Here at The Stag Company, we understand that organising an incredible weekend that all the lads will enjoy can feel like a bit of a challenge. Don’t worry, we’re here to make the planning process as fun and stress-free as possible. We have over fifteen years of experience in planning incredible weekends, so you can rest assured that your stag do will be in safe hands, if you choose to book with us.
So, if you’ve been given the huge but honourable task of planning an incredible stag weekend, and you have no idea where to start, just let one of our dedicated Event Planners take the stress away for you! In the meantime, we’ve collated some of the most important things to consider when you’re planning a stag weekend into this handy guide. Read on for some inspiration…
The Stag Do Organisational Checklist
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1
Choose the Date
Unless you’re planning on completely surprising the stag, it’s a good idea to discuss the date of the stag weekend before you make any solid plans. The stag might have a clear idea of when he would like his stag weekend to take place. Alternatively, he might have no idea at all and it’s something that you could work out together. Even if you are planning on surprising the stag, it’s a good idea to let him have an input on this particular part of the planning process. Imagine organising a brilliant stag weekend and finding out that the main man is unable to attend!
Bear in mind that leaving some space between the stag weekend and The Big Day itself is generally a sensible idea. A hungover groom who is missing his eyebrows is not a good look, so this is a sure-fire way to keep the bride-to-be on side too! On popular dates such as Bank Holidays, accommodation providers tend to hike their prices up, so choose your date wisely. It's not a bad idea to check the football fixtures too; there’s nothing like the Manchester or Liverpool derby to affect hotel prices. If you put a quote through our website for key dates like this, we’ll let you know straight away that you’ve picked a particularly popular weekend and availability might be tight. Remember that you’re likely to find good deals if you book far ahead – check out our special offers page to see whether we’re currently running any early bird deals. But don’t worry if you’re more of a Last-Minute Larry type; our Event Planners are experts are sniffing out last minute bargains too!
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2
Create a Stag Do guestlist
If you’re planning a stag weekend on behalf of the groom, then you should discuss the guestlist beforehand. It’s important to ensure that everyone that he wants to be there has received an invite. If you wanted to incorporate an element of surprise, you could secretly invite a few old faces that the stag would love to see. Once you have invited everyone, you’ll have a rough idea of numbers and you’ll be able to make more precise plans.
If you’ve decided to take the reins and plan your own weekend, you’ll still want to make a list. It would be terribly awkward if you forgot to invite someone really important! It’s also worth thinking about the bride-to-be’s close friends and key family members – offending the in-laws might not be the best way to kick start the marriage.
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3
Talk About Budget
Once everyone has confirmed whether they’d like to attend or not, you should have a chat about budget. It’ll make life easier if you have an idea of what the group are willing to pay for the weekend. You should also discuss whether or not the stag will pay for himself or if you will all split his share between you.
Our online platform, The Party Hub, provides a stress-free way of collecting the cash from your group and means you don’t have to stump up huge deposits on behalf of ‘Ian from football training’ who you’ve never even clapped eyes on. At the beginning of the weekend itself, it’s a good idea to start a cash kitty, to cover incidentals like taxis and tips. Check out our Special Offers page for details of our ‘cash for the kitty’ offer.
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4
Choose the Best Location
Unless the groom has his heart set on a particular location for his last weekend of freedom, you could put it to the group and ask if they have any suggestions. You should consider whether you think it would be best to hold the stag do in the UK or abroad, taking into account factors such as journey time, travel cost and how many nights you plan to be away. If you need a little inspiration, here is a list of The Best Stag Do Locations (2019 Edition). At The Stag Company, we’re proud to offer over 40 great locations, so we can provide inspiration if you’re short of ideas.
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5
Decide on What Type of Stag
If the stag is pretty laid back and has failed to give you any instructions, then you should think about what he enjoys generally. Would he love a stag weekend full of classic activities, such as, paintballing and quad biking followed by a night out on the town? Or, is he a laid-back guy who would rather something low key, like a beer tasting experience and an evening at a comedy club? He might be a super adventurous thrill-seeker and would love something active that gets the adrenaline pumping like white water rafting!
It's easy to forget to consider what the stag doesn’t like. Everyone wants the weekend to be memorable, but will he really want to be greeted by a stripper on the airport transfer, or will it make his heart sink? The Man versus Food Challenge might be fun to watch but what if he’s recently turned vegan? You catch our drift; the weekend should be all about the main man himself, so channel his style when you’re planning the itinerary. If all else fails and you need some inspiration, check out the 300+ activities that we offer!
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6
Stag Do Themes
You should consider whether or not you would like the stag weekend to be themed. The beauty of a themed weekend is that it can consist of whatever you like. You could decide that you would like a Game of Thrones inspired weekend and book activities inspired by the hit television show and dress up as your favourite characters. Or, you might decide to have a sports-themed weekend. You may even decide that you’d like to stitch the stag up a little and have him dress in something hilarious.
Whatever you plan, make sure that you check the dress code at each venue you’re planning to go to. In general, bars, clubs and restaurants seem to be getting stricter about what fancy dress themes they will allow. If you decide to book through us, our Event Planners can help you out with this, as they will know which venues have restrictions in place.
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7
To prank or not to prank
In our experience, whilst hens generally try to pamper and spoil the bride-to-be, stags are not always so kind. Decide with your mates what approach you’re going to take on this, so that there are no nasty surprises when half of the group decide to tie the stag to a lamppost, strap him down and give him a tango tan, or whip out a lime green mankini that they expect him to wear down Leeds High Street.
If organised humiliation is more your bag, check out the Stag Arrest activity that we offer in some of our European locations. A less drastic approach is to find the most embarrassing photo that you have of him as a spotty teen and get it printed on t-shirts for the lads to wear during the weekend. If you decide to go down the prank route, bear in mind how mad his fiancée is going to be with you and if you’re not yet married yourself, remember that he might seek payback when it’s your turn!
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8
Pop your sensible hat on
In order to kick back and relax during the event itself, it’s not a bad idea to pop your sensible hat on for a quick sesh prior to departure. Our groups often get caught up in the moment and forget to purchase travel insurance - even if you’re travelling within the UK, you will be spending a fair bit on arrangements so protecting yourselves for those ‘just in case’ scenarios, is never a bad idea. If you’re travelling abroad, check out ABTA’s website for helpful hints and tips and go to the government site for advice on visas and entry requirements.
Remind the lads that they all need to bring valid, photo ID. Many city centre venues have scanners in place these days, so the salt and pepper hair look isn’t enough to stop you getting asked. It won’t hurt to send a final reminder to the lads the night before you leave – some of them might think you’re going overboard but if it saves just one person from being left outside the club on his Jack Jones, it’s worth it, right? Take simple measures to stay safe during the weekend. If you book via The Stag Company, your final itinerary on the Party Hub will include emergency contact details for our Operations Team and numbers for any ground agents, venues or providers with whom your activities are scheduled. Lastly, agree the rules before you arrive: if the Stag wants a ban on mobile phones and a social media blackout, make that clear from the start. What happens in Prague stays in Prague…you know the drill!
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9
Is eating really cheating?
Our Event Planning team have come up with some awesome Stag do games for you to try out, but let’s face it, most ideas tend to lead back to alcohol. Having a skinful to celebrate your best mate’s rite of passage is certainly not to be frowned at – the tradition dates back to the Spartans, after all – but recreating scenes from the Hangover isn’t always the coolest route to take.
To maximise the fun and minimise the nagging morning-after feeling, make sure that everyone has the full address for where you’re staying and plan how you’re going to get home before you leave. Drink water regularly to stay hydrated and use soft drinks to pace yourself when it’s your round - a coke looks just the same as a double rum and coke to the untrained eye. Don’t leave drinks unattended and keep a close eye on wallets and phones. Lastly, remember that eating really isn’t cheating; carb up your dinner before you carve up the dance floor! Alternatively, you might want to channel The Stag Company HQ’s hometown vibe and stick to superfruit smoothies and wheatgrass shots…but either way, your safety is of paramount importance so look out for your mates and make sure that they look out for you.
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Don’t know where to start to get your party started?
Don’t panic, we’ve covered it all for you!
What can we do for you?
Here at The Stag Company, we have over fifteen years of experience in creating incredible stag weekends. Over the years, we’ve picked up a few great tips and tricks on a variety of things relating to weddings and stag weekends. From speeches to drinking games, we’ve got you covered on all fronts in this stag do checklist!
Yet to put pen to paper and come up with a legendary speech? Don’t worry, we’re the Best Man’s best friend and we’ve got the ultimate guide to create the ultimate best man’s speech. If you need a little encouragement to make your drinking that little bit more fun, we’ve got the top list of stag do drinking games straight out of your uni years. And if you just want a shot of pure hilarity for your stag do our dare list is the comprehensive resource to up the ante and up the good times on any stag do. After having a read through our best man tips section you’ll be transformed from a regular stag do-er into a proper legendary stag.
