Since starting this blog almost twelve months ago I have met and come across many wonderful and inspiring people in the wedding industry. So, I would like to introduce you to the first post of a new series - 'We Amour...' where we meet and spend a few moments with an industry expert.

First in this new series is the beautiful Sucheta, creator of hens.com.au, a fantastic website for both brides to be and friends planning a hens night.

Hens.com.au is a website dedicated to planning a Hens event. Choose from 5 fun categories; Pamper Hen, Wine & Dine Hen, Unique Hen, Sexy Hen and Gift Hen for great ideas to suit every Hen!

What inspired you to create hens.com.au?
I was organising my wedding at the time and could not find any resource that offered sophisticated options for a hen's party. My background was advertising and publishing so I decided to see whether I could create a website to fill the gap in the market.

What was your own hens party like?
Beautiful! We had High Tea at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Sydney. My girlfriend organised a gorgeous afternoon of sandwiches, tea and games. Instead of a veil she organised a lei made of frangipanis which is my favourite flower and was also the flower and theme of our wedding.

What advice would you give to bridesmaids who are organising a hens party for their friend?
Speak to the bride to be ! Before you start the organisation find out exactly what type of party she would like, who she would like included, costs she is happy with per person etc. What is one girls perfect hens night could be another's nightmare so always ask for basic guidelines from your bride.

Hens nights and bridal showers… what’s the difference and should both?
Traditionally a bridal shower is held first and is generally held at the bride to be's or her mother's house. A bridal shower or kitchen tea is a gathering at which older relatives, aunties, grandmothers etc are welcome.
The idea of a bridal shower / kitchen tea is to buy the bride to be domestic gifts for her married home. The hens night on the other hand is the night where the girls can get together for the bride to be's last night of freedom! This may involve a night out or activities and is generally a little more on the raucous ( and potentially x rated!) side than the bridal shower.

A few fabulous ideas for hens nights?
A pampering party with mobile therapists who come to you, cocktail making classes, tarot card reading, bellydancing classes, lingerie slumber parties ... the list goes on and on!

The best Hens idea you have heard (if you have one!)
My current fave is by Makeovers, Manicures and Martinis who are based in Melbourne. It's called Spoil Me High Tea and is set in the gorgeous Botanical Gardens. As well as buffet High Tea, girls also receive a soothing back and neck massage and an express manicure ... bliss!

Tell me about the Hens book
Every bride has a wedding album, guest book, presents etc to remind her of her wedding day, however there was nothing specific to keep from a hen's party. We created these books as a special memento of the hen's party, as a place where girls on the hen's night can not only record a personal message for the bride to be, but after the hen's night you can also place photos of the night in as a very special reminder.

What do you see as the perfect hens night?
The perfect hen's night is one where the wishes of the bride to be are taken into account. It is a special time to share with her nearest and dearest. It should also be one event that the bride neither pays for nor organises therefore making it a stressless and relaxing lead up to her wedding day.
Sucheta - Chief Hen - Hens.com.au

Thank you for your time Sucheta!

Garden Tea Parties For Weddings & Bridal Showers

Spring has me dreaming of garden weddings and tea-parties with friends! Whether you are looking for Wedding Reception ideas or a beautiful and unique Hens or Kitchen Tea, be inspired by these stunning images.

Romantic, colourful and decadently decorated with the brightest florals of the season yet so easy to create yourself with the eclectic mismatched chairs, vases and dinnerware.

Image Credits: NY Magazine, Atalia Gaaya, Country Living, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Country Living, Atelie Gaaya.