Denise's Surprise Hen Party

My good friend Denise, now lives in the UK with her husband. (Remember, we went on a trip to London a few months ago?) We joined our sorority in the same semester, & have known each other for about three & a half years now. Last spring, she met one of the British exchange students (James--not Jonty, duh) at a barbeque Jonty & I threw. They hit it off so well that by the end of the summer, they were married. They had to start out with an early courthouse wedding in the August (maybe early September?) because Denise couldn't get a visa to live the UK (where James still had another year of university) unless they got married within a few months of her arrival in the UK.

Not having had a traditional wedding, they didn't do all the usual things, except a semi-honeymoon trip to Edinburgh. They still planned to have a proper wedding this June. It's all arranged now, & they will have a ceremony in a couple of weeks. But the vicar at the location they decided on won't do an actual wedding ceremony, since they're already married, so they're just having a blessing/commitment ceremony type thing. It will still be a lovely ceremony, but this change has led them to disregard some of the traditions of a wedding, like bridesmaids/groomsmen and bachelor/bachelorette parties (called a hen party/stag night in England).

When I realized that Denise wasn't getting these things, I snapped into action. I contacted her husband & the one female friend of hers that was still in Oxford (where she lives) & planned a small surprise hen party. I showed up at her house (on a night her husband was away visiting his family) with a bottle of gin, a cake, some frosting, a few small decorations, & plenty of ideas.

First, we had a couple of gin & tonics & watched Clueless.

Then, we decorated the cake together. I may have taken over a bit, but Denise put on the finishing touches. (Hint: She used the white.)

Sorry for the vulgarity, but considering the usual bachelorette/hen party obsession with genitalia, I think this is relatively tame. And it was amusing to boot.

Next, we headed out on the town where we (surprise!) met Denise's friend Elli (who she didn't even know I had talked to, since I'd never met her before--thanks James) & hit a cocktail bar/hookah bar/dance club.

We worked on a scavenger hunt...

...but we didn't end up finishing it. This is mostly because there was a guy sitting near us outside who happened to be a stripper, & he offered to give the bride a lap dance. She tried to resist at first, but with a little prodding from Elli & me, she accepted.

She was a bit weirded out, but mostly I think she was amused. It was definitely entertaining!

We finished off the night with (amazing!) late-night burgers. The next day, we went to an Affordable Vintage Fair, lunch & wine at Cafe Rouge, & a street party in Jericho. The street party was a fun community affair.

We only wished we hadn't already eaten, because there was so much cheap, delicious-looking food around!

Overall, I really think the Bride had a nice time. She was actually surprised (which surprised me), & we had a lot of fun. I can't wait to go to their wedding, & be a part of their union.

On another note (F sharp, in particular): Guys! What's with no one entering my giveaway?! I promise, it costs nothing. Except, I guess, for the two minutes it takes to comment and think of an answer to the question. But, for a £40 gift certificate, isn't it worth it? The site has several great things to buy with that amount. Good for yourself or for a gift. I'm really confused about why nobody wants free stuff... Maybe there's some confusion? I'll try to clear up any that might have come up: You don't have to live in the UK (despite the gift certificate being in ££s). You don't have to re-blog the giveaway; that's only if you want an extra entry.

All you need to do is leave a comment, answering the fun little question, by the end of Tuesday (which I suppose, as of two minutes ago, is today). The winner will be announced on Wednesday. What are you waiting for?? Go enter the giveaway right now!

(Please? I'm a bit sad that so few have entered. I love you guys! Did you know, I had the option to review a product but instead I wanted you guys to get something?)

Did you guys do anything fun this weekend? What did you think of the USA v. England (World Cup) match?

<3