Hen Party Games That Aren't Excruciating
We make cards, pin badges, prints and party bits in the UK. We don't sell inflatable anything, so this is a plain guide with our own bits only where they genuinely fit.
The hardest thing about a hen do isn't the venue, it's a room containing school friends, work friends, the mother-in-law and a cousin nobody has met.
Run two or three games early, keep them short, and the group sorts itself out for the rest of the weekend.
Finish it with a card
Get the card signed by the whole group while everyone's in one room.
There's Someone For All Of Us (Funny Wedding Card)
£3.87
"Rock On" Good Luck Card
£3.87
Just Married Cake Polaroid Wedding Day Card (Personalised Names)
£3.87
Personalised Wedding Card Featuring Pigeons
£3.87
Fix Up, Look Sharp. Will You Be My Groomsman? Card
£3.91
Fix Up, Look Sharp. Will You Be My Best man? Card
£3.91
Icebreakers for the first hour
- How well do you know the bride: everyone writes an answer, the bride reads hers out, points for matches. Ten minutes, works every time.
- Two truths and a lie about the bride, written by the people who've known her longest.
- Name badges with how each person knows her, which quietly solves the whole introductions problem.
- Advice cards: one line of marriage advice each, read out after dinner and kept in an envelope for the couple.
Clean games for a mixed group
- Mr and Mrs, with the groom's answers recorded on video beforehand. Still the best game there is.
- Guess the baby photo, printed and pinned on a board.
- Prosecco pong, which is beer pong for people in nice clothes.
- A picture quiz of the bride's life in ten photos, with a small prize.
Later, louder games
- Dares in envelopes, opened one per hour, with the tame ones early.
- Never have I ever, bride's edition, with the group agreeing the limits first.
- Karaoke roulette - a hat of song titles, one each, no refusals.
- Ring on the finger: lose your ring, lose a forfeit, for a full-day low-effort game.
Rules that keep it fun
- Nothing that involves strangers in a bar. It's tedious for everyone, including the bride.
- Always have a non-drinking version of the forfeit. Someone is always driving, pregnant or sober.
- Ask the bride what she hates before you plan anything. She usually names the exact game you'd have picked.
- Ten minutes a game maximum, then back to talking.
How to write it so it lands
- Ask the bride what she'd hate first.
- Ten minutes per game.
- Always have a sober version.
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Frequently asked questions
What are good hen party games?
Mr and Mrs, how well do you know the bride, guess the baby photo, prosecco pong and advice cards. Short games early work better than long ones.
What hen party games work with the mother-in-law there?
Keep the first half clean: quizzes, photo games, advice cards and Mr and Mrs. Save anything rude for after the older guests leave.
How many games should a hen do have?
Three is plenty. Ten minutes each, spread through the day.