Increasingly couples are ditching separate hen’s and buck’s nights, opting, instead, to hold a combined event celebrating their upcoming nuptials. Combined ‘huck’s’ nights are the ultimate pre-wedding bashes to rule them all. The best part? Everyone’s invited!
What is a combined hen’s and buck’s party?
A combined hen’s and buck’s party is, essentially, a party hosted by the bride and the groom, (or both brides and grooms in the case of a same-sex couple,) and involves inviting both spouses’ families and friends to one mega-party in lieu of the traditional separate hen’s and buck’s events.
Combined hens and bucks nights are also referred to as ‘huck’s nights,’ ‘Jack and Jill parties,’ and ‘sten’ nights (a combination of stag and hen’s nights).
Who should I invite to my joint hen’s and buck’s night?
To put it simply, anyone you and your fiance wish to invite! You can invite as many or as few people as you both wish to be present.
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Why have ‘huck’s nights’ become so popular?
The popularity of combined hen’s and buck’s nights has increased over the last few years as more and more couples live together before marriage.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of couples co-habiting prior to marriage has increased markedly in recent years and, in 2014, 79.4% of couples who married were living together before they made it down the aisle.
This means that there are many variables associated with living together which influence a couples’ decision to have a joint hen’s and buck’s party including that they, often, share the same pool of friends.
They may also choose a single event in order to save money during the wedding planning process or just to avoid clashes with their own and their friends’/families’ schedules.
Finally, fewer people these days look at their hen’s and buck’s night as their ‘last night of freedom/singledom,’ as they already see themselves as part of a couple.
Combined hen’s and buck’s night ideas
A joint celebration with all your friends is a great way to welcome your soon-to-be union. Here are some ideas for a combined hens and bucks night.
Outdoor movie night
An outdoor movie night can be a fun and simple way to get all of your mates together for the ultimate joint hens and bucks party. You can hire an outdoor cinema or set one up in your backyard and decorate with rugs, fairy lights, cushions, candles and even hire food trucks too!
Have a your own festival
A festival-themed hucks night is a fun way to celebrate with family and friends before the more formal celebrations and traditions of the big day. Plan your own pre-wedding festival complete with a DJ, dancing, games, activities, flower crowns, food trucks and photo booths. You can host it at your house, at a park, the beach, a reception venue or even a rooftop.
Themed dinner and drinks
A beautiful dinner at home or at a restaurant followed by drinks and dancing is a lovely way to celebrate your upcoming nuptials with your best pals. Make the evening a little more special by giving your dinner a them and encourage your family and friends to dress up. Some potential theme ideas could be: a ‘Great Gatsby‘ theme, a cultural or food theme, or a simply fancy dress theme.
Get active together
Everyone loves a friendly competition. For your hucks night why not invite your guests for a game of paintball, football, table tennis, Go Karting, cricket or lawn bowls? Afterwards you can reward your sporting efforts with a lovely meal in your backyard or local park.
Have an afternoon BBQ/pool party
A classic Aussie barbecue never goes astray and it’s a convenient and fairly inexpensive way to host all of your family friends at home. The best part is you can start the celebrations early in the day and include a swim or two!
Take a trip down Memory Lane
It’s not often that you get to have all your favorite people in one place. Make your party an even more special and meaningful one by bringing your combined best of friends to a place close to your heart. It could be an old beach house you and your spouse like to stay at, the place where your spouse proposed, a theme park you’ve often frequented, or a bar or restaurant where you had your first date!
