Everyone let out a sigh of contentment as we turned into the long driveway lined with beech trees, with our weekend home at the end. It was a red brick Georgian structure. Nobody could have a problem with this idyllic setting.
Since our vehicle arrived last, we went right to the garden to enjoy the last minutes of daylight. As the sun disappeared at the edge of the cornfield beyond the garden, I sipped wine and watched the girls, recently released from the three-hour car ride, romping and shrieking on the lawn.
I was asked to be maid-of-honor by Donna, my old school friend. I was flattered when she asked two months previously. But I soon realized that this was just the person who had the job of organizing the hen party. Since I had no prior experience planning a hen night, I solicited advice from pals.
I heard lots of cautionary tales of downtown disasters, hens stranded without a place to party when nightclubs barred them from entering because they were not on the exclusive guest lists, and terrible alcohol-related accidents.
One friend told me to 'not think all hens like strippers.' The stripper she had hired brought the future bride to tears with his wild dancing. I heeded her advice, and I vowed to be successful in my maid of honor duties. My plan was to spirit us all away to a luxury country place -- very far from the dangerous downtown areas. But how could I accomplish it with panache? And on a budget?
Since it was summer, I was sure that the majority of the big country houses would have been booked up long ago. But I was shocked to find that many had last-minute cancellations and were willing to provide a good price for the weekend. I learned that many venues would extend a 10 percent discount if I agreed to use one of their designated providers for catering or for schedule activities.
The credit crunch helped me out for once. One owner commented that bookings were not up to par this year. He said that many families who usually book for two weeks or more are canceling and staying home to economize. As a result, I found some great opportunities to bargain.
Looking for properties online was an excellent idea, and I came across many sites that dealt with locating sites for large house parties and larger houses for rent. The most worthwhile sites were www.thebighouseparty.com, www.groupaccommodation.com and www.thebigdomain.com.
Some sites did not clarify the size of the house or how many guests could be accommodated. As you search for houses, be aware of the precise type of amenities you require. I made a checklist of my requirements and became quite skilled at quickly scanning the sites to see if they suited my hen requirements.
I realized that I preferred the location of the house to be in a rural and peaceful area. It had to offer sufficient space for everyone to have a private area, which is essential in my mind for a successful hen mini-holiday. Also I needed big communal rooms to have dinner and drinks in as well as an evening 'grazia-tea-time' area for relaxation.
After awhile, my browsing brought me to http://www.countrycottagesonline.net and I glimpsed the gorgeous Barrington House. When I picked the property, Margaret the owner helped a lot to make plans for the weekend.
It was such a pleasure to turn over the planning to Margaret and let her work her magic. A concierge service is provided by Barrington House, which includes a fully staffed and catered dinner, as well as the organization of local excursions. For instance, kayaking is available in the river Wye. I hesitated to mention that I was involved with a "dreaded hen group," but Margaret did not seem to have a problem with that, particularly when I assured her that we merely wanted a relaxing weekend and nothing too hectic or inebriated.
But I had not foreseen the influence that the fifteen girls would have on one another once they were all turned loose for the weekend. Since none of us had to worry about what others would think of us and we did not have to worry about when the bar would close, we could all relax and I was thrilled that everyone had a great time. It wasn't anything like what I had pictured, but the hens utilized the roomy house and its privacy to take part in girly activities throughout the weekend.
Barrington House was filled with giggles, and laughs came from the bedrooms where the females had crowded together for gossiping all night. Mornings were as isolated as a morgue as we recovered from hangovers, but the evenings were lively with water fighting, pretty dresses and midnight trips to the outside trampoline.
Fortunately, other than a couple of broken glasses and wine stained dresses, our antics did not cause any damage. Jeannie, the owner of Frome Wine Vineyards, served us a gorgeous, delicious lunch, which helped sober us up a bit for an information session on the growing of grapes and the production of wonderful English rosé and white wines
Barrington House was the perfect place for us. There was plenty of space for afternoon snacks or late breakfasts, with two dishwashers and a huge kitchen area. We did not have to worry too much about what to eat for dinner since Margaret had given us food to heat up, so we had more time to catch up with each other on what was going on in each of our lives.
In addition, the house had a big garden that was perfect for hanging around in during the day and partying at night; it was a rural area, so our carrying on did not disturb the neighbors. There was a bedroom in the house for everybody with clean sheets and towels. There was actually a bathroom equipped with a slipper tub for a soothing bath.
Our civilized hen dinner took place in the large dining room that accommodated us all comfortably, but the dinner quickly degenerated into a confetti throwing free-for-all (naturally!). Margaret had the foresight to arrange for beauty therapists to attend to us on Sunday morning, helping to ease our pain with massages, manicures and facials, before we headed back to London.
Because the cost of the hen party was split between fifteen of us, the weekend was quite inexpensive, particularly because we were able to save some money by spending the afternoon playing rounders in the beautiful garden. Everything was much less costly here than it would have been in London and no one felt that they were stretching their budget, which can easily happen when hen parties careen out of control. And being able to enjoy our privacy and luxury was just wonderful.
The whole weekend cost less than £250. The main price to stay there was £190 for each person because Margaret decreased our price since we booked at the last minute. Additionally there was a £6.50 add-on per person for lunch and the wine-tasting, and another £10 for the hot meal and pudding that was awaiting us.
Using the Barrington House's culinary services would have been more costly, so I was glad that we decided to do things ourselves. Essentials like wine, crisps and chocolate were purchased to stock up the house; any extra money was spent on this. It would have cost us approximately £16 each if we had decided to go kayaking. Those in the group were offered optional beauty treatments, including a full-body aromatherapy massage or a full-service pedicure, which were reasonably priced.
Back in London, Donna gave me a hug and expressed her appreciation for the most fun she'd had in a good, long while. I was pleased that she enjoyed herself, and I neglected to inform her that I had planned her hen night to give her an opportunity to relax. To Barrington House's credit, we felt at ease enough to throw caution to the wind during our hen party and, because we did not have much to worry about or organize, we had more time for fun and games.
Fortunately, Margaret did an excellent job. At first, I was worried about passing so much responsibility on to her, since I felt like I was shirking my duties, but I hoped that she would be able to handle it, and she did. There were some occasions that gave me angina, like when I could not seem to contact her or when there was a last minute revision to the menu. At those times, it seemed as if the hen was not under my control, but everything came out fine in the end.
It was wonderful to have somebody to call for help locally - including directions and activity suggestions in the town.
In the end, I was certain that Margaret was capable of organizing just about anything. She even suggested Sumo suits for garden wrestling, which looking back, was an outstanding idea. It was definitely the best weekend that the girls and I have ever shared!
Friday night included takeaway, lots of wine and a rousing SingStar competition via PlayStation. Almost all the girls crashed overnight. One of my friends got a hold of a key and decorated my apartment with streamers and balloons. She also bought me a sash. All of this was truly a surprise!
Saturday morning we took the train to London where we were met by friends who brought along the requisite veil, sash and badges publicly announce my position. It was fabulous! We had some lunch and went champagne tasting at Vinopolis once we checked into our hotel. Then we returned to the hotel and put on 80's style outfits (I put on She-Ra Princess of Power clothes) and ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant. The restaurant was in the teanyaki style, so we had our personal chef, who was extremely funny and loads of fun. There were balloons and confetti decorating the booth we were in; the restaurant had done a great job. A surprise limo had been hired to carry us around London for an hour or so after dinner, and that was a lot of fun! We hit the roller disco, where we were down more than we were upright, then managed to get into bed around 4:00 a.m.
It was so much fun! I totally recommend a hen! Everyone treats you like a queen and you feel so special. My mother and my future mother-in-law, my very best friends, were along as well and they enjoyed themselves immensely.
I came away with so many wonderful memories, and I am still quite touched when I realize how much thought and effort was involved in ensuring that I had the best time ever! |
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