A Hen Do Made with Love (and Canva)

Voulez Vouz, She’s Saying ‘I Do’

Our Humble Abode:

We thought the bride deserved a little escape from Northampton – some fresh air and a change of scene! But we couldn’t venture too far… just in case one of the bridesmaids decided to go into labour…

After researching multiple locations and ticking off everything on the brief, we landed on a weekend getaway in the West Midlands. We ended up booking an Airbnb in Solihull – a quieter spot compared to Birmingham City Centre, but still close to the M42 and a train station for easy travel to activities. Plus, the parking situation was way better than in the city. It worked out perfectly!

We rented a five-bedroom house with a mix of single and double beds, so no one had to share. The kitchen and dining room were spacious, perfect for group meals and late-night snacks. The living room was big enough for all of us to hang out together, even if a few ended up lounging on the floor.

My favourite part of decorating the house was hanging floating photos of the bride with all her friends in the entranceway for her to walk through – it’s become one of my signature touches!

It’s such a lovely and easy way to add something special to a hen do. Just message her friends and ask for a few photos with the bride (don’t forget to include some funny ones!), print them out, and attach them to ribbons hanging from helium balloons – Tutorial coming soon!

I’d recommend getting some good quality balloons for this project as the cheaper ones can’t take the weight of the photos well.

It’s Showtime:

The Maid of Honour and I arrived at the Airbnb at 3pm – a full two hours before everyone else. That gave us plenty of time to decorate the house and squeeze in a quick food shop before the fun began!

Since Meg and the other guests were arriving after work, we kept things low-key with a chill evening of DIY pizzas and games.

We did cheat a little and used pre-made pizza dough – but honestly, why overcomplicate things? We prepped everyone’s individual base and laid out all the toppings in bowls, then gathered around the dining table to get our Pizzaiolo on. It went down a treat! Everyone loved building their own pizzas with their favourite toppings. I even took it a step further and made a stuffed crust by sprinkling grated cheese around the edge and folding the dough over – genius, if I do say so myself!
Bear in mind, you can only cook a couple of pizzas at a time depending on your oven size, so make sure to get the slow eaters’ food in first!

After dinner, we cozied up in the living room for some games: The Traitors Card Game and my personal favourite, Grab the Mic (with Taylor Swift absolutely stealing the show).
We ended the night by sharing how we each met the bride and recounting her funniest moments – turns out, there were a lot of COVID walk-and-talks in the mix! Who knew socially distanced strolls could be so iconic?

With a big day ahead, we called it a night and were all tucked up in bed by 10pm, ready for an early start.

The Main Event:

We started our day traveling to Café Ceramica in Sutton Coldfield. This was roughly a 30-minute drive up the M42. I have wanted to visit this shop for a long time, so I was thrilled to finally find excuse to go!
Pottery painting was such a great choice for this group of fun, creative girls. It struck the perfect balance: relaxed and chilled, but still social and full of personality. Everyone got to express themselves and chat while painting, which made it feel really special.
Personally, I find it hard to switch off sometimes, so being able to focus on just one thing for a couple of hours brought a surprising wave of calm. I’d highly recommend it for a hen do or any group hangout with a creative twist!

When we arrived, the tables were set with paintbrushes, water pots and palettes and we were left for a few minutes to choose our objects to paint. There was SO MUCH to choose from, the ceramic options spanned an entire wall from mugs, to candle holders, to fairyhouses, but I was adamant on painting a water bowl for my best bud, Henry!
Before we got started, the lovely shop assistant gave us a quick demo, explaining the paints and how to layer them to get different opacities.
Now I am a DIY girly, and I’m not afraid of showing some roughness around the edges with my projects – I am here for the home-madey vibes! So while everyone used their pencils to meticulously create the outline for their designs, I went straight in there with the paint, going rogue with my design. No plan, no outline, just pure creative chaos – and I loved it!

We had roughly 2 hours to paint our ceramics before handing them in to be glazed and fired. They were ready for collection about a week later – and since I lived closest to the shop, I volunteered to pick them up.
When I next saw Meg, I passed along everyone’s finished creations for her to hand out individually – a sweet little reminder of the day we spent together.

Bridal Top Tip: Give your bride squad their ceramics on the day of your wedding as favours to remind them of the fun they had at your hen do!

I’d definitely recommend Café Ceramica for a special occasion – or even just to enjoy a peaceful, creative couple of hours to yourself. It’s such a lovely little spot, and I honestly can’t wait to visit again!

After Cafe Ceramica, we drove 5 mins down the road to The Belfry Hotel and Resort for a private Afternoon Tea buffet – and a little surprise

Disclaimer: As a former staff member, I received a few perks – including discounts and special treatment – so I won’t be including those pricing details in this section.

Now, the main thing that Meg and I have in common is our love for theatre and musicals and anyone who knows her, knows Mamma Mia holds a special place in her heart so we knew what route her hen do was going down before she even met her now husband.

My task here actually started 24 hours prior, where I spent an embarrassing amount of time setting up the room with all things Mamma Mia-themed. Full transparency: I did have a helping hand from the fabulous event coordinators, who were absolute stars in bringing my vision to life!
While my lovely friends at The Belfry focused on hanging banners and setting the tables, I took on the challenge of creating the all important, instagram ready, balloon arch. As mentioned earlier, I’m all about that rough-around-the-edges, homemade charm, so no judgment, please! It’s the thought that counts… right?

Beware! I actually ended up spending the entire hen do with plasters on my fingers from tying up so many balloons and losing skin! – Anything for the (brides) gram!

I’d bought my arch stand from B&Q about 2 years earlier for £30, and let me tell you – I’ve definitely got my money’s worth.
The balloons and banners were a mix of Amazon, Temu, and Shein finds.
I bought multiple packs of disco ball cups and straws from Shein.
The white table runner was from my DIY wedding in 2023. This was just a few metres of fabric from Hobbycraft.
The Belfry provided blue water glasses for me to use as flameless tealight holders.
All in, I probably spent under £50 on décor. Budget-friendly and full of heart!

Afternoon Tea is something we knew our fussy little bride enjoyed and meant there was plenty to offer for all dietaries and preferences and struck the perfect balance of relaxed, classy, and totally delicious!

The Belfry Hotel does offer Afternoon Tea in the Brasserie however, I used my connections and bagged us a private function suite with an afternoon tea buffet, instead of your traditional stands. This setup was perfect: it gave us loads more table space for games, drinks, and chit-chat, and allowed everyone the freedom to pick exactly what they fancied. Let’s just say… we ended up with far more food than we would’ve had with the usual tiered stands – no complaints there!

During the planning stages, I was given a list of food options to choose from – everything from sandwich varieties to hot items, plus the essential scones and chef’s choice desserts. I also added an unlimited tea and coffee station so the girls could help themselves throughout the afternoon. Because let’s be honest, a cup of tea is a cup of peace, right!
To top it off, my good friend (and bar manager) surprised us on arrival with complimentary glasses of fizz (Elderflower Fizz for our pregnant bridesmaid) – such a lovely touch. Everything we received was fresh, flavourful, and beautifully presented. The dessert selection was especially impressive and went down an absolute treat with the girls!

Top Tip: Don’t be afraid to make requests. It is so easy for chefs to make plain ham sandwiches or ensure a chocolate dessert if they have enough notice!

And so brings me onto one of the most impressive projects I’ve ever pulled off! – I’m still chuffed.

I searched high and low on Google Images and Etsy for some PG hen do game packs, but I just couldn’t find exactly what I needed. There’s a running theme with hen do games that leans heavily into the bride’s most intimate moments or embarrassing stories — and I knew our bride wouldn’t be comfortable with that. So, I took matters into my own hands and put my (very limited!) Canva skills to good use, creating a personalised pack of hen do games and activities. And let me tell you — they are a masterpiece. I don’t care what anyone says!
Once I’d finished designing all the pages, I grabbed some A5 card from Asda and very sneakily used my work printer to print them all to size. I printed 12 copies of each, arranged them in the same order, and tied each pack together with shell ribbon from Hobbycraft and a glitter gel pen from Asda. Glitter is mandatory!

Cute icebreaker idea: I provided two Instax cameras and split the group into two teams for a selfie scavenger hunt! Each team got a list of photo prompts and 15 minutes to snap as many as they could.
To make it extra special, give your bride an empty scrapbook at the end so she can keep all the prints as a memento from the day. It’s such a fun way to kick things off and gets everyone bonding straight away!

SURPRISE TIME!

After our Afternoon Tea and a couple of games, we all changed into comfy clothes ready for the big reveal… drumroll please… a MAMMA MIA dance class!
We knew from the moment Meg got engaged, this was an absolute must do for our theatre obsessed bride.

I booked a Mobile Dance Class through a company called Sashay Dance, who travel to a venue of your choice. They offer loads of fun themes to choose from – but obviously, we went full ABBA!

Our dance teacher, Carol, was an absolute star. From the moment she arrived, she made everyone feel totally at ease and ensured the whole session was full of laughs and good vibes. We learned a routine to “Mamma Mia”, and the choreography was super simple and easy to remember – perfect for our mixed-ability group.
Any nerves disappeared within minutes, and it all ended in huge smiles, giggles, and full-on dancing queen energy.
Yes, we did repeat the routine on the dancefloor at the wedding and yes, we smashed it!

After our dance class, we packed up and headed back to the Airbnb to get changed for dinner at Ask Italian in Birmingham. Now, I know what you’re thinking – pizza two days in a row? But as my husband always says, “a slice a day keeps the sadness away.” Can’t argue with that logic.
We wrapped up the night by unleashing our competitive sides at Treetop Golf in the Bullring. My performance? Let’s just say I earned the nickname “Two Shots Mariah” – and honestly, I’ve never felt more proud. Why can I never be this talented in front of my husband?

And just like that, our weekend of laughter, games, carbs, and questionable dancing skills came to an end. It was everything I hoped it would be for our bride – joyful, relaxed, and full of moments she’ll remember forever. Planning a hen do can be a bit of a whirlwind, but when it’s for someone you love, every balloon, sandwich, and Canva session is 100% worth it.

A special shoutout goes to our beautiful bridesmaid, Lauren, who was a trouper throughout the day despite being weeks away from giving birth! From pottery painting to photographer duties with an Elderflower Fizz in hand, it goes to show you don’t need a glass of prosecco to enjoy your cousins Hen Do!

If you’re planning a hen of your own: keep it personal, stay true to your bride, and don’t forget the sparkly gel pens!

Here are some of the bits I used to bring the whole weekend together:

• Balloon Arch Stand – The Hero of the Insta pics
• Balloons – A variety from Amazon & Temu
• Electric Balloon Pump – My Savior
• Shell Ribbon – It is Greece After all
• Disco Ball Cups and Straws – The girls took these home with them
• Dancing Queen Banner – Classic
• ‘The Bride’ Photo Banner – Filled this with embarrassing photos
• Blue Heart Sunglasses – So many cute photos in these
• Glitter Gel Pens – Because glitter is mandatory