A professional hen do planner has revealed that boozy hen parties aren’t “fashionable” after new data showed that sober wedding events were on the rise. Lesley Henderson, 41, has claimed that bridal parties are turning away from traditional hen parties in favour of more “memorable” occasions with their close friends and family.

It comes after a survey by Hitched revealed that 60% of guests would happily attend a sober hen party. However, the research by the free wedding planning site also discovered that 10% of those asked would refuse to attend a sober or booze-free hen party.

Lesley, who is an event planner in Edinburgh said: “It is so popular for the younger generation not to drink anymore - it is not fashionable.” She also shared from her own experiences that this year’s hen parties have been “really well behaved” choosing to do activities such as brunch and roller discos.

Active hen parties are also becoming more trendy with almost half of guests (42%) happy to attend an active event such as a boot camp or yoga experience, although 30% admitted they would refuse to participate entirely.

Hen do planner Lesley revealed that traditional hen parties such as pub crawls aren’t “popular anymore”. She also added that the cost-of-living crisis has also played a factor in the change in hen parties with people not willing to spend money on big shindigs.

Lesley shared that brides were looking for “more value for their money” as well as saying that brides “seem to be a lot more self-efficient”. The planner also shared that the impact of Covid-19 has changed how people want to celebrate and shared that “it was different last year as a lot more people wanted to get back out and socialise again”.

The National Wedding Survey also found that alcohol free weddings were on the rise, with 11% of weddings last year being completely alcohol-free which has steadily risen from 2021. Pinterest also revealed an increase in searches for “fancy non-alcoholic drinks”, with a 75% increase in “mocktail bar” inspiration from their users.

Zoe Burke, leading wedding expert and editor of Hitched.co.uk says: "Whilst there’s still a place for the tipsy, traditional hen do where preferred, we are seeing a rise in those planning, or interested in attending sober wedding events.

Boozy hen parties have become ‘unfasionable’ according to a hen do planner

"With more than one in 10 weddings in the UK last year being alcohol free, it’s not a surprise to see the pre-wedding celebrations follow suit. As more millennials and older Gen Z-ers identify as sober-curious, or practise mindful drinking, we can expect to see this number grow even more.

"It might be hard to consider a wedding or hen do without the free-flowing bubbles, but when you think of it without the headache and hangover the next day, with all your memories of one of the most exciting events in your life intact, it becomes a much more enticing prospect."

Hen do planner claims boozy hen parties are ‘unfashionable’ as alcohol free parties become more popular

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