Elka Graham
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Gorgeous former Australian Olympic swimmer, Elka Graham married Aussie water polo champion Thomas Whalan on a private farm in Cootamundra in September 2008.
The happy couple currently live in the Italian village of Savona, where Thomas stars for the local team.
1. Were you the hen or the organizer/bridesmaid or both?
I was the hen!
2. When was the wedding?
Wedding was the 13th September 2008
3. When was the hen’s night?
5th & 6th September 2008
4. Did you go for the whole hen’s weekend or just a hen’s night?
Friday night was just the bridal party (5 of us). We had a night at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney and Saturday was a day and a night event with about 30 women.
5. What sort of activities were there?
Lots of food, theme was orange, we played games such as guessing my favourite music and answering questions about Thomas. If I answered correctly, the person who asked the questions had to have a shot if I got it wrong I had to have the shot. We also divided into 2 groups and played making the bridal dress with toilet paper only, including head piece, etc then explaining it to the two groups, and the winner was chosen.
It was so much fun. Everyone gets involved this way and it allows you to be creative, then we did a mock catwalk and one girl from each group would explain the dress playing it up using designer names etc, to get lots of laughs and votes.
6. Where did you go?
Friday 5th at the Intercontinental Hotel, we had the Governor Suite and partied there all night. Saturday daytime to my family home in Sydney’s Northern beaches - playing games, mingling, laughing, eating and drinking and Saturday night to Wildfire Restaurant’s private room upstairs at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay.
7. Who was the star of the night?
We all were! Being able to be together with your closest girlfriends all at different stages of our lives, meant that everyone shone in their own special and beautiful way. The theme was orange the whole weekend because it’s my favourite colour and everyone looked brilliant in it!! We had orange shot glasses, balloons, cup cakes, everything!!!
8. Any funny stories you can disclose?!
Friday night was hilarious, having both my cousins, my youngest sister and best friend, we just went completely nuts, drinking, dancing, all in pyjamas eating, playing games, we partied all night in our room and went nuts.
9. Did you have to do anything you really didn’t want to do? If so what and what were the consequences?
No I had let both my bridesmaids know that I was not up for strippers or any males. I find it so degrading and your hen’s is the weekend you want to embrace being a woman and being loved by a man whom you can soon call your husband. It’s the opportunity to be together which is so rare to have 30 of your closest girlfriends together for a weekend
10. If you were organizing another hen’s night or weekend, what would you like to do/not do?!
I would not change a single thing. I had quality time with each and every one of my friends who came. I loved the theme the simplicity of it, the organization, the choice of foods, alcohol, music, games - the works. I am so blessed to have a truly great bunch of women who know and understand me!!!
