Virtual Bachelorette Party: Celebrating Your Hen or Stag Do Online

You can’t always all celebrate in the same place: sometimes half the gang lives scattered across the country, sometimes someone can’t travel or simply can’t make the big date. The good news: having fun, drinking together and partying is still possible – holding a hen or stag do fully or partly online will be different, but still great, we promise. We’ve run online bachelor parties ourselves and had a really good time!

Below you’ll find out what options you have and what there is to prepare for a virtual bachelorette party or online party.

Summary:

• One person should be in charge: a virtual party is more than a video call, and that’s what makes it really great!
• It’s best to mix a few games with events and your own personal activities.
• Start the planning at least 2-4 weeks ahead, and think about funny photos too.

When is a virtual or hybrid bachelorette party worth it?

An online hen or stag do is no longer a stopgap but a genuinely great option – whenever a classic party with everyone in one place is difficult. Typical situations:

• Your gang lives far apart: If your best friends are spread across Germany, Austria or Switzerland, you save yourselves long journeys and pricey accommodation.
• Someone can’t travel or can’t be there: Work, a small child, a packed diary or the long distance – not everyone can make a weekend trip. Online, everyone is still there.
• Hybrid celebrations: Some of you meet in person and bring in the remote guests by video call. That way nobody is left out, even if they live far away.
• Short notice & spontaneous: An online evening is quick to organise and needs neither travel nor a hotel.

So it’s your call: celebrate a fully virtual bachelorette party – or combine a live party with an online element so that everyone can really join in.

Online events & games

Just because you’re not together in the same place doesn’t mean there aren’t events you can enjoy!

• Drinks tasting: Either someone in your circle plays the expert or you bring in a real one. You try different kinds of drinks: rum, whiskey or good wines. You’ll find various providers on Google; just search for “online rum tasting” (or “online wine tasting” etc…). Allow some lead time so the drinks can be delivered to you.
• Online tours: There are also tours of famous museums. Always wanted to visit the Louvre or Buckingham Palace but don’t fancy queuing? Perfect – book a tour of a museum, building etc. of your choice together.
• Online gaming: Are you a tight-knit gang that always meets up for computer or PlayStation sessions? Then start with a round! But treat it as only one part of the programme, or the online party won’t feel special any more.
• Murder mystery dinner: Step into the role of a detective and find the murderer among you. You take part in an online game together and have to track down the killer in your midst.
• Quiz: Of course you can also hold a classic quiz together. That works with pen and paper (a categories game where you find a city, country and river for each letter) or with an app, though for that you’d have to register beforehand.

Your own programme & really funny ideas

A personal programme shouldn’t be missing, though. This is where shared stories, pictures and anecdotes come in.

Pictures and photo slideshow

• Photo slideshow: Show pictures of things you’ve experienced together – for example a party a few years ago that everyone still remembers. But only show part of the picture (just a section, or with some parts covered or pixelated). Everyone else has to guess when the picture is from.
• Top 10 picture/video show: You share lots of memories. Bring the best ones back to the surface and present them to each other. Each guest shows the 10 best memories and pictures from your shared past and talks about each one for around 30-60 seconds.

”Hot or Not?” picture guessing

A tongue-in-cheek classic that works surprisingly well online:

• The game leader picks out pictures in advance that only show a detail – just the eyes, a hairstyle or part of an outfit.
• The group guesses who’s behind it and votes “Hot or Not”.
• Only then is it revealed – and it turns out to be a celebrity, a cartoon character, a family member or a shop mannequin. Pictures of yourselves from your teenage years get the biggest laughs.

Dress up!

Choose a handful of different styles or themes – around 3 to 5. Depending on whether you’re taking it seriously or just want a laugh, these could be the themes:

• Historical eras (antiquity, the Middle Ages)
• Decades (the 80s, 90s)
• Colourful or famous personalities (Lady Gaga, Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, Chuck Norris)
• Something completely bonkers (a tomato, a cactus, a stripper)

You then have 10 minutes each to transform yourselves, and each of you has to present your look. Remember that everyone should have a basic make-up kit (especially the men – most women should have enough basic kit). Trust us, it’ll be brilliant! 😀

Baking or crafting together

Of course you can also do “ordinary” activities together. Simply cook, bake or make something as a group.

• Decide beforehand what you’d like to make or craft. Either everyone makes sure they have the ingredients at home, or one person orders for everyone.
• If you want to spice things up a bit, agree on a prize (or a forfeit) for the best result beforehand.
• The winner is decided by the guests’ scores. Everyone rates the others’ results (on looks, creativity, speed etc.) with a score from 1-10, giving you a ranking.

Perform something

Not everyone is a good singer, dancer, painter etc. But that’s exactly why the following game is so much fun:

• Each of you gets to choose a song. The game leader writes it on a slip of paper and turns it over.
• The game leader shuffles the slips and assigns a song to each guest at the online party. That song now has to be sung or danced to.
• Simply play the song on YouTube or similar. If you want to sing it, search for an a cappella version.
• Tip: you’ll find all the lyrics online if you need them.

Collect!

The game leader names a few things that the guests now have to find or collect around their home. But you only get 1-2 minutes. It can be anything at all, for example:

• Find things that make music
• Find things that are purple
• Find furnishings that begin with Y
• Look for clothes Chuck Norris would like

After each round, the guests decide who the winner or loser is.

Online drinking games

All our suggestions can very easily be turned into drinking games, because there’s always a winner or loser. So it’s up to you whether you turn them into a drinking game.

It could look like this:

• Everyone drinks after each round.
• The loser always has to drink.
• The winner gets to pick someone who has to drink (but the same person no more than 2x in a row)

Tip: If you want to hold online drinking games, make sure everyone has the right selection at home. Even better if you all have a set list of drinks and glasses of the same size – that makes it fairer still.

Equipment you need

So that the technology doesn’t let you down and everyone starts on an equal footing, pay attention to or prepare the following:

• Smartphone, tablet or computer: A basic requirement. Everyone needs a camera and a screen. Anyone without a suitable device should ask neighbours or friends beforehand.
• Battery: Yes, it’s obvious, but remember it. If you’re planning a video call lasting a few hours, you need a full battery. Ideally keep a power bank or charging cable to hand.
• Drinks: Want to drink together? Then make sure nobody is left high and dry. It’s best to agree on a list of drinks so you can all drink the same.
• Snacks: Think about a few snacks too. If you’re playing all afternoon or evening, your stomachs will be rumbling otherwise.
• Other bits and pieces: As a backup, everyone should have paper and a pen. If the technology goes on strike, you can fall back on them.

Tips for a virtual bachelorette party

To make sure you really get going and have fun, pay attention to the following points too.

Video conferencing

You also need the right technology for a video conference. You can use well-known tools for this. But remember that everyone needs the app, or you use browser-based tools.

• Apps: Everyone needs the app installed, sometimes you have to be in each other’s contact lists, and the number of participants is sometimes limited. Common providers are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, WhatsApp and (for Apple users) FaceTime.
• Browser-based tools: You simply open a link in the browser. It’s important that everyone allows access to the microphone and camera, otherwise it won’t work. Also check whether there’s a participant limit. Providers include Whereby and Jitsi Meet.

We’ve all been on video calls where it just didn’t work… So bear the following tips in mind, because nothing is more annoying than the technology letting you down:

• Choose a tech-savvy friend to take care of the video call. They’re in charge, and everyone else follows them.
• Trial run the day before: check that it works, a day in advance (without the bride or groom).
• Every tool provider has its weak moments, so you’d better have a plan B as well. That way nothing can go wrong.

Host

One of you should be the host. They have everyone’s phone numbers and take care of ordering drinks or other equipment. All the threads come together with them. For a bachelor or bachelorette party, that’s usually the best man, maid of honour or best friend.

Sending party boxes

So that not everything happens online, you can also send out party boxes. That gives the whole thing a different feel and makes sure your remote guests feel right in the middle of the action. After all, a virtual bachelorette party or a great online party should stand out a bit.

You can also build in a few surprises. These could be drinks, matching party T-shirts, fake beards or a disposable camera, for example! Everyone unpacks their box right on time for the start, and despite the distance you’re all kitted out with the same things.

Theme / dress code

If a “fashion show” isn’t already part of your programme, you can set a theme or a dress code.

• That could be a typical hen or stag do outfit, for example
• But everyone could also get a different theme, which adds a bit of spice to the whole party. The game leader could assign each guest a personality, for instance. The guest then has to dress up and imitate that style.
• Or you can simply agree on a particular style of clothing: a colour, say, or the style of a decade or similar.

Afterwards

A virtual bachelorette party actually sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is! 😊 But so that you can live off the memories for a long time, just like after a normal hen or stag do, pictures matter.

• So take screenshots of all the activities. It’s best if one person takes care of this.
• Send every guest a disposable camera. Everyone has to fill it up. One costs around €10 and has room for 25 pictures.

Afterwards, one of you takes care of a photo book or shares the pictures among your friends.