The Directory Gigi's Journal Real Bride

1 REAL BRIDE'S MYKONOS HEN DO MAGIC

You might know Kash as the face behind our Instagram but before she joined the Gigi & Olive team as our Social Media Manager, she was a Bride-to-be with a hen do that deserves its own highlight reel.

We sat down with her to get every detail of her long weekend in Mykonos: the nightly dress codes, the custom beaded dress, the tote bags, and the moment she realised her friends had completely outdone themselves.

Claudia Judd May 4, 2026 4 Min Read

First, tell us a little about you.

Kash is 28, splitting her time between Devon and London — a self-confessed city girl at heart. She's getting married at the end of June in the Douro Valley, Portugal, at a hotel set right on the river. "It's a beautiful wine region in the north of the country," she tells us, "with rolling hills, vineyards, and the most breathtaking water views. We fell in love with it immediately."

The hen do: how it came together

Twelve of her closest friends. Four days in Mykonos. And absolutely zero input from the bride herself.

"When I first got engaged, I assumed I'd plan my own hen," Kash admits. "My friends scoffed at the suggestion. So I handed over the baton completely — and from that moment on, I had nothing to do with it." She didn't find out the location until a month before, and didn't see the itinerary until the group was settled into their villa. "It was perfection. Fun, thoughtful, and so me. I could never have pulled it off as well as they did."

The credit goes largely to her three maids of honour — Payge, Tash, and Maddie — who designed a full brochure for the trip. Think: itinerary, flight information, guest list, and — most importantly — a dress code for every single night, complete with moodboards.

The themes

Rather than one overarching aesthetic, each evening had its own vibe:

Margs & Matrimony — the first evening's dress code, bridal-coded and beaded
Sunset Squad — golden hour energy, tailored into a mini
Mermaids in Mykonos — the final night, all corsets and drama

"It was non-stop from the moment we landed," says Kash. "Hectic and so, so fun. The whole thing felt like a dream."

What she wore

Outfit planning, by Kash's own admission, "almost became my whole personality" in the lead-up to the trip. Her approach? A mix of vintage finds, custom pieces, and high street — thoughtfully put together for each moment.

For Margs & Matrimony night, she wore a fully hand-beaded custom dress by Timare Lagos. "The sparkle was unreal. It was such a fun process designing it with her." It also turned out to be her most expensive purchase of the trip — and her most worthwhile. "Worth every single penny."

For Sunset Squad, she wore an Oxfam bridal find from when the store was Kingston-based, tailored into a mini. For Mermaids in Mykonos, a PrettyLittleThing corset paired with a Cult Mia skirt. "Most of my jewellery was thrifted — either charity shops or Vinted."

Her best budget find? The sunset night outfit, stumbled across in a charity shop over a year before the hen. "I knew immediately it was going in my bridal wardrobe."

The finishing touch

Before the trip, Kash put together personalised tote bags for each of her friends, filled with things they could use across the weekend and beyond. She also wrote every single one of them a thank-you note.

"It meant so much to me that they took time off and flew to Greece just to celebrate with me. I wanted them to know that."

Kash's 3 top tips for planning your hen

1. Trust your friends. If you have people in your life who are willing — and have the time — to plan it for you, let them. While you're deep in wedding admin, your maid of honour and bridesmaids can take the hen completely off your plate. Hand over the baton and don't look back.

2. Leave a gap between your hen and your wedding. "I left Mykonos with a full heart, a bit of a hangover, and about 20 bruises." Give yourself a few weeks to recover, rest, and come back to wedding mode feeling human again.

3. Be present. All the planning, the group chats, the moodboards — none of it matters as much as actually being there. Put the to-do lists down and soak up every single moment.