Kitchen Party

Many brides don’t realise kitchen parties are a great way to have a night before the wedding for mothers, in-laws and older relatives without needing to ask them to the Hen night where they may not be comfortable.

What is a Kitchen Party?

For those that don’t know what a kitchen party is, it is a get together of the bride's female relations, future in-laws, older neighbours, close family friends and the brides own close friends.

It is usually held in the bride's aunts house, or in a neighbours house. Staple refreshments include tea and coffee, cake, biscuits, crisps and dips, where more adventurous kitchen parties also provide wine, beer and vodka.

Each guest coming to the kitchen party brings a gift for the bride for her kitchen. The original reason for this was to bring a gift for the bride that would help make her a better wife.

Cookbooks, a good saucepan, an apron etc. Luckily those days have passed and it is now to give the bride something nice for her kitchen and to have a bit of fun, as will be explained below. Limits on what to spend are often enforced but 10 euro is the norm.

In action

After a few cups of tea and glasses of wine, the ladies all gather around and the bride sits in the centre blindfolded. One by one the presents are passed to her and she has to open them, feel them and try and guess what each is. One of the guests writes down all the brides comments as she tries to guess….for example in the case of a rolling pin she might exclaim ‘its huge’ and everyone gives a little giggle at these double entendres.

When all the presents are open all the quotes are read back to the group and it is good clean fun that gives everyone a laugh. Kitchen parties are associated with older relations and friends, but often it is the older relations that can shock everyone with their sly jokes and innuendo.