The Hen Party: A Brief History

Whilst many brides-to-be view lively and even racy evenings on the town with their lady friends as a time-honoured tradition well worth following, hen nights actually have roots that are nothing short of demure. This pre-wedding practice goes back centuries and is said to have evolved from a solemn undertaking that was quite common in the 1600s when the bride would spend a night alone going over the contents of her dowry.

As the years and centuries passed, the evening of solitude took on a new flavour with the birth of bridal showers. Designed to help brides bolster their dowries, this event generally involves a luncheon or formal dinner where gifts are bestowed upon the bride by other women be they wedding party members, family or friends. Although showers are still quite common, more formalised hen nights grew out of them, offering their own unique traditions.

Whereas showers are meant as gift-giving occasions, hen nights are all about pre-wedding revelry. It is not at all uncommon for hen nights to include champagne toasts, free-flowing spirits and even adult entertainment.

So, when exactly did evenings of spirit, song and even male strippers take the front seat whilst demure gatherings were relegated to the back?

Although an exact date is difficult to pin down, the rise in popularity of hen parties in the United Kingdom and bachelorette parties in the United States does seem to correlate to the sexual revolution of the 1960s. As more women stood up for equality, a party to match bachelors' pre-wedding festivities was deemed a priority for brides-to-be. By the 1980s, the hen night (or bachelorette party across the pond) was firmly ensconced in pre-nuptuial tradition. The hen night, in fact, follows many of the same traditions as the bachelor party. For example, a wedding party member is typically tasked with organising the event. Attendance, although not mandatory, is considered important for bridesmaids and close friends.

Today's hen nights run the gamut in style and formality levels. Some brides-to-be still enjoy simple and relatively quiet dinners with their female friends before they take the plunge. Other brides and their friends, however, opt for more elaborate celebrations. It's not even out of the question for a hen night to extend over an entire weekend as the bride soaks up the last fleeting moments of her "freedom."

In spite of its more subdued roots, the hen night tradition, like many others, is one that has evolved over time. The only real rule dictating this type of celebration is making sure that the bride-to-be is comfortable with the planned festivities. Beyond that - anything goes.