hen party Archives - The Natural Wedding Company

Blog: hen party

Charlie

TNWC Real Brides: Kerry shares the details of her many hen parties including a joint hen-stag do to Glastonbury Festival

Charlie

For our 2014 TNWC Real Brides we have just Kerry and Nick left to get married in August – I can barely believe it, this year has gone so fast! Kerry is sharing the details of what became a hen-a-thon with four hen parties (including a hen and stag do at Glastonbury Festival).

Over to Kerry to tell you more…

Nick and I originally said we weren’t going to have hen and stag do’s. The very idea of such an event is to “celebrate” your last night of freedom prior to becoming man and wife; however we’ve been together for 15 years and didn’t see the need, so we opted for Glastonbury Festival instead.

However, my bestmate and bridesmaid Raz had other ideas. She convinced me I needed something a bit more hen-like. So I gave her a date and a list of names and off she went, organising a surprise extravaganza! I was instructed to make my way to Covent Garden for lunch at Dishoom a fantastic Bombay café, which was followed by a Michael Jackson dance lesson at Pineapple Dance Studio.

Charlie

TNWC South West Roadtrip Day 7: a visit to Rowan Tree Studio

Charlie

I hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend – it has been mixed weather in Cornwall and Devon with a lovely day on Saturday in Padstow, but rain on Sunday up on the north coast of Devon.

On Saturday I paid a visit as part of the TNWC South West Roadtrip to Rowan Tree Studio, a lovely business run by Sarah who offers a range of crafty hen parties, as well as making wedding soap favours.

The afternoon I arrived Sarah was just finishing off a hen party of eighteen, who had spent a fun afternoon making a bridal trousseau. I hadn’t heard of a bridal trousseau, but thankfully Sarah told me more about it:

“Traditionally a bride to be started making her trousseau to take into her marriage often before she had a groom in mind. Mothers and daughters collected special toys, cherished books and family recipes to keep in a trunk or case with monogrammed linens, patchwork quilts, stationary, soaps and much more.”

Charlie

Luxury yurt honeymoons and hen parties with a woodfired hot tub at Secret Cloud House Holidays in the Peak District

Charlie

When I was planning my own honeymoon I looked for places and pictures that inspired me – I wanted to take one look and think, “that’s what I want to do” or “that’s where I want to be.” That beautiful nighttime picture above of one of the honeymoon yurts at Secret Cloud House Holidays does that for me.

Secret Cloud House Holidays have a lovely selection of luxury yurts, including a brand new wooden yurt, situated in the rolling countryside of the Peak District. Their yurts are available for both honeymoons and hen parties, and there’s even a woodfired hot tub with some of the loveliest views that a hot tub could have!

A Secret Cloud House Honeymoon

At Secret Cloud House Holidays there is a choice of three yurts and a bell tent that you can choose from as your romantic bolthole. New for 2013 is Bilberry Lodge, a Scandinavian inspired wooden yurt, filled with rustic furniture, a log burning range cooker, and a cosy double bed. It is also available to book all year round so perfect for a cosy winter honeymoon.

Charlie

An evening at the Silver Sixpence “Made By You” bridal workshop

Charlie

I am priveledged to live near a vibrant community of small, independent wedding businesses with more and more opportunities to meet with them and experience the products and services they offer. A few weeks ago I got to spend the evening with Nicola from Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe at her new “Made By You” bridal workshop.

We were joined by a group of brides-to-be, two of whom I’d previously met at my 5th birthday party the month before, and another couple I’ve exchanged emails with. Each bride-to-be was there to create a unique bridal accessory that they could wear on their wedding day.

Charlie

A spring open day and photoshoot to celebrate the new cathedral size wedding yurt from Hooe’s Yurts

Charlie

The Easter weekend saw a fabulous open day hosted by Hooe’s Yurts in deepest, most beautiful Devon. They were celebrating the completion of their huge new 44ft yurt – a cathedral sized structure that can seat 120 wedding guests, or even linked to smaller yurts to create an even bigger space.

Charlie

An extraordinary evening at An Era of Experience – the wonderful new travelling vintage party

Charlie

There has been so much going on recently in my TNWC world that I can barely keep up – much of it very exciting. Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to the press event that launched a fabulous new travelling vintage party called An Era of Experience.

Before I jump in to telling you all about my experience of An Era of Experience, I’d like to introduce you to the four talented ladies behind this collaboration.

They are Sharon, owner of vintage china and prop hire company For The Love Of Vintage; Bethany Jane Davies, the glamorous make-up artist behind The Vintage Beauty Parlour; Nicola, bespoke bridal accessories designer for Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe; and Anna, the baker and owner of boutique bakehouse And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon.

An Era of Experience combines glamorous vintage styling, Speakeasy cocktails served in teacups, boozy cakes and a chance to create your own era inspired headpiece. If you’re planning your hen party then the ladies from An Era of Experience have got everything you need to create a wonderful celebration for you and your guests.

It’s always lovely to be invited to an event or party, but this one was particularly lovely as it’s a collaboration between a number of businesses, many of whom I’ve come to know really well through The Natural Wedding Company.

Charlie

Complimentary canapes when you book Love a Locavore to cater for your hen or stag do

Charlie

Love a Locavore specialises in seasonal, locally sourced catering for weddings and hen and stag do dinner parties. To celebrate our 5th birthday, Alice is offering complimentary canapes when you book a hen or stag do lunch or dinner party.

For the past two and a half years, Alice has been running a pop-up restaurant from her beautiful entertaining space and garden in Fulham, London. She cooks up delicious meals for an alternative and incredibly special hen or stag do, and can seat up to 20 of your friends.

Charlie

Exclusive discount on crafty hen party workshops from the lovely A Alicia Accessories

Charlie

Anna of A Alicia Hen Party Workshops runs unique and fun hen party workshops where to can make decorations, favours, necklaces or fascinators using eco-ethical materials and vintage elements. For a limited-time only, she is offering our readers an exclusive discount of £5 off per ‘hen’ on her hen party workshops.

Anna is a designer and maker of beautifully crafted eco-ethical textile jewellery and wedding ranges, making her the perfect teacher to help you create your own, handmade pieces that you can take home and treasure – and perhaps even incorporate into your wedding day.

The workshops last about 2 hours and Anna can come along to any London location, be it your front room, or a cosy pub, or she can book or suggest venues for your hen party.

Charlie

15% off vintage styled hen parties and vintage wedding china hire from Darby and Joan Vintage

Charlie

Perhaps you’d like a hen party in the style of vintage afternoon tea party, or you’d like to treat your wedding guests to a sumptuous dinner served on vintage china – well if your hen party or wedding is between June 2013 and August 2013 you can get 15% off both these from Darby and Joan Vintage.

For hen parties, Karen from Darby and Joan Vintage will supply all the food, china hire and venue styling – leaving you to relax and have fun with your hens. For weddings, she will supply an array of pretty vintage crockery for up to 100 guests. Move over boring white plates – instead, celebrate your hen party or wedding with gorgeous vintage teacups and dainty plates.

Charlie

Win a seasonal bridal bouquet or a hen party where the bride goes free from The Real Cut Flower Garden

Charlie

*This competition is now closed*

Today’s competition will give one lucky bride-to-be a choice of two fantastic prizes from The Real Cut Flower Garden. You can enter to win either:

A stunning bridal bouquet of seasonal flowers, grown by Charlie in her flower field, and handmade and arranged to your particular preferences.

Or…

A flower arranging hen party at Charlie’s flower studio in Herefordshire, where the brides goes free and up to 7 hen’s can join you with an exclusive 20% discount per person. Plus you all get to take the flowers away with you at the end of the day!

Yes you might have spotted me in the picture above – that’s because Charlie from The Real Cut Flower Garden made my bouquet for our wedding last May, so I can vouch for how beautiful her flowers from firsthand experience.

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