River Boat Hen Party Invitations: What It Costs

The group chat is at 47 messages. Someone has found a boat that fits 22 people, someone else has added three more names, and the spreadsheet you made on Sunday is already wrong. The deposit is due on Friday. Planning a hen party on a river boat is mostly a budget puzzle. And river boat hen party invitations are either the piece that adds cost or the piece that removes it.

The boat, the catering, the drinks, the surprises — each line moves differently. Some are fixed per hour, some per person, and some per decision you make late. Here's how to see what you're actually paying for.

The boat is hired by the hour, not per head

Boat rental is calculated by hours of navigation and capacity. Filling 22 of 30 seats doesn't make it cheaper per person — but adding three friends doesn't raise this line either. Ask for a quote with specific boarding and disembarking times. 'From 6pm to 11pm' and 'five hours' are different prices if the boat has to return to the mooring. And check what's included: skipper, fuel, final cleaning and pier fee often appear as extras on the day's invoice.

• Boat rental: hours of navigation, skipper, fuel and pier fee.
• Catering: price per person, format (cocktail, barbecue, seated meal) and surcharge for external catering.
• Drinks: open bar per hour, minimum spend per person or bring your own.
• Surprises and extras: DJ, decorations, photographer, shuttle bus to the pier and tips.

Catering is the line that grows fastest

The per-person menu goes up with every confirmation. A cocktail snack on deck doesn't cost the same as a barbecue or a seated meal with service. Drinks are charged in three different ways: open bar per hour, minimum spend per person, or your own drinks box. Compare all three before signing. If the boat doesn't have a kitchen, many apply a surcharge for external catering or for using their space. Ask for it in writing, not by word of mouth at the pier.

Decorations: garlands, a photocall, a sign with the bride's name and balloons are small lines that add up, and sometimes the boat already comes with a decorated base. Sound: a DJ with their own equipment and a portable speaker with a playlist don't cost the same, and on board the volume and music hours may be limited. Photographer, veil and crown, and a shuttle bus to the pier are extras booked separately — decide before paying the deposit.

Every extra guest shows up in the catering and the drinks. The invitation is the one line where changing your mind costs nothing extra.

Cost per guest: the sum that clarifies everything

Add up all the lines and divide by the people who are actually coming. That number lets you compare one boat with another and decide if an extra hour on the water is worth it. Leave room for what always appears: an extra bottle, tips, a taxi home or the late addition. Close the list before you give the final number to the boat — every person added later shows up in catering, drinks and place settings. And for the invitation, skip the printing. Printing and sending physical invitations adds cost per unit, design, envelope and postage — and if the boat changes the boarding time, you have to repeat the whole process. A digital invitation from Send The Joy costs 29,99 EUR, one-time payment. It's a web page for your event that you share with a link, a QR code or a message. Your guests confirm from their phone without installing anything. If the boarding time changes, you edit it in the editor and the link stays the same — no one gets outdated details.