When Rachel started planning Katie’s hen party, she knew one thing straight away — the usual hen do ideas just weren’t going to cut it. Katie loved trying new things and wanted a day that felt fun, memorable, and a little bit different from the standard afternoon tea or sip-and-paint package.
So instead of sticking to tradition, Rachel organised a custom hen activity day at Hover Force in Cheshire, mixing together hovercrafting, traditional archery, and outdoor axe throwing before the group headed into Chester for a hotel stay and spa afternoon the next day. It turned out to be the perfect balance of adrenaline, laughs, and relaxation.
One of the biggest challenges with any hen party is bringing together completely different friendship groups and personalities. Katie’s friends came from all over the North West, with some travelling from Liverpool, Manchester, Chester, and beyond, but Hover Force’s central Cheshire location made it easy for everyone to meet up without a stressful journey.
More importantly, the activities somehow managed to bring everyone together almost instantly.
The day started with hovercrafting across the marshland tracks, and after a few nervous laughs during the briefing, the competitive side of the group quickly came out. Some took to it surprisingly naturally, while others spent more time spinning sideways and laughing uncontrollably than steering in a straight line. Either way, everyone was completely hooked within minutes.
Next came traditional archery, which brought a totally different pace to the day. What started as calm concentration quickly became a running competition over who could hit the gold most consistently. Even the quieter members of the group got fully involved, and by the end there was plenty of celebrating, joking, and a few very questionable victory dances happening on the range.
The final activity was axe throwing, and it easily became one of the biggest surprises of the day. A few of the group admitted they were sceptical at first, but after hearing the first satisfying thud of an axe hitting the target, everyone wanted another go. Before long, the whole group was cheering each other on and trying to outdo one another with trickier shots and tighter groupings.
What made the day work so well was the mix of experiences. There was enough adrenaline to feel exciting, enough competition to keep everyone engaged, but still plenty of time to relax, laugh, and spend time together. It never felt too intense or overly structured — just a genuinely fun day out with friends before the wedding celebrations.
After finishing up at Hover Force, the group headed into Chester for the evening, where they checked into a hotel, enjoyed cocktails, and slowed the pace down with a spa afternoon the next day. For Katie, it was exactly the kind of hen weekend she wanted — something active and memorable without losing the more relaxed, social side of the celebration.
It proved you don’t have to choose between adventure and indulgence. Sometimes the best hen parties manage to do both.