Last Night Of Freedom: Why No Wedding Talk Should Be Allowed

Traditionally, the hen night is the night the wedding festivities truly begin. After a lot of hassle, arguments, the occasional tantrum and discussions about finite details you’d never thought about before - you have the chance to enjoy the bright lights, laugh, and really blow off some steam.

If you organised the hen night then it might not be without its stresses. Ensuring people have a good time is top of your to-do list, but with the right planning and the right venue, it’s unlikely to be something you have to worry about too much. Okay, it’s a stress leading up to it, but on the night itself? Time to party and relax.

While there are various things outside of your control that can make the night stall for enjoyment, there is one major consideration: excessive talk about the impending wedding.

How Can That Be A Problem?

It’s a hen night. Someone is getting married; as the organiser, it’s probably a close friend or relative of yours. She’s a bride-to-be, so it’s natural that the wedding is going to be on everyone’s mind.

That’s what you tell yourself when it begins. Maybe the talk is started by an out-of-town friend or a chirpy bridesmaid, harmlessly querying how they chose the wording for their invites or whether they have written their own vows. The bride-to-be, delighted to have a captive audience, sits down and explains the answer is excruciating detail.

So that’s it - and there’s no harm done, is there? It’s a moment of light discussion, nothing to be concerned about.

Except… People Are Polite

Here’s where the problem comes. As the bride-to-be answers one question, others are going to want to be polite - or genuinely curious as to the answers. So the innocent question morphs, as someone asks a follow-up such as what flowers did they choose or where did they get those invites from, exactly?

You’ve now lost control of the night.

Is It Really That Bad?

Is it going to be a catastrophe? No - let’s keep things in perspective here. But nothing spoils a night of revelry like focusing on the finer details of the wedding. Not only does it become boring for those in the party who don’t much care about these things, but you also risk an overly-emotional bride. She becomes distracted from the ‘last night of freedom’ as she suddenly remembers… she didn’t actually call that caterer back, did she?

The mood is ruined, no one is having fun, the bride is fretting, and the night is unravelling.

The “No Wedding Talk” Clause

The only way to handle this situation is to confront it head on. At the start of the night, suggest that anyone who has any questions about the wedding that can’t wait until tomorrow, go ahead and ask them. Get it out of the way, move on, and all agree that there will be no more wedding discussion.

If despite this someone brings it up, then it’s harmless fun to suggest a penalty for doing so. Wearing a ridiculous sash or silly hat for 10 minutes should keep everyone else from making the same mistake - and thus, the night is saved.