Buckle up glampers because She Said Yes and the hens are a-coming. Mad Dogs & Vintage Vans has over a decade’s experience of hosting glamping hen parties and there are a multitude of reasons why the glampsite makes a perfect location: (1) by hiring out the whole site you get to host your own private party; (2) the vintage vans are cute and romantic and full of charm. They tick all the girlie boxes; (3) food and drink are sure to play a big part in your weekend and Jo is on hand to make delicious homecooked meals – from one pot campfire dinners and hangover brunches to 3 course fine dining extravaganzas. All you hens have to do is bring the bubbles and the bride.
So first things first, let’s talk numbers. The glampsite is ideal for parties of between 12 and 20 hens. If your numbers are 18 and above we strongly recommend you also book The Hayloft which sleeps 6 in two doubles and a twin room. It’s also a great solution for pregnant hens, mums and mum-in-laws or hens who simply prefer bricks and mortar to sleeping under the stars. By adding on The Hayloft it means your hen party size can increase to 24. Conversely, if you’re organising a more intimate hen do and your numbers are less than 12, no problem, you’ll have more room to spread out in the vans and around the site.
The glampsite is yours to host the hen party of your dreams – be it boho festival vibe, vintage themed, glamtastic or anything else that takes your fancy – from Friday afternoon through to Monday morning. We usually find a couple of hens arrive ahead of the rest to set everything up and dress the site but rest assured, there’s very little you need to do – van beds are made up with thick duvets, eiderdowns, blankets and hot water bottles, logburning fires are laid, candles adorn the Summer Kitchen and the whole site is awash with freshly picked flowers from the Old Rectory garden. Often a smaller group of bride-to-be and closest mates will stay on the Sunday night for the after party which can be a very special and emotional evening.
By day you’re going to want to organise a few activities and work up an appetite for the evening ahead. We are located in the Wye Valley area of outstanding natural beauty looking out to the Black Mountains and there’s a wealth of options close by. Leading the hen wishlist is a half day’s canoeing down the River Wye (see our Quiet of the Sky blog on this). Stand up paddleboarding is also popular as is wild swimming (ask Jo for recommendations of where to take a dip). Over in The Forest of Dean you can hire mountain bikes and follow the many trails from easy to difficult black runs or spend an adrenaline fuelled day in the trees tackling high ropes and ziplines at Go Ape. Or keep it simple, take advantage of being in the countryside and go walking for the day. There’s a wonderful 2-3 hour loop that takes in hill views, ancient woodland and a beautiful swathe of the River Wye – pack a picnic or head to a pub afterwards for a refreshing pint.
That said, there’s absolutely no need to leave the glampsite at all. The Summer Kitchen dining hall has a long table that seats 20 and a cosy logburner. It’s perfect for any kind of creative activity – from flower head wreath making sessions to, er, life drawing classes (I’m sure you know the type). On site we are also delighted to be able to offer super relaxing and restorative holistic massage and facial treatments with our wonderful therapist Oxana (can be a great gift to the bride-to-be). Or how about booking a private yoga class and soundbath with the amazing Lisa who will lead the session in the timeless and peaceful surroundings of the Old Rectory gardens.
If gin’s your tipple, we can arrange a gin making experience with a Master Distiller from Foxtail’s Gin who will come to site armed with botanicals for you to try and best of all you get to blend your own bottle of gin as a take home memory of the weekend. Over the years we’ve also had samba drumming workshops, archery sessions, treasure hunts and a pop up bridal hair salon. We can even lay on a brilliant local musician to strum acoustic favourites around the campfire. A mention too for the tennis court here on site should you fancy a game, washed down with a jug of home made Pimms. Or bring the best cocktails in Herefordshire to the glampsite and hire the services of our entrepreneurial neighbours Boo and Charlie and their super stylish mobile cocktail van. Guaranteed to get everyone in the party mood and a great add on for our dining experiences.
We know that eating and drinking are going to be central to your hen weekend. You may want to cook over the campfire on the Friday night or you may want to kick back, get your party boots on and hand over some or even all of the catering to Jo. A complimentary cream tea served on vintage crockery is included in your weekend at a time of your choosing.
In addition Mad Dogs is proud of its growing foodie reputation, having been picked up by The Times, The Telegraph and National Geographic. Jo’s food is freshly made focusing on health-giving dishes packed full of flavour, using ingredients from our veg garden where possible. Vegan and vegetarian dishes are an integral part of the menu, not an afterthought! Choose from simple one pot dinners, hangover brunches and 3 course fine dining extravaganzas where you’ll start with nibbles and drinks on the terrace of The Old Rectory before moseying back through the shrubbery to the Summer Kitchen to a candlelit table set for the main course and dessert. On a beautiful spring or summer’s evening with the sun setting over the hills in the distance it makes for a truly magical night.
We want you to have the best possible time and are here to help as much or as little as you need in the planning of your hen party weekend. Having hosted well over 100 hen dos over the years, we are delighted to share our top tips:
- don’t overload the schedule,
- keep the prosecco shriek in check,
- leave the stilettos at home (save them for the wedding)
- let the good times roll.
For all hen party enquiries email Jo glamping@maddogvintage.co.uk or call on 07966474323.
