Your best mate is getting married and you have been tasked with organising the stag do – that’s easy right? After all, you are simply arranging for your mate, his mates and other various men in his immediate circle to go on a bender, and that’s surely not going to be too difficult.
But, in reality, that take in hand can be quite challenging. For many men, a stag do is an important rite of passage and should be an event that is remembered fondly for years to come – even if the memories are a bit hazy.
To ensure that it’s a success, there are a few key things to take into consideration:
Ask The Groom What Type Of Party He Wants
To get things off to a good start, try to remember that this isn’t your party, and that you are planning it for someone else. The very best way to make that happen is to ask the groom what he would like to do. Not everything has to be done exactly to his requirements, but at least listen to his preferences before you start making plans.
A party in a club in Bucharest may be sound great to you, but if everyone else is skint and can’t get the time off work, then this idea will be a non-starter. Get the boys together and go for a beer to get a plan in place before you commit to making (and paying for) arrangements.
Location
Staying here in the UK or heading overseas? There is a whole world out there just waiting to entertain you and the groom-to-be. But you will need to consider the practical limitations that your group may have before choosing a location.
A long weekend in an upbeat European city will probably be feasible for most of your party, whereas a more exotic international trip for a week or two may be trickier.
Of course, lets not forget that there are plenty of epic stag party destinations here in the UK too. Newcastle, for example, is a great choice for this type of trip. Cheap, easy to get to from most parts of the country and with a nightlife scene second to none in the UK, here is a party city that also has a lot to offer in terms of daytime activities, as evident in this handy stag-do guide to Newcastle by Last Night of Freedom.
Talk this one out, and make your decision based on how much you can all realistically afford, how long you can get away for and what you are planning to do when you get to the chosen destination.
Accommodation
You may not need five star accommodation, but you’ll probably be looking for something a bit more upmarket than a dirty B&B in the middle of nowhere.
Research is key here. You need to know where you want to go exactly, and how you intend to get around once you get there. If you don’t want to waste precious beer money on taxis and transport, find a hotel that is centrally located.
Clean rooms in an establishment that doesn’t frown upon late night revellers passing through the lobby, and one that can provide easy access to a mighty fry-up in the morning is what you should be looking for.
Activities
Contrary to popular belief, stag weekends aren’t just about drinking. Enjoying some fun daytime activities is key to make the occasion more memorable and stand out from just a regular lad’s weekend away. If you are visiting somewhere new and exciting, don’t just see it from the inside of the pub, get out and explore everything it has to offer.
Catch some sport during the day, or book an event that caters for stag parties, like go-karting, horse racing or even paintball. Then when night falls, you can go get those beers, go clubbing, hit up a strip club or whatever else takes your fancy.
Communication
Communication is absolutely key when it comes to successfully planning a stag weekend. After all, you will probably be trying to work with friends, brothers, cousins, dads, uncles and other acquaintances of the groom, some of which you may never have met before and all of whom will need to be kept in the loop, even if they are not local.
Collate all contact details from the groom during the very early stages of planning, and definitely ask everyone for their thoughts and opinions and let them have their say, especially if you are stuck for ideas yourself. Create a WhatsApp or Facebook group to allow for everyone to communicate easily
Planning A Memorable Stag-Do
Organising an important occasion such as a stag-do can be stressful but it can also be enjoyable. By following the basic tips above there should be no huge disasters, at least from the planning part of the trip. When it’s time for you, the groom-to-be and your group to descend on your chosen location, you can relax knowing that you did all you could to make this an event that will be remembered for a long, long time.