GONE are the days when a hen do consisted of a few drinks at a pub in town followed by a visit to a ropy nightclub and a wait in a long taxi queue in the rain to get home.

For a while they went from one extreme to the other - a week at a beach resort on the Med or a city break - but the recession put paid to those big ideas and parties are these days much more civilised affairs.

Think afternoon tea, cake stands piled high with dainty sandwiches and mouthwatering treats, with a few stylish cocktails thrown in, and the opportunity to get together with friends and family for a day to remember.

The brains behind Glasgow-based Love Vintage Events, Camilla Halstead has cornered the market for organising inspiring parties.

Tapping into the vintage revolution, she offers old fashioned glamour and plenty of fun.

Afternoon tea parties at the Butterfly and the Pig on Bath Street can be combined with vintage hair and make up masterclasses, 50s style pin-up photo shoots, dance and craft workshops, all led by expert tutors.

Learn to dance the charleston or the lindy hop, make a fascinator hat to wear at the wedding or how to apply full-on glam retro make up with prices from £20 per person.

"They are great for all ages and quite civilised," says Camilla. "People bring their grandmother or mother of the bride and we sometimes have kids come as well.

"Hen parties are all the same - just going out in town and getting drunk. I thought this would be a good alternative.

"They are enjoyable and creative, people go home with something at the end of it all and can look it and say, I remember making that."

With a background in events management, Camilla, originally from Chester, has a keen eye for detail and knows how to throw the perfect party.

Love Vintage Events provide all the props and costumes, from 20s flapper dresses to 50s rock'n'roll style skirts, all you have to do is turn up and get in the swing of it.

After launching the company last September, Camilla has been inundated with bookings and one of the UK's biggest hen party organisers now wants her to be their main supplier of vintage hen parties in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

She also styles wedding venues and offers party packages for celebration such as baby showers and birthdays and offers workshops at vintage fairs and festivals.

"For weddings, I source all the china. In the future I would love to have a warehouse full of vintage props," she says. "I charge a fee to find all the props and dress the venue, taking all the stress away for the bride."

Camilla already organises events in Edinburgh and now has her sights set on Aberdeen. "It's really missing this kind of vintage workshop idea up there," she explains.

Her talents have not gone unnoticed, Love Vintage Events has already been recognised and voted the winner of the Business Scotland Best Business Idea competition as part of the Glasgow for Business Week.

"Our event concept is aimed at giving guests a platform to learn traditionally old fashioned skills and techniques, adding a contemporary spin to bring it back to the 21st century," says Camilla. Each event gives the guests an item or skill they can take away with them and hopefully use in the future. Our most popular service is definitely our vintage hen parties, giving customers an alternative way to celebrate with friends."

Visit www.love vintageevents.com