Time to dress up - Hen parties
One in three marriages may end in divorce - but hen and stag parties are a wedding market that’s booming!
In fact, growing numbers of pre-weds are opting to make a whole weekend of it.
Inside Out looks at this new breed of hen celebrations, the traditions and reasons for the change.

There are now dedicated companies like www.hens.org who organise all-inclusive hen weekends.
And there's not only oiled-up strippers and alcohol by the bucket on offer.
Activities from hot-air ballooning to health spas and paint-balling to white water rafting can be indulged.

This is in contrast to traditional hen nights…
Lisa Telford from Colchester opted for a professionally-organised action-packed hen weekend.
She told Inside Out why she thinks there is a move away from traditional hen nights.
"Some hen parties do the last night of freedom thing where you get the L-plates and veils."
"But it’s not the last of freedom at all because I have a baby and a live-in partner."

Mike Wood is the Managing Director of Freedom Ltd, an Essex-based company set up to organise hen and stag weekends.
Mike said, "More and more people are getting married a lot later in life and they want to do something different… something exciting."
Mike also said, "People have got so many demands on their time. They’re just not able to put in the time that’s needed to organise a weekend like this."
Read more at BBC

Hen Night Tips

Traditionally, a hen or stag party took place the night before the wedding. This is not a good idea - a hangover on your wedding day is bad news! Actually, a hangover on some else's wedding day is bad enough.

I would suggest having the party at least a week in advance. If you are up for doing something a little more exciting than pub/club/chip shop then check out our friends at Freedom Ltd, who offer some fantastic tailor-made and package options for your party. Read more at WeddingPath

Hen night 30 years after wedding!
Chris Hudson

A MACCLESFIELD "hen" decided to have her last night of freedom THIRTY YEARS after having her wings clipped and hatching a brood.

Celebrating her pearl wedding anniversary this year, fun-loving Sue Armitt, 47, who tied the knot three decades ago without the traditional pre-nuptial hen night, finally won her moment of madness with the girls.

She couldn't afford a wild party the first time around as a gymslip bride - and then mum - on just a fiver-a-week pocket money. So it was important that the bash that was put on hold for 30 years should be something to squawk about.

Sue, a mental health social worker, said: "I was only 16 when I got married and you can't have much of a do on £5 a week spends, but it was definitely worth the wait."

But she certainly made up for lost time taking her posse, all wearing black and white to the nightclub Funny Girls on the north west coast doing dares along the way that she described as "not for publication in a family newspaper". Read more here