Today, bridesmaids wear white, cakes are naked, and couples walk each other down the aisle. This change in wedding culture is equally true of hens and bucks nights. Since the majority of couples live together long before marriage, these pre-marital celebrations are hardly the final hurrah or last night of freedom. Pre-wedding celebrations have become more varied and inventive, with winery tours, paintball tournaments, cooking classes and boat cruises among the countless options available to groomsmen and bridal parties. With brides- and grooms-to-be having friends of both genders, a standard hens or bucks will often exclude such friends. The solution – a combined ‘hucks’ night.

Inclusive For All

Although the trend of a hucks night is a relatively new one, the beauty of this concept is its inclusivity. A hucks has the potential to eliminate heterosexual, gender-focused activities. By having a shared night of drinks or a daytime activity, the bride and groom can extend the invitation to their male and female siblings, relatives and close friends. Depending on the activity or level of rowdiness, couples have also been known to invite each other’s parents. A hucks is also a great idea for couples who have bridal parties made up of both men and women. Without any restrictions, the guest list for a hucks can be as long or short as you and your partner like. Couples may also have friends or family that couldn’t make the engagement party, so a hucks is another celebratory opportunity prior to the wedding. As a bonus, your wedding guests can get to know each other before the big day if they don’t already.

Cost-Effective

One of the benefits of a hucks night that couples may not have previously considered is the reduced cost of having one shared event, rather a separate hens and bucks. In conjunction with the bride and groom, the best man and maid of honour are often tasked with balancing the budget for a hens and bucks, a figure that can easily inflate with activities, room hire, transport and accommodation. Pooling all funds and resources into one event means you don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your day or night. Larger groups can ease the cost of bus or room hire when divided equally, and are perfect for tours and group activities where there is a minimum number of guests needed to participate. Finally, a hucks night negates the need for a bridal shower – another pre-martial event that can prove quite costly.

Partners In Crime

Even with the many benefits of a hucks night, every couple is different, and this combined event isn’t suitable for everyone. Before embarking on a hucks night, there are a few factors you should consider to determine if a hucks party is right for you, your partner and your guests. A hucks is often best suited to couples that share the same friends or run in similar circles; a convenient and effect way to gather all of your friends together in the same place. For other couples, their friendship groups are more segregated, and they may share fewer people in common, so a combined event could fall flat. As the hens and bucks is typically organised by the best man and maid of honour, a hucks night orchestrated by the two most important members of your bridal parties will often run smoother if they already know each other. If you and your partner don’t want to commit to a fully-combined event, consider starting the day together and then peeling off into different groups, or you can do the reverse and meet up at a final venue to finish the celebrations.