43 Cheap Hen Do Ideas when on a Budget
Weddings are expensive, but so is the last weekend of freedom!
If you’re looking to save a few pennies before the big day but still want to have a fantastic time with your mates, then you can still have an amazing hen party on a budget! Whether you’re looking to head into the great outdoors or make it cosy in the comfort of your own home, we’re sure some of these cheap hen party ideas will do the trick.
9 Cheap Hen Do Ideas to Get You Started
If you’re unsure what to do for your last weekend of freedom, we’ll start you with some fun, inventive and cheap hen do ideas that don’t require much planning.
1. Girls Night In - A classic girl’s night in can be a fantastic idea! Think prosecco, popcorn, and many hen party games; you can either go all-out and make it a small house party or curl up with a blanket and watch all your favourite films with this budget hen party idea.
2. Meet up for Brunch - Everybody’s favourite meal, taking the girls out for brunch, doesn’t have to be expensive. Many places have great deals on brunch packages and usually include lots (if not bottomless) of prosecco!
3. Bubble Mayhen - An epic twist on the usual kickabout, Bubble Mayhen is one of those cheap hen do ideas everyone can get stuck into, even if you’re not footy fans! That’s because you’ll be playing a host of minigames whilst wrapped up in huge inflatable bubble suits - fun and hilarity are guaranteed!
4. School Sports Day - If you’re looking for cheap hen party ideas with a unique twist, then an old school sports day would be an excellent idea! As the name suggests, you’ll get to compete in teams through a series of hilarious schoolyard games to win the most points and soar to the top of the leaderboard!
5. Visit Local Landmarks - What’s great about our towns and cities is that they have many free landmarks and cultural hotspots to explore, such as museums and art galleries. It’s no secret either that many great cities also have large open green spaces to enjoy during the summer months.
6. Smartphone City Treasure Hunt - A smartphone city treasure hunt for hens lets you and the girls take to the city and explore your local area, tackling tricky trivia questions and interactive challenges as you go. Using a bespoke game app on your phone, this self-run activity is popular with those who opt for a hen party on a budget.
7. Enjoy a Dance Class - Get active with a hen party dance class, one of those cheap hen party ideas that all the girls can get involved with, as it requires no prior knowledge or experience! With tonnes of themes to choose from, you’ll be taught a fully choreographed routine to one of your favourite artists’ biggest tunes!
8. Drinks & Hen Party Games - As we’ve mentioned, staying in with the girls with plenty of drinks and hilarious hen party games is a great way to celebrate, especially on a budget hen party. Of course, you can make it an exciting evening by introducing dares and forfeits to your games.
9. Host a Pot Luck Dinner Party - If you’ve got some foodies in the group, then hosting a potluck dinner party is an excellent idea... because who says that a hen party on a budget can't include food? Ask your guests to bring some food, perhaps with a theme like Mexican or Italian, and tuck in!
12 Cheap Hen Party Ideas for Staying in
1. Hire a Butler - Just because you’re hosting at your place doesn’t mean you have to lift a finger and do all the hard work yourself! That’s why hiring a private butler to wait on your guests for the evening is a fantastic and cheap hen party idea that all the girls will appreciate.
2. "Just Dance" Competition - Even if you consider yourself to have “two left feet”, hosting a Just Dance competition with you and your mates is a hilarious idea. All you need to do is dig out your old Nintendo Wii and grab a copy of the game (you can find it online for less than a fiver these days - get in!)
3. Bake Together - If you’ve got some GBBO fans in the group, having everyone over for an afternoon of baking is one of those cheap hen do ideas all girls can get stuck into. Decide what you’ll make, then ask each person to bring over one ingredient before letting loose in the kitchen.
4. Create some Bunting for the Wedding - Fancy a bit of DIY? Making some bunting for the wedding day is one of those cheap hen do ideas that all the girls will love, especially if you all have a creative spark! Materials for bunting are dirt cheap and can be bought from most craft stores and online retailers like Amazon.
5. Have a “Bring your Own Booze” Party - Instead of wasting money on wine and beer, why not ask everyone to contribute to a BYOB house party? Even if it doesn’t stretch on until the early hours of the morning, the boozy banter will start flowing in no time.
6. Play Classic Board Games - Jenga, anyone? Inviting your mate round for a classic board game night is a brilliant way to introduce healthy competition to your weekend. You can easily make it an entire evening by asking a few guests to bring along some board games so you can rotate playing each one.
7. Trip down Memory Lane - Look at Old Photos and Videos together - If you’ve all been mates for a long time, then taking a trip down memory lane is one of those cheap hen party ideas everyone will love! Get out those old disposable camera snaps and photo albums and reminisce about the years gone by.
8. Host a Classic Sleepover! - Nothing beats an old-school sleepover like the ones you remember from back in the day! Ask your guests to grab snacks, drinks, blankets, pillows and more for a good night in.
9. Make some DIY Cocktails - Everybody loves a cheeky tipple, so why not bring the girls around for a DIY cocktail night? Ask your guests to bring along the ingredients for their favourite drinks and take turns mixing up some fantastic drinks in the comfort of your home.
10. Make Brunch Together - Everyone loves a good brunch, but what if you got everyone around to make it together? Ask the girls to bring their favourite breakfast items and have everyone tuck in simultaneously. You can always ask them to bring ingredients if you consider making everyone a Full English!
11. Host a Casino Night - Bring the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas by hosting a casino night for you and the girls. All you’ll need is a cheap roulette wheel and a pack of cards. You don’t even have to bet real cash either - If someone’s got a Monopoly board lying around, ask them to bring the notes along to bet with.
12. Host a Pot Luck Barbeque - Instead of a regular dinner, ask your guests to bring along their favourite BBQ food that you can grill up and serve for everyone. If the weather is great, this is one of those cheap hen do ideas that the whole group will love.
10 Cheap Hen Do Activities in Cities
Are you heading into your local town or city for your last night of freedom? Don’t worry; you still don’t have to spend a fortune with these cheap hen party ideas that would be perfect to incorporate into your celebrations.
1. Dance Parties - A dance hen party is a brilliant way to celebrate, even if you have no experience with dancing. With this event, you’ll be hosted by a dance instructor who will have prepared a fully choreographed to teach you and the girls. Learning the moves and steps at a pace that suits you, you’ll all get to put everything together at the end of the class with a final routine performance!
2. Life Drawing - A cheeky, exciting and cheap hen party idea that none of you will ever forget, a life drawing hen party is exactly what it says on the tin - You’ll be hosted at a private venue where you’ll get to learn how to sketch and draw a fully nude male model! With an art tutor and all your art supplies included, this is an excellent activity for all the creative hens.
3. Karaoke Night - Put yourselves on centre stage and take the girls for a fantastic karaoke night! Many big cities have karaoke bars where you can book private booths, but if you’re feeling brave, you could always tag along at the local pub and belt out your favourite tunes there for an unforgettable evening!
4. Old School Sports Day - Fun and energetic, an old school sports day is perfect if you want to get active and have a good laugh on your last weekend of freedom. Whether you’re a pro at the egg ‘n’ spoon race or a Tug of War champion, we guarantee you’ll have lots of fun with this cheap hen do idea.
5. Afternoon Tea - A classic experience that all the girls will love, afternoon tea doesn’t have to be an expensive occasion. Many chain bars and restaurants offer excellent afternoon tea deals that range from traditional tea and cakes to more adventurous and boozy packages.
6. Smartphone Treasure Hunts - Head out for some exploration with a self-run smartphone treasure hunt! Completely app-based, this is one of those cheap hen party ideas all girls can get involved with. After splitting into smaller groups, you’ll get to make your way around the city, uncovering and tackling trivia questions and interactive challenges to win the most points!
7. Lip Sync Battle - Perfect for groups searching for a fun and memorable idea on their final weekend of freedom. With venue hire included, you'll learn the steps to a fully choreographed routine whilst lip syncing to your chosen song. You will then battle it out in groups to see who comes out on top!
8. Reserved Booths in Bars - Feel like VIPs for the night by booking a private booth at one of your favourite bars! Of course, you could choose somewhere classy and expensive, but if you plan on sticking to your budget, introducing the girls to your local boozer for a wild night out is a fantastic way to go!
9. Silent Disco Tours - If you’ve got dancing feet, a silent disco tour is a brilliantly unique and hilarious activity to add to your weekend. There are loads of great silent disco companies across the UK and can be found in most major towns and cities. It will be kind to your bank account and a great way to make lasting memories with your mates.
10. Crazy Golf - Most people love a game of minigolf, so why not bring the girls along for a 9 or 18-hole adventure at your local crazy golf venue? These aren’t difficult to find in most major towns and cities, as well as retail parks and entertainment complexes - many of which have a bar on-site, too!
12 Cheap Hen Party Ideas for Outdoors
Are you hosting your last weekend of freedom in the spring or summer months? It’s no secret that we only get around two weeks of sunshine a year in Britain, so make the most of it with these cheap outdoor hen party ideas.
1. Enjoy a Hike - Even if you don’t happen to live near one of the UK’s brilliant national parks, taking the girls out for a great hike to one of your favourite spots is a great idea - remember to pack your walking boots and bring plenty of water!
2. Bubble Mayhen - Not just for the footy fans, bubble mayhen is one of those outdoor cheap hen party ideas that the whole squad can get stuck into! This event takes place at a mixed-use sports venue where you’ll get to wrap up in a gigantic zorb suit before competing against each other in a host of hilarious minigames.
3. Go for a Picnic - If you live near the countryside or know of a brilliant place to chill and relax in the sun, going for a picnic with the girls is a brilliant way to get some fresh air and enjoy a sunny afternoon. You could always ask guests to bring along their favourite foods to make it easier on your purse.
4. Go Swimming - If you catch a few sunny days on your last weekend of freedom, heading down to a lido for a spot of swimming is a brilliant cheap hen party idea if you can brave the chill! Whether in the capital or by the coast, you’ll find loads of outdoor lidos nationwide if you look for them.
5. Walk a Nature Trail - Get away from all the hustle and bustle and walk on one of Britain’s great nature trails. Even if you don’t live near the countryside, you can find fantastic places to walk and reconnect with nature just a short drive outside most towns and cities.
6. Paintballing - If you’re looking for some fast-paced action and lots of competition, then a day or half-day of paintballing is one of those cheap hen do ideas that are both memorable and hilarious. Who knows, you might even pull off the shot of the century on one of your opponents!
7. Local Art Galleries & Museums - What’s great about many of our towns and cities is that most of the art galleries and museums you’ll find are free to enter, one of the few things we can thank Tony Blair’s government for! We recommend checking out local listings to see if there are any interesting exhibits near you.
8. Volunteer Dog-Walking - Spend time with humanity’s favourite furry companion and take the girls out for volunteer dog walking! Many local shelters allow you to do this, but you might need to sign up to take part. If so, you could always take a friend’s or neighbour’s dog for a trek!
9. Play a Game of Rounders - Simple and effective, having a game of rounders is the perfect cheap hen do idea if you’ve got some sporty hens in the group! You only need a bat, ball, bases, and a large open space to set up. It’s also a great way to bring about friendly competition during your celebrations.
10. Visit the Beach - Even though we’re used to unpredictable weather in the UK, it’s no secret that we’re blessed with fantastic beaches! So, if you arrange your celebrations during the summer, heading down to the coast for a spot of sunbathing would be a brilliant idea!
11. Hire a Pedalo or Rowing Boat - Take to the open water and hire a pedalo or rowing boat for you and the girls on your last weekend of freedom! Most towns and cities in the UK are on or near a river, so you’re likely to find a company that hires pedalos and rowing boats for a small fee in most places.
12. Go Camping - Finally, a camping trip with the girls is one of those cheap hen party ideas that works best in spring or summer. You don’t even have to travel far for this - Look around the outskirts of your local town or city, and you’re bound to find somewhere suitable and inexpensive.
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