I'm by no means a pro paintball player — I just think it's hilarious fun! So for my hen's weekend [Editor's note: aka “bachelorette weekend”], I demanded we go and play paintball for a day. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my upcoming wedding than by running around in the mud and shooting my best friends.
I set a rule that everyone had to wear the most hideous bridesmaid dress they could find (or make). My Chief Maid of Awesome ended up finding my dress at her local op shop — it was a never-been-worn vintage creation that was probably someone's dream dress back in the day. She also customized a stack of paintball masks snaffled for free from her local paintball field.
It was so muddy that day, I was sinking halfway to my knees in some parts of the field. The puffy skirt bit kept getting snagged on trees, so I was leaving a trail of tulle and lace everywhere I went. Not to mention all the fallen branches that managed to get kicked up into the skirt and just stuck there! Luckily The Chief was there to help me get over some obstacles…
The people that ran the place could not stop laughing at us and our silly hijinks, particularly because the boys that were invited to the party really got into the spirit of it with their fishnet stockings, feather boas, and over-dramatic princess posturing.
Offbeat bachelorette party ideas: the second coming
Inspired by a recent comment on the paintball hen's party adventure, I thought I'd showcase some more offbeat bachelorette party ideas. From over-the-top, to easy-to-plan,... Read more
When we turned up to the fields, I told the owners to treat us like a buck's party [Editor's note: aka “bachelor party”], so we ended up doing all sorts of fun manly games. Including one which was meant to be everyone firing three shots each at the bridal party. What the Maids of Awesome and I didn't know is that the game was actually Unload The Entire Hopper At The Bridal Party… Unless They Scream Stop. We also created our own game which involved me being the only armed person, tossing a fake flower bouquet from one end of the field then firing randomly at people as they wrestled each other for possession, until one person made it back to the safe zone clutching the bouquet.
Pro-tip: if being shot at from the front, DON'T TURN AROUND! Getting shot in the back hurts more. I ended up with twenty-two welts on my body. Surprisingly, despite not wearing chest armor, no-one shot me in the boobs. Win!
So if you're a bit more of an adventurous bride, I would totally recommend paintball as a hen's activity — just do it a couple of weeks out from the wedding so your bruises disappear. I'd share those pics too, but it might put you off the idea. 😉
