How to Plan and Host a COVID-Safe Hens Party

Whether we like it or not; the way we plan, host and attend events will be forever changed for the foreseeable future.
Here are my top tips for planning and hosting a COVID-safe event in Australia.

1. Vaxxed or not vaxxed that is the question

I’m all for pro-choice, in saying that in this situation knowledge certainly is power. It is super important to know if there are any guests who may not be vaccinated and what that could mean for your hens party plans.
NSW businesses will face fines if they fail to enforce vaccine rules once the state has re-opened.
Penalties of $5000 have been announced for businesses which don’t take “reasonable steps” to keep out unvaccinated customers.

2. Set ground rules and communicate rules to guests

With every invitation, include this brief list of rules, so everybody knows what to expect:

• please social distance by 1.5m

• regularly use hand sanitiser available throughout the venue

• use the COVIDSafe app

• bring a mask

• stay home if you are unwell (including the bridal party).

That last one is the most important. If guests feel unwell (even with mild, flu-like symptoms), they must not attend.

And if the bride is unwell, reschedule. We know it’s hard to cancel such a milestone event, but this important message remains the same. If you have any symptoms, stay at home and get tested at the earliest opportunity.

3. Keep it small

By keeping your hens party intimate, should government restrictions come into place that limit the number of guests who can attend your event, you’re less likely be in the awkward position of un-inviting some of your guests or having to reschedule. More intimate gatherings are ultimately less stressful and will allow you to be more present throughout your hens party celebration.

4. Stay local

Travel restrictions especially interstate remain the main uncertainty and avoiding a regional travel or border crossing is advisable where possible.

5. Consider staying outdoors

The best venue will be outdoors; Open air, natural ventilation and lots of space. That’s because the risk of transmission indoors is around 18 times higher than outdoors.
Consider a hens party picnic. The great thing about a picnic for your hens day is the fact that you can hold it anywhere; A backyard picnic, a winery picnic or a garden picnic, whatever is the bride’s vibe. The Flower Creative offers flower crown picnic parties for hens party in Sydney, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Central Coast, Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, Wollongong, South Coast and Southern Highlands.
We also have an exciting partnership with Wine Sensibility who act as your private sommelier and offer the perfect hens party picnic experience with their wine tasting and food pairing packages.

If you choose an inside venue, ask about square meterage and ventilation, because poor ventilation and crowding can increase the risk of transmission.

6. Tag everyone’s glass

A way you can minimise the chance of people drinking from someone else’s glass and transferring the virus via contamination, place a personalised acrylic glass tag on each guests glass so there is no confusion about which one belongs to whom and the great thing about these personalised acrylic glass tags is it doubles as guest party favours. Further to this, on the day, raise your glasses to cheers rather than clinking them.

7. Review agreements with prospective vendors carefully

Be sure to have a contract that clearly covers rescheduling and cancellation policies. Keep in mind that not being able to have the hens party you originally imagined with family or friends travelling from interstate or overseas will not automatically entitle you to cancel or reschedule without costs associated.  Knowing where you stand upfront is the single most valuable way to avoid stress and unnecessary costs later on. 

8. Don’t delay finding and booking vendors

Think about it, there have been hardly any hens parties or weddings that have been able to go ahead in most of 2020 and 2021. You will need to allow additional time for your search. Your preferred suppliers will likely have a backlog of 2 years worth of rescheduled bookings, plus all the couples who have been holding off, waiting and watching before commencing their planning will make for a very busy period that is going to limit availability more than usual. I can’t stress this enough - BOOK EARLY to avoid disappointment!

9. Provide hand sanitiser

Put hand-sanitiser dispensers on every table, and at entrances and exits, at a minimum, and encourage your guests to use it.

How have I adapted My Services During COVID?

• I am fully vaccinated.

• I am registered as a COVID-Safe business, as required by NSW regulations. Accordingly, I will only host events that comply with the current guidelines on guest numbers, etc.

• I will have a QR code check-in at each event to support contract tracing should it be required.

• I am discussing with my groups how they are styling their hens party to ensure that all of their guests are seated and suggesting that members of the same household are seated together.

• I am perfectly happy to accommodate wherever possible free of charge date changes or location changes subject to availability and will work with my groups as necessary to find a new date that works for everyone.

• I conduct all my enquiries online over email or via phone where required to minimise travel and practice social distancing.

• I sanitise my supplies before and after each workshop and have hand sanitiser available for anyone to use.

• Lastly, even though I would love to hug you please note at these times I am unable to do so. I truly wish you well with all of my heart.