Why London?
As a Londoner born and bred, the city is obviously incredibly important to me, but my reasoning was largely about the ease of attendees. I was getting married abroad and really didn’t want to cause all the girls to have to make two trips in one month – incurring untold costs and necessitating more annual leave. I also had pregnant friends and those with new-borns who I knew would only be able to make it if the party was local. A London Hen it is!
Where we stayed…
We were based in the penthouse suite at The Mandrake Hotel, where we also kickstarted the day with a fabulous brunch. The vibe was a ‘Bad Behaviour Hotel Suite’ – and the room was filled with dinosaur balloons and glow in the dark dinosaurs scattered everywhere (I’m a big dino geek). There were also framed photographs of all my friends (especially those who couldn’t make it) as well as countless bottles of much appreciated bubbles and copious margaritas. There was a terrace, which we made the most of as it was such a hot day, and a giant hot -tub bath that we all ended up in by the end of the night.
What we did…
After brunch we set off on a personalised scavenger hunt around the British Museum. My incredible bridesmaid Katherine designed it and fellow bridesmaid Mia directed us, splitting us into teams. It all got highly competitive, with me running around the museum in 9-inch platform heels and us begging museum staff to let us into restricted rooms. I feel fairly confident it was the museum’s first ever Hen Do. Back at the suite, there were more games, a loud session of karaoke, midnight raving at the hotel’s bar, where there was a fantastic tropical house DJ set, followed by hot-tub chats into the early morning.
Where we ate…
The Mandrake’s gorgeous, sun-dappled terrace was the setting for the opening brunch, which was a delicious blend of pastries and hot dishes, mimosas and a quiz written and led by my maid of honour, Michaela. We ordered room service for dinner (truly the best kind of meal) and had a recovery brunch the next day at my favourite spot in town: Chiltern Firehouse.
What I packed…
As a strictly monochrome, minimalist gal, I decided to surprise everyone and go full Barbiecore for my Hen Do. My wardrobe consisted of a sequined RaeVynn dress I rented from My Wardrobe HQ, a Marriage Material t-shirt from Most Curious and a pink feathered skirt from Nadine Merabi and a pair of ludicrously high hot-pink platforms from Zara.
The best moment…
Honestly, all of it was great. The brunch was a great way to kick things off, karaoke is always a winner with me, and the scavenger hunt was so unique. The penthouse was also a dream come true- exactly what I wanted for my hen do. Any moment when you look around and see all your friends having fun with you is priceless- the times we sang in unison or laughed at Mr & Mrs or had long conversations in the hot-tub, they will all be cherished memories. In that respect, perhaps my favourite part was what I got to take away from the party – a bound book my bridesmaid Kate compiled of photographs and messages from all my friends that I will treasure forever.
Related Article: Inside: Sophie Hamblett’s Chic Sicilian Hen
