Here at Hen Heaven HQ we were surprised to hear that after Marvin’s 8 day Vega stag do, his fiancée (Saturday’s singer Rochelle) celebrated her final days as a single girl in a slightly more modest way…

Instead of lavish London bars or an expensive all girl holiday, Rochelle decided to celebrate at her local pub, The Kings Oak Hotel  in Essex. Naturally guests included her fellow band mates but Rochelle was also chaperoned by her soon to be brother-in-law who made sure that she was kept safe from any unwanted male attention.

Now we’re sure they all had a wonderful time (even if there was a noticeable absence of L-Plate and willy straws) but we can’t help but think that maybe she could  have opted for a slightly more exciting Hen Night. Because lets face it 8 days in sunny Vegas versus 1 wet night in Essex, hardly seems fair now does it?

A study published yesterday reveals what we here at Hen Heaven already suspected: more couples are shunning a wedding on British soil to get hitched abroad than ever before, and the number is set to rise even further.

The average cost of tying the knot in the UK now sits at a staggering £18,500 and, unsurprisingly, many brides and grooms are fleeing UK shores to say ‘I do’. Italy is the most popular destination, followed closely by Spain and Portugal. Attracted by an ever-improving exchange rate, warm weather all year round and the fact that they could save between £1-5000 on the cost of their wedding, couples are flocking to the continent in their droves. Indeed, an estimated 80,000 people will be tying the knot abroad over the next 12 months.

With Las Vegas, Hawaii and the Caribbean also proving popular destinations for weddings, with ceremonies going for as little as £250, will that all-important hen do also be upping sticks and taking place abroad too?

Well, thankfully, the evidence points to a healthy swell of all-British hen parties continuing to take place up and down the country, as ladies compensate for the imminent wedding abroad with a wild weekend on home turf. The Scottish capital Edinburgh is proving a huge hit with the hens because it provides you with the best of both worlds. Not only can you get pampered and top up with a dose of culture, but the city also boasts one of the UK’s best nightlife scenes. You can get stuck into enjoying comedy clubs, cocktail making, even treasure hunts, alongside trips in VIP buses, pole dancing lessons and Dirty Dancing classes.

So, as girls take hold of their man and head for the beaches of continental Europe to tie the knot, many have decided that when it comes to hen parties Edinburgh is a pretty tough one to be topped.

Here at Hen Heaven HQ we feel a little sorry for Jennifer Aniston, especially after the news that Angelina Jolie is set to marry her ex – Brad Pitt this Autumn, of whom she was famously with for 5 years.

However  despite the Branglina engagement  news Jen seems quite happy with her new beau Justin Theroux. In fact there are rumours that they plan to have a summer wedding on the sunny island of Crete.

Whether the gossip is true or not we’re not sure (we haven’t heard any news of Jen and Justin even being engaged!) but we do hope that Jen was being genuine when she said that she was happy that Brad and Angelina were getting hitched. Believe us Jen, Justin is a luck man and it’s better to live and let go.

We’re sure you’ve heard but if you haven’t, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are preparing to marry (it’s only taken them 7 years!) That’s right, the beautiful couple plan to tie the knot in August/September at their £35m French château.

The date itself has extra emotional significance as it’s also Brad’s parents 50th anniversary. The celebrity couple announced their engagement earlier this month and are even planning to relocate to England, while Angelina shoots three movies back-to-back.

According to The Star on Sunday, “They thought their kids would love the idea of seeing mom and dad get hitched followed by a big bash for them as well as ‘Meemaw and Grandpa’ as they call Brad’s folks.” (Awww!)

That’s what we love about Brangelina, they’re always thinking about their kids! Anyway we wish the happy couple all the best and we’re sure the wedding is going to be beautiful.

News Source & Photo Source

As women we’re faced with several tough decisions in our life. Which University course do I choose? Am I ready settle down? Would I look really stupid with a fringe? O.k. maybe not the last one, but you know what I mean! Another tricky decision some of us will have to make is – Who do I choose as my chief bridesmaid?

Now this may seem like a simple question and I know what you’re thinking, “My best friend of course” and normally I’d be inclined to agree with you… However (as I’ll explain below) this might not be the best decision. So to ensure that you have the best hen party and pillar of support (aka chief bridesmaid) here are 5 tips on how to choose your chief bridesmaid .

• Before asking potential candidates, asses your friends and their strengths/ weaknesses

An important and often overlooked step in the process: just because your friend X is a good laugh, doesn’t mean she’s a great party planner. Similarly Y might be organised and a perfectionist, but she might not be able to let her hair down during the party. So take your time and think about who’ll be best for the job. Because you want someone supportive, fun, trustworthy and organised.

• Make sure they actually want to be a chief bridesmaid

This may seem really obvious but just because they’re your best friend that doesn’t automatically mean that they want to be your chief bridesmaid. So make sure you actually ASK them if they’d like the honour and not just assume. That way you’ll avoid potential awkward disappointment in case she declines (yes this does happen!)

• Make it clear what is required of them

You know this makes sense, especially if the friend in question has never been a chief bridesmaid before. Give her an idea of what you’d like her to get involved with. If you’d like her to be really involved – let her know, if you only want her to help out with little things – let her know. Obviously she’s going to have to organise your hen party but aside from that it’s only polite to warn her that you may need her to potentially camp out in front of Selfridges the night before the sale. Just so you can get those ivory peep toes you’ve had your eye on.

• Try and avoid the “family trap”

Family is grand but don’t let them bully you into choosing a family member if it’s not what you want. I’ve witnessed this quite a few times and family rivalry/bickering can ruin the build-up to big day. So unless you and your sister/cousin/aunt are close and can spend more than 2 days together without busting out into an argument, then don’t feel like you’re obliged to choose a family member, even if it’s what your folks want.

• Make sure your chief bridesmaid has your best interests at heart

It’s your wedding not hers. This may seem obvious to start with but believe me; once the two of you start sampling menus and trying on tiaras some chief bridesmaids become possessed by the “bride demon” and once possessed these women can become a pain. Some even start enforcing their opinions and preferences onto you (whilst completely disregarding yours.) So make sure you stand your ground and if she starts becoming a diva, remind her whose big day it really is.

If you follow these steps and use your own intuition then you’ll make the right decision. However if it does end up going wrong and you do want strangle your chief bridesmaid. Then there’s really no harm in calmly telling her that (for the sake of your friendship) you don’t think she should be the chief bridesmaid anymore and designate the role to someone else. Besides if she really is your friend she’ll understand.

Here at Hen Heaven HQ we’re very excited because if you watched ITV Daybreak this morning, then you’ll know that a lucky couple made wedding history today by becoming the first people EVER to get (legally) married on British beach!

Frazer Seed and Kate Smith entered an ITV competition to win this exclusive opportunity and were married on live T.V. at  8:10am on Bournemouth beach this morning. The wedding prize included a bridal gown, bouquet, wedding beach hut, hand-crafted cake, champagne, canapés and marquee on the beach plus a gourmet reception at the Highcliff, along with overnight accommodation for up to 30 guests.

We think the decision to approve and legalise UK beach weddings comes at a good time, as foreign travel is becoming increasingly more expensive. Plus (when the weathers nice) the sandy beaches of the UK can rival anywhere in the world as the perfect beach wedding location.

So now that there’s been a couple married on Bournemouth beach, we’re sure there’ll plenty more from now on! Especially since summer and peak wedding season is about to hit the UK. We’re so excited!

Source: Bournemouth Echo

Photography source: Ian H

We’re sure Una Healy didn’t appreciate the news that her soon-to-be –husband Ben Foden was snapped (and filmed!) dancing with his wedding tackle out for all to see.

The incident happened during Ben’s Barcelona stag party, in the £77 a head “Bagdad Sex Club.” Rugby star Ben is due to marry Saturdays songstress Una Healy within weeks and whilst the incident is unfortunate, we can’t say we’re that surprised.

After all stags get up to all kinds of crazy things during their “do”, especially when they’re drunk, but then again so do hens…

Now you can deny it all you want but we all know it’s true! Because let’s be honest, an Appletini doesn’t really count as 1 of your 5 a day, that deep V-neck wasn’t really designed for “ventilation” purposes and wasn’t it odd (and totally unexpected) when that smoking hot “policeman” decided to take all his clothes off when “You sexy thing” came on…

Anyway, what we’re basically saying is that yes we can shake our heads at the stags but hens out on a hen night are quite capable of being just as bad (we just don’t like to admit it!)

source: The Sun

Whether it’s a Bournemouth, Newcastle or Amsterdam hen party that you’re in the market for, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for on Hen Heaven, but we’re unveiling a new offer that ensures that you get even more bang for your buck when booking with us. Our “Sister Before The Mister” offer gives you a free night out with the bride-to-be either just before or just after the hen party, which means you can either get the juices flowing ahead of the main event or relive the hen party all over again, only this time in a decidedly more intimate situation, just you and your closest friend and we’ll throw in VIP club entry and all the trimmings we normally throw in for our hen parties.

Don’t leave the bromances just for the boys, this is your chance to do some top quality bonding before married life kicks in, the perfect chance to spend one more night as a single lady before married life. You can choose from any of the cities in our roster of Hen Party UK destinations where we’ll see to your mini hen party needs with the same precision as we will for your main hen night.

Weddings are a stressful affair from a planning point of view, which means, in our eyes at least, you’ve earned more than just one night out to blow off some steam on the dancefloors of your chosen city. We have the biggest “little black book” of contacts of any hen party planning company so you can trust us to send you to the very best and livliest haunts to mark your bride-to-be’s passage down the aisle.

Please visit our website or call 01273 225 075 to find out more about our fabulous hen weekends start putting together your little piece of Hen Heaven.

Hen Heaven’s Top Ten Tips on how to keep everyone friendly during Hen Weekends

1. Organisation is key! A badly organised hen party results in a lot of unhappy girls, which will instigate arguments and end in tears. Contact an expert hen party organiser – this allows the chief bridesmaid to concentrate on everyone getting along and having fun.

2. Prior to the hen weekend make sure the budget for the weekend is accurate – unfortunately money can cause rifts and it is vital that a realistic budget is set and everyone is aware of it. When booking with Hen Heaven they offer an easy and manageable payment system, with a small £50 deposit when booking and then party members are able to pay individually online in instalments. Another great way to enable people to budget for the weekend is to set up an account and request that members pay money in each month so that when the hen party arrives, it is fully paid for.

3. Hen parties normally consist of a number of different groups of friends – colleagues, family, school, college friends. Not everyone will know each other and not everyone will get on well. A great ice breaker is to pack the weekend with activities – something that will get everyone talking and having fun, but remember to take all guests into consideration. Ie: if someone is pregnant or a great aunt Shelia is coming. Some great activities on offer from Hen Heaven include: pole dancing lessons, cocktail making masterclasses, burlesque experience, life drawing classes and many more to suit all tastes.

4. Prior to the weekend make sure as the organiser/host you do your research and that you know names of all the guests and their relationship/friendship to the hen. It is vital that the hen doesn’t play host to the weekend – it is her last weekend of girly fun before her big day.
5. When planning the sleeping arrangements for the weekend, be conscious of which guests know each other, or ask the bride-to-be who she thinks will get on well with each other. It is essential that everyone is comfortable with whom they are sharing a room with; this way it will avoid conflicts and upset.

6. It essential that communication with the party members is constant. Everyone needs to be in the loop with the weekend plans, meeting points, travel arrangements, dress code (if needed), contact numbers etc. It’s advisable that everyone is given lots of notice – especially if they need to source fancy dress outfits or book their own means of transportation. The earlier tickets are booked the better the rates are. Giving everyone lots of time to organise their role in the weekend will avoid any confusion and ensure that everyone is happy and can enjoy themselves.

7. The Hen’s emotions will be extremely high during the weekend and as her chief bridesmaid, it is vital to make sure she doesn’t have to organise anything. It is your duty to keep her happy and ensure that the party runs smoothly – make sure she has a drink in her hand and she isn’t on her own at any point.

8. Due to the average amount of alcohol consumed during a hen party – there is often some sort of drama I am afraid. Lost purses/phones, disagreements etc. The best advice when dealing with this is to make sure whatever happens the hen is happy – keep her away from any disputes, make sure someone is looking after her bag and if she has drank too much and looks like she needs her bed – someone needs to take charge of getting her home.

9. The morning after the night before can be the highlight of the weekend and it is an ideal opportunity for everyone to share anecdotes from the night before. If you are in self-catering accommodation it’s a good idea to host a breakfast in one of the apartments or cottage, alternatively reserve a table in a local café or brassiere.

10. Finally don’t forget your camera and take videos – not just pictures. They capture the party antics far more vividly than pictures. You’ll be able to look back on them in years to come and laugh at exactly what was happening that night. To avoid disagreements make sure you edit them prior to adding them on Facebook or get permission from the bride to put videos on YouTube, you do not want to be fired as chief bridesmaid the week before the wedding.

If you thought all we cared about here at Hen Heaven was planning hen weekends and prizing your hard-earned dollar out of your hands for the privilege, then for shame! 1. We have many interests outside of hen parties like… films and… erm, TOWIE and 2. There’s nothing wrong with a spot of capitalism from time to time…

It’s Mother’s day on Sundays which means it’s time to give our mum’s some love and Hen Heaven are here to help. Just head on over to our Facebook page and tell us one fascinating fact about your mum and we will tell you exactly what to buy her and where from. Can’t say fairer than that, can we? If you’ve left it late, help is at hand.

Now, don’t talk ill of us again…