Vegas hens are twice as popular as they were five years ago - the flight from Heathrow is now not much worse than a hen weekend to Ibiza, and the value ratio for A-tier venues is better. Here's the exact 12-week timeline that keeps a Vegas hen organised without turning the WhatsApp chat into a warzone.
12 weeks out - lock dates and the group
Before booking a single thing:
- Confirm dates with the bride - most hens are 4-6 weeks pre-wedding but there's no rule. Avoid the week directly before her wedding for jet-lag reasons.
- Confirm headcount. Hen groups typically 6-15. Anything above 12 needs a different transport and dining approach.
- Set a per-head budget band. Vegas hens range £550-£1,400 on-ground per head; total (with flights and hotel) £2,200-3,200. Ask before you commit anyone.
- Announce formally. Group WhatsApp with dates, budget band, and a firm 4-week deposit deadline.
If the bride is paying: she pays for herself only (not everyone's dinner). This is the standard convention and worth confirming upfront so nobody assumes otherwise.
10 weeks out - flights, hotel, ESTA
- Flights. BA/Virgin direct LHR/LGW to LAS. Group flight bookings sometimes save 10-15% - worth asking either airline's group desk.
- Hotel. Cosmo, Wynn, Resorts World, or off-strip suites - pick based on which pool you'll spend a full day at. Cosmo suites are the sweet spot for 10-12 hens.
- ESTA. Everyone applies at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Deadline: 3 weeks out. See our ESTA guide.
We recommend the hotel; you book it. We don't take supplier commission so our recommendation is honest.
8 weeks out - talk to a concierge
Send us: - Dates and hotel - Headcount and rough per-head budget - What the bride wants - is she a dayclub-and-dinner hen or a nightclub-until-4am hen? Both are valid, wildly different itineraries - Non-negotiables (dietary needs, one hen doesn't drink, bride hates surprises)
We come back within a day with an itinerary: pool cabana, dinner reservations, spa slots, transport, one or two night-out plans. You review, edit, confirm.
8 weeks is the sweet spot - A-tier dayclub cabanas at Encore Beach Club, LIV Beach, or Tao Beach start booking out at 6 weeks. Restaurants like Delilah and Carbone are difficult even 4 weeks out.
6 weeks out - deposits and confirmations
- Collect deposits. We handle deposit collection for the group - one link per hen, one card payment. Deposits usually 40-50% of the total, balance 2 weeks pre-trip.
- Confirm the itinerary and pay the concierge planning deposit.
- Book restaurants directly if you're doing a mix (OpenTable/Resy). We handle the difficult ones.
- Book spa - if you want a hen spa afternoon, book at least 4 weeks out for Wynn / Cosmo / Waldorf Astoria spas.
- Book airport transport - 15-person SUV or party van from LAS to hotel.
4 weeks out - the details
- Flight details captured for airport-transfer sizing
- Dietary requirements captured for dinner venues
- Dress code brief (see our dress code guide) - Vegas is stricter than UK; give the group notice
- Tipping brief (see our tipping guide) - nobody arrives knowing this instinctively
- Bride's surprise moments if you're planning any - decoy activities on the itinerary so the surprises land
- Group WhatsApp with the full plan pinned
The adult-entertainment question
Some hen groups want a Chippendales-style show or a male-revue event. Some don't. Ask the bride privately - not in the group chat - well before you book anything of that shape.
Vegas has legitimate professional male-revue shows (Magic Mike Live at Sahara, Chippendales at Rio, Aussie Heat at Rio) that most hen groups enjoy. These are not the same as private dancers at the AirBnB and are safer, tackier-in-a-good-way, and everyone can post the photos.
If the bride does want a private male dancer at the hotel or a rented villa: we can arrange it through trade partners. Vetted, discreet, negotiated in advance. We don't put this on the website; ask us in the WhatsApp.
1 week out - final
- Final headcount to concierge, passed to venues
- Everyone screenshots ESTA
- Cash for tipping - $200-250 per hen in $5s and $20s
- Anyone who hasn't paid final balance is removed
- Pinned WhatsApp with hotel address, first-meet spot, timing
On-trip - the concierge role
You're on WhatsApp with your planner for the whole trip. Changes are normal - hen wants to swap Saturday for a spa day, add a helicopter Strip flight for her birthday within the hen, wants to add a dinner reservation for a hen who arrived late.
The bride doesn't touch money. Organiser has the group card. Concierge invoices at end of trip for anything over deposits.
Sample 4-night budget - 10 hens, Signature tier
- On-ground concierge programme: £8,500 (~£850/head)
- Hotel: ~£1,700/room for 4 nights at Cosmo (twin share = ~£425/head)
- Flight (BA return): £650-900/head
- Dinners paid at venues: ~£120/head
- Tipping: ~£130/head
- Personal spend: £250-400/head
Total per head: £2,300-2,800 all-in for a properly-executed 4-night hen. Bride's share typically covered by the group (each hen contributing a small extra), not by the bride herself.
Step-by-step
- 01
Lock dates, headcount, budget
12 weeks out. Confirm bride's flexibility, get headcount, set per-head budget band before touching prices.
- 02
Book flights, hotel, ESTA
10 weeks out. Direct BA/Virgin LHR/LGW → LAS. Hotel chosen based on which pool you'll spend a day at. Everyone applies for ESTA.
- 03
Talk to a concierge
8 weeks out. Send dates, headcount, budget, and what the bride actually wants. Concierge returns itinerary within a day and holds A-tier cabanas against a deposit.
- 04
Collect deposits
6 weeks out. One deposit link per hen makes collection painless. Restaurants booked, spa booked, airport transport booked.
- 05
Handle the details
4 weeks out. Flight details, dietary requirements, dress code brief, tipping brief, surprise-moment decoys, group WhatsApp pinned.
- 06
Final week
1 week out. Final headcount confirmed to concierge and venues. ESTA screenshots. Cash for tipping withdrawn in Vegas airport.
- 07
On-trip
Planner on WhatsApp for the whole trip. Bride doesn't touch money. Organiser handles group card. Invoicing at end of trip.
Questions
Frequently asked
- When should we start planning a Vegas hen do?
- 12 weeks out is comfortable. A-tier dayclub cabanas at Encore Beach Club, LIV Beach, and Tao Beach book out 6-8 weeks pre-date. Restaurants like Delilah and Carbone are difficult even 4 weeks out. If you're planning around F1 weekend or NYE - start 4+ months out.
- Does the bride pay her share?
- Standard convention: the bride pays for her flight and hotel share only; the rest of the group covers her on-ground concierge share, dinners, and tables. Confirm this with the group early so nobody assumes otherwise. Some brides insist on paying - that's her call.
- What's a realistic per-head budget for a Vegas hen?
- £2,300-2,800 per head all-in for a 4-night Signature-tier hen: flights + hotel share + on-ground concierge + dinners + tipping + personal spend. £850/head is the on-ground concierge portion at Signature tier; flights and hotel add another £1,000+.
- Can you organise a male-revue night or private dancer?
- Yes - via trade partners, vetted and discreet. We don't advertise it on the site, but ask us in the WhatsApp and we'll walk through the options. Public shows (Magic Mike Live, Chippendales, Aussie Heat) are also a good middle ground - professional, most hen groups enjoy them, safe to photograph.
- How do you keep 10-15 hens organised when nobody checks WhatsApp?
- We handle deposit collection and group admin end-to-end. One link to the lead organiser; each hen clicks through to pay her share, submit ESTA and passport details, pick dietary requirements. Non-responders get automatic reminders. You stop chasing the group.