As varied as they can be, there are still a lot of essentials that all hen parties have. There are things that no matter where you are, or who you are with, you cannot miss out on your hen party – these are the must-haves before you even think of any detailed hen party ideas! Having your nearest and dearest there is one of those things, of course; the next thing is probably alcohol, that doesn’t mean you all necessarily have to get slaughtered, but it will feature at some point in some way; the last thing you most certainly need is music, and that’s why we have compiled a hen party playlist worthy of your celebrations!

Ernie K-doe – Here Comes the Girls

We thought this was an appropriate place to start, not only does it give you and your hens a quite literal introduction, but it’s great for starting off a party. This song has been used in all kinds of advertising as a backdrop to woman strutting their stuff, so why not have it in yours? Here comes the good times!

Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun

It may actually be a crime not to have this included in your hen party! This classic has blessed many a birthday, kids party, or just Saturday night as you’re getting ready with the girls! Just do as Cyndi tells you and get down to this iconic track!

Pink – Get This Party Started

We have another quite literal instalment on this playlist from Pink on how to get this party started! We know you do not need much encouragement, but everyone will be on the dance floor when this track comes on. Pink represents the feisty and vivacious women inside all of you so this track is spot-on!

LaBelle – Lady Marmelade

Now of course you can have the modern version with Christina, Mya, Lil Kim and Pink (again) but we have opted for this classic as it packs a real soul-filled punch! This saucy song features the famous French bedroom proposal, but stick this on and it will be all about you and your sexy girls!

Sinitta – So Macho

‘He’s got to be big and strong, enough to turn you on’ – or so Sinitta kindly informs us! We are sure you are not short of macho men in your life and this corny hit from the 1980s is a real sing-along! Get in a group with your hens and flex those biceps to mock the not-so-macho men of the world.

Sister Sledge - We Are Family

By now, the drinks will really be flowing and the bonds of sisterhood will be at their strongest; this is then an opportune moment to belt out this disco classic and scream ‘We are family! I got all my sisters with me.’ As this song is played at nearly every wedding party as well, it’s good to get some practice in!

Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive

This song gets murdered up and down the country on a daily basis, it is THE karaoke classic! As a result of this, every one of your hens is going to know it word for word, which will make for a real kodak moment (not a video recorder, as that has sound) when the whole hen party goes a bit Glee!

 Respect – Aretha Franklin

An absolute belter from the soul queen herself, Aretha Franklin. As you are essentially celebrating a prelude to the wedding, we are sure all your girls will be wishing your marriage is full of R-E-S-P-E-C-T – just make sure they save some for themselves!

The Dixie Cups – Chapel of Love

We tried to avoid it we really did, then we thought, actually… that would be wrong! There is no getting away from the lyrics of this song, and they make for a highly appropriate track to finish your hen party celebrations on. Maybe you’re not actually getting married in a chapel, but ‘going to the registry office’ doesn’t flow quite so well.

These are of course just a selection of the songs we could have chosen! You get the idea though – stick with female empowerment, disco classics, a few luvvies, and you will be fine!

The best thing about our T-shirt builder tool is the infinite number of possibilities it allows for. Here are some more custom T-shirt suggestions to amuse and inspire you:

L'enterrement de Vie de Jeune Fille

Ooh la la! If you're having your hen weekend in Paris (or you'd like to imagine that you are), this French T-shirt design will be perfect for you. L'enterremnet de vie de jeune fille is what French ladies call their bachelorette parties - it literally translates as 'the burial of life as a young lady', which is a) slightly morbid, and b) a bit of a mouthful. We'll stick to the phrase 'hen night', although we do think that this T-shirt would be perfect for a classy night out. 

Pink Isn't My Colour

Some people will tell you that you have to wear hot pink on your hen night, but don't worry - even if you hate pink and the girly associations that come with it, you can still have a great time! This simple T-shirt design lets everyone know why you're not dressed like all the other hens: because pink simply isn't your colour. This will appeal to all the hen night goths, rockers, emos, and anyone else who wouldn't be seen dead in a hot pink oufit.

We're No Chickens!

Just because it's called a 'hen' party doesn't mean you have to act like chickens! Hen culture is notorious for the, er, brave behaviour it encourages, so if you and your girls are up for a night of daring deeds and derring-do, this proud T-shirt slogan is the ideal thing to have emblazoned across your chest. You can't chicken out at a hen do!

Caution: I'm Drunk

Well, if you're planning on having a few, it's best to warn people.

As we mentioned before, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our Personalised Hen Night T-Shirts can be pretty much anything you want them to be, so get creative and wear something truly unique on your big night out!

If you’ve just been appointed to throw a fabulous hen party and you’re having some trouble brainstorming ideas, Weddzilla is here to help.  A selection of naughty and nice, here are some of the most popular hen party ideas around.

Spa day or Spa weekend. What can be more relaxing than spending time with friends before the big day. While there are surely many options for  you to choose from lose to home, if budget permits, why not indulge you and your besties by going somewhere exotic. Being pampered while on a short vacation weekend sounds to die for.  A hotel, beach resort or countryside manor house, the world is your oyster.

Karaoke. Order some drinks and get ready to have some fun! Hitting up the karaoke bar with the girls is always a good time and lots of laughter will certainly be on the menu. Make the most of the night with a fantastic dinner out and a bottle of wine or some fun cocktails. Most karaoke bars also have private rooms with a bottle service, if you want to kick it up a notch. To add in a bit of a twist to the evening, get everyone to choose 5 songs, write them down and place in a hat. The rule is simple: what you pull out of the hat you have to sing.

Burlesque Lessons. Props, performance skills and sexy dance moves, do you dare to bring out their inner wild side and sign up the girls up for some saucy burlesque lessons? Burlesque dance lessons are frivolous and fun but classy too. For a real fun touch, bring along a few costume props of your own.

Cooking Classes. Whether the bride is real foodie, or just plain challenged when it comes to whipping things up in the kitchen, a cooking lesson could be a great way to get the bachelorette party started. Not only will the lesson a healthy helping of handy cooking tips, there is normally an alcoholic bevy or two at the end for all your efforts. Not convinced? Perhaps food and wine tasting experience would more in keeping with the style of evening you had imagined.

Cocktail Fun.  From a fruity summer punch to a mean margarita, learning the basics of cocktail mixology is a great way to get the party started. Quite the current trend, there are plenty of cocktail mixing classes to choose from that cater specially for bachelorette parties so ne sure to check out a few in order to choose the best option for the budget at hand. Finish up with some 70s disco fun at a nearby nightclub. 

Don't be afraid to ask her questions throughout the hen party planning process, and make sure you know what types of activities the bride to be prefers to partake in and what she doesn't. Classes, transport, and the budget all too overwhelming, why not turn to professional hen party ideas for some advice. Where practice makes perfect, these experienced hen party experts will sort out every little detail on your behalf and are guaranteed to provide you and the ladies with a wonderful evening to remember without the stress of planning it. What more could you ask for!

Author Bio: Jen Anderson is a Wedding Expert for wedding advice and planning blog Weddzilla.com.

Yep, we're still jealous of the people at Glastonbury, so let's continue to assuage our festival envy with another festival-themed hen night idea! Fancy dress is a huge part of many hen nights, but some girls might find that the usual hen costumes - French maids, bunny rabbits, et cetera - are a little too bawdy for their tastes. We're not sure when rabbits became ubiquitous sex symbols (we're guessing it's mostly Hugh Hefner's fault, the bunny-fancying old weirdo), but the point is that there are plenty of other fancy dress themes to choose from.

Seeing as festival season is now upon us, why not try festival-themed costumes at your hen party? A fabulous festival costume requires nothing more than some torn-up jeans, a tie-dye T-shirt, and a pair of wellies - surely anyone could manage that? Of course, if you still want to look a little bit glamorous,  we've got a variety of hippie costumes that will make you look a) gorgeous, and b) like you've come straight from the Pyramid Stage circa 1971.

So get over your didn't-go-to-Glastonbury blues, we'll do our best to get over ours, and we'll all have a fantastic festival-themed party. You and the girls will stand out a mile when you stride into town wearing your best festival garb!

By the by, we've done a bit of digging and discovered that Hugh Hefner actually has a species of rabbit named after him: Sylvilagus palustris hefneri. So there's your chunk of useless information for the day.

The gang over at Polestars are hula hooping around the office, with the warm breeze fluttering through the open windows – FINALLY! In celebration of the arrival of warm spring evenings, they decided to treat us to the details of some of their more summery products…

Forget about being tied to the kitchen sink, very soon it could be time to take Vintage Afternoon Tea and Cupcake Decorating out into the garden. Settle down in a deliciously vintage setting and be greeted with beautiful crockery and cake stands crammed with scones, jam and fresh clotted cream, which you can enjoy after learning the fashionable art of sugar-craft in our cupcake decorating class. Why not don a few vintage accessories or slip into a Swing dress, complete with a squared neckline, floral prints, flared skirt and oversized bows – perfect for a girly day out!

What with the prospect of warm summer evenings, it’s time to forget about spending a night in some poorly-lit basement club! Trade in sweaty sofas and sticky floors for grassy knolls and starlit skies. Nothing quite says Glamorous Camping like an old school game of rounders, followed by a batch of Chocolate Orange campfire muffins whilst the sun sets. Bliss!

A hen party is great fun anyway, but it gets even more enjoyable when you throw a little bit of competition into the mix! Giving out hen party prizes is a fantastic way to turn your girly night out into one big game, and we all know how much fun a good hen party game can be!

To play this particular hen party game, all you'll need to do is come up with a list of awards to dish out to the most deserving hens. The categories can be anything you like, from 'Best Outfit' and 'Hottest Hairstyle' to 'Biggest Lightweight' and 'Craziest Hen of the Night', but remember that every award needs an appropriate prize for the winner!

Once everyone knows the categories in which they're competing, it's time to let the games begin. If you want an award, you'll have to convince the other hens that you're worthy of it! You won't win the 'Biggest Flirt' award with chatting to a couple of guys, and the 'Best Drinker' gong isn't going to the girl who was under the table after one WKD.

So keep a close eye on the antics of your fellow hens, and when the party is winding down, gather everyone around and vote for the winner of each award. Of course, you might not be able to organise a vote if you leave the awards ceremony 'til the end of the night, so make sure you hand out the awards at a point when everybody's still able to stand. Winners get an acceptance speech (again, best not to be too drunk for this part) and, of course, a fabulous prize befitting of their achievement.

Hen Stuff do loads of great accessories that could double as hen party prizes. The outstanding drinker could win this fantastic Thirst Extinguisher; the Best Dancer of the night could take home this fabulous Mini Disco Ball and turn their bedroom into their own personal dancefloor. The possibilities are endless, so start coming with award ideas now and get ready to battle it out at your hen party!