She’s a seasoned snowboarder with a penchant for a chilled glass of rosé, not to mention an inspiring businesswoman and Mother with an innate ability for creating seriously cool, quality hen party accessories. Founder of Team Hen, Danielle is quite the force to be reckoned with and happily I managed to find time in her busy schedule to find out everything from how TH started, to which celebrity hen party she loved and what her social media hate is…
#1 Who is Danielle, the founder of Team Hen? What did you do before and how did you kick-start Team Hen and it’s enticing creative spirit that brides and hen parties love?
“Hi, so I’m Danielle. I’m 37 and live in Milton Keynes with my husband and two children. Before starting Team Hen I was an IT analyst in the city of London, working for a large American corporate, which i actually loved.
When I had my first child I knew returning to work wasn’t possible, with the childcare and commuting costs. I assumed being a full-time mum would be great, but to be honest it wasn’t for me. I needed something to challenge me mentally and missed being part of a busy team.
My best friend got engaged whilst I was on maternity leave and I threw myself into planning her hen party. I quickly realised there was little choice when it came to hen party products – everything was garish and over the top, so I designed some products for her hen, bags and badges etc. and had a few made locally. They were a hit, so I began to sell them on ETSY, then NOTHS and eventually we launched our own website.”
#2 In your words what does Team Hen offer brides, that other brands don’t?
“Quality and choice. Before I started TH, all hen party products were the same – pink, brash and cheaply made. Not only are our products made well, they offer women modern products that they won’t be embarrassed by. Our designs are on-trend, and are innovative and unique.”
#3 Does Team Hen design and create their own products? What other brands do you stock alongside your own designs?
“Initially we only sold our own products – designed in-house and produced in the UK or Europe. Simply because there were no other products out there that were in line with our ethos – modern, quality products brides would want to be seen in. Over the last few years however, a few other companies have upped their game and we now stock a wide range of hen party products from other quality suppliers, along with our own. Most notably we stock Katie Loxton and Ginger Ray.”
#4 Team Hen recently launched their first capsule style collection (which is super cool, might I add). Where did the inspiration for this line stem from? What did you want to offer hen parties?
“The clothing line has been a long time coming – hen party t-shirts, like hen party products, are traditionally cheap, garish and poorly made. We wanted to modernise the designs and improve the quality – like with all our other products – and create something brides and their squads would want to wear. The designs are classic, and the quality means you can wear them long after the hen party is over!”
#5 I love the playfulness of the brand and your designs. How do you get inspired when it comes to creating something new? What’s your favourite product currently on the site?
“I’ve honed my craft over the past five years and I’m pretty good at judging what products and designs will work and sell well for us. Instagram and Pinterest are great tools for keeping abreast of colour ways and font styles that are popular, so you’ll see our style evolving over the years in line with overall fashion trends.
My favourite product is currently our new satin Bride & Squad eye masks. They are gorgeous quality and would make the perfect addition to any hen party weekend – stylish and practical at the same time.”
#6 Talk to us about the team currently behind Team Hen. You’ve been running for five years now and causing waves in the hen party industry. What does each team member bring to the table?
“TH simply wouldn’t work without my two right-hand girls. Both called Nikki (so, yes it can get confusing in the office) but both perform vital roles! Nikki H has actually been with us since 2015 and is very much ingrained in the company, she cares about TH as much as I do. Nikki T is a more recent addition but equally vital in the running of the show – she’s super particular about quality and standards, which means nothing leaves us less than perfect!
Both go above and beyond for TH, and I wouldn’t be without them. In terms of other staff we have many female freelancers in areas such as HR, PR, Marketing, SEO etc.”
#7 Team Hen also runs a blog on the site, what tips and tricks can brides find here?
“We cover everything from planning advice and tips, to gift and product recommendations. We recently hosted a guest blog on speech writing for Maids of Honour which was super popular.”
#8 What can brides-to-be always rely on Team Hen for in three words?
“Cute. Modern. Quality.”
#9 If you could have a particular celebrity or person to be the face of the brand, who would it be and why? Who embodies the label in their style and personality?
“I can’t think of any one celeb or person who embodies the brand – the key to our success is offering brides products that fit with their style and personality – whether they’re a party girl or looking for something more sophisticated and understated. We cater for modern women – whatever their style or personality.”
#10 From your experience, for those planning a hen party for a special bride, where do they need to start?
“I think the key is conferring with the bride – even if you want it to be a surprise, you still need to get an idea of they type of hen party she would like – is she expecting to go abroad, or would a quiet dinner be her ideal hen night?
Secondly, budget – you don’t want to out-price guests who are on the bride’s ‘must-have-there’ list. At the same time, you need to be realistic about what the hen party is going to cost.”
#11 Where would you like to see Team Hen in five years time?
“I struggle with looking forward – TH started as something to occupy my time and mind when the kids were newborns, and none of it has really been planned. That said, we are moving to a bigger unit imminently, which will increase our capacity for orders, stock and staff. I still enjoy running the business as much as I did on day one, so I guess we’ll just carry on as we are and see where we end up!
#12 Talk us through a regular work day, what do you get up to?
“I have two young children, so its school run first then straight into the office to see what orders have come in, and what bespoke laser products need designing. As our laser cutting products have grown in popularity, the laser artwork can take hours each day (although one of our staff is being trained on this now which should give me some time back)!
Once this is done its basically a day of admin – responding to emails and enquiries, checking stock levels and re-ordering to make sure we don’t run out. Website admin, product development and keeping everything up-to-date consumes the rest of the day. Before I know it it’s 2:30 and I’m back to collect the children from school. I may do some work in the evening when they are otherwise occupied, but my day has to finish around 2:30pm as trying to work and look after the kids simply doesn’t work for us.”
#13 Name a celebrity hen party you loved…
“Olivia Buckland – as a Love Island fan we would have happily supplied her with some products, however she bought our products like a regular customer and displayed them proudly at her hen party on social media. Her hen party was wild yet relaxed at the same time. The perfect combination.”
#14 If you could create a selection of bespoke hen party pieces for any celebrity (dead or alive) who would it be?
“Caroline Flack would be a great muse for TH. She’s a fun loving party girl, while being classy at the same time. She has a wicked laugh and can obviously hold her own on the dance floor. Her hen night would be one to remember!”
THE QUICK FIRE ROUND:
#1 Summer or Winter? “Winter.”
#2 Heels or flats? “Flats.”
#3 Pet hate? “Pessimists.”
#4 Favourite wine? “Any Cote de Province Rosé will do!”
#5 Pearls or diamonds? “Diamonds.”
#6 Coffee or tea? “Tea.”
#7 Favourite destination? “Canada – I’m a snow kinda girl.”
#8 Early rise or lie in? “Lie in.”
#9 Dressed up or dressed down? “Dressed down.”
#10 Favourite book? “I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.”
#11 Favourite way to relax? “Watching reality TV with my husband.”
#12 One piece of business advice on running and creating a brand: “Grow organically.”
#13 Social media hate? “People bemoaning their lack of engagement on Instagram.”
#14 Social media love? “It’s free!”
Discover Team Hen’s incredible array of hen party accessories and favours – not to mention their gold-dust advice on the blog – here.
For more information on Team Hen via Bridal Editor click here.
