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The Ultimate Guide to a Sophisticated Luxury London Hen Do
London is surprisingly well-suited to a polished and sophisticated hen weekend. The city has enough...
29
Apr
2026
By Boho
Over the past few years, weddings have evolved beyond a single day into full, multi-day celebrations. It’s a beautiful shift that allows more time to connect, but it also introduces extra moving parts. With each added event comes another round of decisions, and the guest count is where things can get complicated.
When you’re juggling different budgets, venues, and expectations across several days, it’s normal to be torn about who makes the list. That pressure to include everyone and still stay within your means can creep in fast. Here’s what a handful of industry pros have to say about navigating guest count guilt.
Navigating Guest Count Guilt
photo by Aubrey Oothout – full wedding here
Start with a set of rules
Though it’s not the most fun task, setting ground rules early can make everything that follows clearer. Whether it’s agreeing to only invite people you’ve both met or limiting plus-ones, having shared guidelines gives you something to come back to when decisions get tricky.
Irene Katzias, Wedding Planner at Irene + Co Events, suggests, “Establish general rules that each guest must meet, such as only inviting those who are connected to both individuals getting married. For example, invite the immediate family and close friends first, and then, based on the RSVPs received, invite additional guests as space allows. Understanding the boundaries you have as a couple will help you if you establish them in advance.”
Taking a structured approach like this can make those tougher decisions less personal and more clear-cut.
Amos Gott, Owner and Chief Event Architect at AmosEvents, adds, “Some couples also set a time-based rule, such as if they haven’t seen them in a year, they’re not close enough to attend one of the most intimate days of your lives. It’s not harsh, just honest, and that honesty keeps your guest list manageable.”
These rules are there to support you, not box you in. When questions inevitably come up (like whether to invite a distant cousin or college friend you haven’t seen in years), you’ll have a framework that helps you decide with confidence instead of guilt.
photo by Ledd Lens Photo & Film – full wedding here
29
Apr
2026
By Boho
A hen do doesn’t have to revolve around costumes or late nights that roll into the next morning. For some groups, it leans more towards well-chosen locations, good food and drink, and time spent somewhere that actually feels worth travelling to. That could be a vineyard just outside Reims, a spa town in the Swiss Alps, or a few days in Milan moving between boutiques and rooftop terraces.
The setting changes, but the approach stays fairly consistent: keep it simple, choose well, and let the destination do most of the work. Below are a few options that suit an elegant, low-key but still memorable hen do.
Refined Hen Do Ideas for the Elegant Bride
photo by Antoni Shkraba Studio
Exclusive Vineyard Experiences in Champagne
Champagne is an easy choice when the focus is on quality rather than variety. Most groups base themselves in Reims or Épernay, where you’re close to the major houses as well as smaller producers. In Reims, the streets around Place Drouet-d’Erlon stay lively, but a short walk takes you to quieter areas near the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. Épernay feels smaller, with Avenue de Champagne lined with historic cellars that run deep underground.
A typical hen do here often centres around tastings, but it helps to space them out. A walk through the vineyards near Hautvillers adds context to what’s in the glass later on. The village itself is where Dom Pérignon is buried, and it’s common to see small groups pausing at the abbey before heading back towards town.
The best way to enjoy champagne wine tours is to choose producers who can clearly explain the process, from grape selection through to ageing in chalk cellars. Tours often include time below ground, where temperatures remain constant, and bottles are stored for years. That insight becomes particularly useful once you begin comparing styles across different houses.
photo by barmalini
28
Apr
2026
By Boho
Designing wedding invitations once meant limited templates or costly designers, but today’s couples want more control and personalization. This shift is especially evident in alternative weddings, where creativity often replaces tradition.
Digital invitation platforms have transformed the process, offering flexible tools, modern designs, and real-time customization. Couples can now easily create, send, and track invitations while simplifying RSVPs and guest communication. Technology has removed traditional barriers and expanded creative freedom.
For couples planning an alternative wedding in 2026, digital invitations are no longer just convenient; they are essential.
Below is a short guide on focus areas for those planning an alternative wedding, and four standout platforms that balance design, usability, and functionality for different needs.
The 4 Best Digital Invitation Platforms for Alternative Weddings in 2026
Photo by milindri
Set Clear Expectations for Your Digital Invitation Experience
When choosing among the best digital invitation platforms for alternative weddings, begin by defining the guest experience you want to create. Design should reflect your wedding style, but it must work alongside broader functionality, such as planning and guest management. Even the most creative invitation loses impact if handling RSVPs or guest communication feels challenging.
Look for platforms that offer RSVP tracking, custom questions, meal selections, direct messaging, and even planning tools such as seating arrangements. These features create a seamless journey from invitation delivery to confirmed attendance, especially for non-traditional wedding formats.
Delivery options also matter. Platforms that support email, SMS, and shareable links make it easier to reach diverse guest lists. This flexibility often improves response rates and keeps communication efficient.
It’s also worth considering platforms that include extras like save-the-dates, reminders, and thank-you notes. An ad-free experience helps maintain a cohesive and sophisticated feel during each step involved in your wedding communications.
Ultimately, the best platforms balance expressive, high-end invitation design with practical tools. This ensures your invitations feature a sophisticated design that offers the option of breaking from tradition, while remaining easy for guests to engage with, and keeping logistics manageable.
photo source
28
Apr
2026
By Boho
Some weddings I get sent are your typical day wedding, some are more elaborate weekend weddings, while other are pure experiences, today’s wedding is certainly the latter! If you love animals and you love the open air then today’s safari wedding in South Africa is going to be right up your street. Jolien and Kjell LOVE safari’s so when it came to planning their wedding, they knew exactly what they wanted, minimal guests, minimal fuss, BIG experience! The result is this Awesome day filled with so many amazing animals, Kim Raaf must have been in her element, what an fantastic wedding to photograph! As for the guests they really lucked out, can you imagine a better wedding!!
It was a warm, intimate and unique experience, which felt exactly like we wanted it.
Jolien and Kjell were married on 2nd January 2025 at Aquila Private Game Reserve, Touws River, South Africa. ‘We both love South Africa and didn’t want a “big wedding” where you feel obliged to invite person X, because person Y is already coming. The actual choice for Aquila was a little less romantic – we had searched for a Private Game Reserve that allows you to organise weddings at their premises because of our love for safaris and Aquila was the only one where it was possible – even on our small scale. We had 8 guests (on top of the 2 of us) and it took around 14 months to plan.’
27
Apr
2026
By Boho
There’s a quiet shift happening in the world of weddings, and it’s being driven by couples who want something more meaningful than a traditional day.
Instead of planning large events with long guest lists and tight timelines, more couples — especially those travelling from the United States — are choosing to elope to Ireland and create something far more personal. Not a performance. Not a production. An experience.
And it’s exactly why eloping in Ireland has quickly become one of the most sought-after ways to get married abroad.
Why More Couples Are Choosing to Elope in Ireland Instead of a Traditional Wedding
The Moment Couples Realise Ireland Is “The Place”
It rarely starts with planning. It starts with a feeling.
You’re standing somewhere along Ireland’s west coast, the Atlantic stretching endlessly in front of you. The wind pulls at your clothes, the light shifts constantly, and everything feels raw and real.
Or you’re walking through the ruins of a centuries-old castle, hand in hand, with nothing but the sound of the wind moving through the stone. And then it hits you. This would be the perfect place to get married.
Not because it’s impressive. But because it feels completely yours.
That’s the difference when couples choose to elope in Ireland. It doesn’t feel staged. It feels lived in, grounded, and real in a way few destinations can offer.
