Elegantly Waisted

I recently organised a hen night for my sister and right from the start I knew I would be deviating from the standard pamper party, spa weekend or male cabaret act. I knew my sister wanted something a little more classy and glamorous so I invited her friends to a frivolous evening of old school glamour to celebrate her right of passage from ‘singleton’ to smug married.

The theme was ‘Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes… and Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend’. The occasion called for opulent burlesque inspired vintage glamour… think Dita von Teese, oodles of diamonds (them being a girls best friend and all), corsets, feathers and top hats. I also asked all the girls to get their own blonde wig to afford them some individuality and so that my darling sister could be the only brunette.

The Preparations:
Décor: I bought a Marilyn Munroe cut-out, red carpet and silver tinsel curtain for the entrance, red and silver balloons and I also got a black and white flocked tablecloth with a red overlay for the snacks counter. I switched off all the lights leaving on only a few accent lamps to set to the mood.

Food and Drink: We drank copious amounts of champagne, mango and passion fruit daiquiris, red and white wine and alcho-pops. To eat I did antipasti, salmon blini’s, a cheeseboard, crudités, dips and bite sized baklava for something sweet. I then sprinkled lingerie shaped confetti in between the dishes.

Entertainment: I hired a Cheeky Butler to mix cocktails and serve the drinks and food freeing me up to mingle with the girls and to ensure my sister was having a good time. He also assisted with the games which included ‘pin the edible nipple tassels on the butler’!

The Bride to Be: We dressed my sister in a pink dress and pink gloves, inspired by the pink dress Marilyn Munroe wore as Lorelei Lee when singing Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend. We accessorised her with masses of pearls as I couldn’t find a suitably glitzy necklace, a feather boa and a tiara with a veil.

Extra touches: I research burlesque names and allowed each of the girls to pick the name of a character they thought suited them best as they arrived. The characters included outrageous identities such as Fanny Divine, Floozy Fishnets, Dolly Diamonds and Phelia Bits!

The Result:
It was the perfect opportunity for the girls to showcase some vintage style and everyone rose to the challenge dolling up to the nines. Because each of the girls could decide on their own outfit and hair they could really create an identity that suited their own personality and pocket. Everyone had a great time and we finished off the night at a local club where we had access to a private bar, closed off for an hour especially for us, before joining the masses to dance the night away.