The I d crew

The cost-of-living crisis may mean that the extravagant hen and stag dos of the past aren’t on the cards for many this year, but that in no way means that the celebrations themselves are cancelled. Some are expecting to see smaller, more intimate affairs this year, as Emily Duke, marketing and design coordinator at Amscan explains: “One thing is for sure, couples will still want to be celebrating their upcoming weddings. The most important thing is their friends and family can come together to have a good time and toast the happy couple.

“Here at Amscan, we believe there will be a continuation of the trend of smaller affairs, a trend we saw originate from lockdown, with people preferring smaller, more intimate, yet luxurious gatherings, and the bonus is, curating their event just how they want it.”

Sales as we head towards the season have been promising, and some are anticipating more celebrations in home territory, but still on a similar scale. Elliott Peckett, director of Smiffys, tells us: “Following on from the biggest wedding season on record in 2022, the pre-wedding celebrations are beginning in the run up to summer this year. The hen and stag celebrations are going strong, and as the cost-of-living crisis may see less groups boarding flights to exotic destinations, the parties and weekends away on home soil are continuing.

“Hen parties in hired houses invite endless partyware opportunities. Decorating the house, kitting out the full hen party in accessories and making sure the bride has the perfect costume; hen parties are a great opportunity for retailers and party suppliers alike.”

Julie Dommett, head of marketing at Pioneer Europe, agrees: “As the micro-weddings of the pandemic years transition to bigger celebrations, bigger hen and stag parties are definitely back on the agenda. ‘Team bride’ gift balloons and décor are a perfect way to get hen celebrations off to a good start.”

There are some who expect the hen and stag spending to continue as it has before, despite the wider economic climate.

Erwin

van Dijk, account manager at OppoSuits, comments: “To be honest, I do not think people will celebrate pre-wedding celebrations differently than before due to cost-of-living crisis.

“For most people, this is one of the most important periods in their lives, and therefore they are happy to spend a lot of money on it. Most of them probably have saved a lot of money for this most important time of their lives anyway.”

When it comes to on-trend parties, DIY is rising in popularity, according to Emily: “We will be seeing even more DIY celebrations with consumers homes and gardens being transformed into the perfect destination for prewedding celebrations. The perfect way to bring everyone together, yet making costs manageable for their budget. So make sure you have plenty of balloons (garlands) and decorations at the ready to help people transform their spaces ready for their special occasion.”

Embellishments are also key this year, says Julie: “Fashion-wise, it’s predicted tassels and feathers will be trending up at weddings this year. Deco bubble balloon designs with feathers and streamers in the wedding colour scheme make elegant hen party décor that can decorate a bride’s home for weeks.”

Julie continues: “Wedding trends commentators are also predicting growth in more gender-neutral or combined pre-wedding celebrations. ‘Sten’ and ‘Fox’ party search terms are trending, for parties where all the couple’s friends get together to celebrate. We’re expecting to see lots of home décor with organic balloon garlands and personalised boards in neutral or bright colour schemes on Instagram.”

Dressing up is still key for the stags, says Elliott: “Costumes and accessories for stag dos are still going strong. Whether it’s just the groom himself in an embarrassing outfit or the full group dressing to a theme, costumes continue to be a key part of stag do culture.”

Erwin agrees: “With OppoSuits we offer a broad variety for men for prewedding celebrations. You can dress up as a whole group during the bachelor party to participate in style, or you can just leave the bachelor with a crazy suit on their own.”

Themes are key for Rubies. Peter Silver, head of sales UK, commented: “Rubies collection of stag and hen costumes are the perfect solution to the party of a lifetime, no matter what the theme. From hilarious allin-one novelty food themed dress-up like the Bacon, Egg and Carrot suits through to licensed group costumes like the Teletubbies, Marvel heroes and Wizarding World ranges, get stocked up today in time for the busiest stag and hen season of the year.”

To find out what’s new for hen and stag dos this year, head over to the next page.

Left: Pioneer’s Team Bride range in both latex and foil options sets the perfect scene for hen parties. Below: Hootyballoo’ s new Bride to Be range is a classy yet fun range with all the hen party essentials.