Is the trad hen-do dead? Behold the rise of the ‘zen-do’

You’re heading for a bottomless brunch (which may or may not be served by a butler in the buff), wearing a feathered cowboy hat destined for landfill, warmed by the effect of multiple pre-noon proseccos. Feeling zen? Not exactly.

The hallmarks of a modern-day hen-do seem antithetical to wellness. Anyone who has attended one in the last decade or so – let alone tried to organise one – will be well aware that they can be uniquely draining affairs. They can be uniquely joyful, too, of course. There’s nothing like celebrating a woman you love. But even the most devoted of girl gangs will know the dread of another WhatsApp group notification demanding that calendars and bank accounts be cleared for late nights and heavy drinking.

But it seems that the cliched heterosexual hen-do model that has dominated recent times is losing its footing. Increasingly, women are seeking a different kind of pre-wedding celebration – one that won’t leave them feeling dreadful at the end of the weekend. A ‘girls gone mild’ mood is taking hold, which is more sound baths and wine tasting than hot tubs and tequila shots.

“We’re seeing a big shift in how nearly-weds want to celebrate their hen-dos,” says Zoe Burke, editor of wedding planning website, Hitched. “Instead of the traditional late-night partying, almost a third now prefer a calm, wellness-inspired ‘zen-do’.” According to a poll conducted by Hitched, the most popular activities among those seeking zen were spa days, dinners and drinks, and ‘cosy, crafty’ activities.

Several factors are likely at play here. First, there’s the heightened interest in wellness and Gen Z-led acceptance of drinking less or no alcohol (a 2024 YouGov survey found that 40 per cent of drinkers aged 18 to 24 regularly order low or non-alcoholic options). Then there’s the fact that people are getting married later in life; the latest data from the Office for National Statistics found that the average age for brides in opposite-sex marriages was 33.2 for women. Practically geriatric compared to the average of 23.9 in the 1990s.

“With people marrying later and juggling busy lives, it makes sense that many want to use this time to properly connect with their closest friends, indulge in a little pampering and go home feeling rested, not wrecked,” says Burke. A hen without a hangover certainly sounds appealing.