Booking a Successful Stag or Hen Weekend

It’s a Big Deal!
So you’re the best man and you’ve got the daunting task of organising your best friend’s stag weekend! Historically you would have taken him down the pub, booked a stripper, spiked his drinks and then finished the night off by chaining him to a lamppost with his underpants around his head.

Oh how times have changed! Whether you are organising a Stag Weekend or a Hen Weekend you are going to feel the inevitable pressure that goes with organising the most important celebration of your friend’s life. The majority of the group will have undoubtedly already been on several “amazing” hen or stag weekends and so expectations will be running unreasonably high. You’ve got to deliver a package that will not only keep a group of diverse individuals entertained, but will also run like clockwork, offer unbelievable value for money and go down in history as the most fantastic party of all time.

Get a Plan!
The first thing you need to do is form a general plan of action. There are several factors to be considered such as the dates, the budget and how many people might come along. Once these are agreed you can start to think about location, activities, type of accommodation and means of transport. At this point you will need to decide whether you want to book up everything directly or hand over the organisation to a Stag and Hen Booking Agent.

Booking it yourself might bring the cost down slightly, but could take hours and you run the risk of booking with cowboy operators.  However, a good booking agent should take away the worry and uncertainty as their experience and expertise should make the booking process hassle free and you will be booked in with companies that are happy to deal with hen and stag groups. However, you should still exercise caution when booking with a Hen or Stag agency. Just like in any other business there are good and bad operators and it is recommended that you use the internet to find reviews, read the agent’s T&Cs carefully and make sure that your booking confirmation contains full details of the hotel where you will be staying and the activity providers that you will be using.


Collect Payments Early!
So you’ve got it all booked up and it’s time to collect the money from everyone. Most hen and stag parties dwindle by 30% once it’s time to stump up some cash. It’s usually because people have already been on three hen or stag dos in the last month and are broke, but it can also be down to work commitments,  an unexpected pregnancy, getting called up to Afghanistan or  the dates simply clashing with another event (although what could be more important than your friend’s hen or stag night?!). At this stage you need to be firm and give people a deadline to show their commitment. If they miss it tell them to get back to you when they are ready to book and you’ll see if you can squeeze them in somewhere.  Be understanding, but let them know who’s in charge!

Last Minute Checks
In no time at all the hen or stag weekend will be upon you and you’ll be heading off for a wild weekend. Hopefully everything will be booked up correctly and the weekend will run without a hitch. It’s a good idea to give the companies or agency that you have booked with a quick call a few days before you set off, just to make sure there are no last minute glitches. With all the will in the world people make mistakes and it’s better to get them sorted in advance, instead of finding out at the last minute when it’s often too late to fix.


Europe or the UK?
Probably the biggest decision to make is where to go. Often this will have the biggest bearing on the cost and what sort of weekend you can expect to have. In recent years Eastern European destinations like Prague, Budapest, Bratislava, Krakow and Riga have become very popular. Flights and beer were cheap and you could try new activities such as firing AK-47s or riding in a Bobsleigh. However, these destinations are becoming less popular as the cost of flights and beer continues to rise, the Pound has become very weak against the Euro and lots of British stag parties have reported bad experiences such as being ripped off, getting mugged and even mistreated by overzealous, gun toting police officers.

Now if you want to be remembered as the legend that organised the best stag (or hen) party ever, then you really need look no further than the UK. Places like Newcastle, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Brighton and Blackpool have long been firm favourites, but in recent years new venues like Bristol, Newquay, Liverpool, Leeds, Cardiff and Torquay have emerged boasting a wide range of amazing activities, great nightlife and quality hotels that are happy to welcome stag and hen groups. A typical hen or stag weekend in the UK will set you back less than £150, whereas a weekend abroad is likely to burn £500 into your wallet and you might have a problem explaining that nasty rash that you picked up in Prague! In short, you could have a great time abroad but it will be expensive and there are risks involved. Celebrating your stag or hen weekend in the UK is good clean fun and will leave you feeling elated, warm and fuzzy instead of guilty, itchy and broke.


This article was written by Ivan Fisher of Escape Trips Hen and Stag Weekend Organisers