Stag Weekends – How to plan them

canyoning in wales

Planning the perfect stag party

Stag Parties Weekends > Stag Weekend Planning

How to organise a great hassle free stag party?

Call of the Wild has been in the business of organising stag do’s (some people say stag dos!) for clients for over 11 years. Having many years’ experience of dealing with stag groups there do appear to be a number of basic lessons that can be learnt about planning the perfect stag do (often referred to as a stag night, stag weekend or bachelor party).

Some of these tips have been suggested to us by our past customers learning from their personal experience. So here are some top tips and ideas  to help you plan the perfect stag do.

1. Confirm date of wedding

Sounds obvious but unfortunately many best men get this wrong and don’t leave themselves enough time to arrange things.

2. Confirm rough dates for the stag party

It is recommended that this should be no closer than two weeks before the wedding although this is flexible. Planning a stag do any later and things can start to go wrong – like the groom doesn’t make it to the wedding. As he is your responsibility (best man) do you really want to face the bride and explain what has happened? Setting rough dates with the Groom will also make it easier in narrowing down the numbers for the event.

It is extremely unusual for everyone you invite to be able to make the stag do. The most important person it has to be convenient for is the Groom, so the dates have to set to suit him.

3. Who to invite to the stag party?

The Groom obviously, his friends from home, school, college, work and family. It is becoming more common for invites to be issued to the Groom’s father and, wait for it, the Bride’s father – you’ll have to ask the Groom about that one! Make sure the stag party doesn’t get too large. Don’t forget you’re going to have to organise this lot. The bigger the group the more difficult it is to manage. You’ll have to collect the money etc. We’ve all been there and had that one person who is slow to pay.

Also you have a number of different groups e.g. school friends, college friends, work associates who may split into their respective groups and not mix as much as the Groom would like. So keep the group size manageable. The Groom is the best person to ask as he knows them all. One important tip is to get the e-mail addresses of all those invited. This is by far and away the easiest way to co-ordinate everyone.

Finally we all know one or two, how do we say, difficult people, especially when drinking! It would be prudent to not invite those people to the stag do if you feel they won’t get on with the group or locals. You want this to be remembered for the right reasons not the wrong ones.

4. Choosing the stag weekend location and what to do

Again this depends on the Groom. It is becoming more popular to go away for a weekend and try some unusual stag do activities. The budget of the group and the amount of time off work and spent away from partners/families etc will dictate how far you travel. Is it going to be 3 weeks in Barbados or a night in the local boozer? Stag do activities are also affected by the credit crunch!

stag-montage

5. Should you arrange the stag weeeknd yourself or use a company?

This really depends on you and what you intend to do on the stag do. However, it is always advisable to use a company to arrange everything for your stag do, especially for bigger groups. This is far less trouble than doing it yourself and can be more cost effective. You should also bear in mind that many places such as pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants no longer accept stag groups – Dublin and Tenby being prime examples of places where stag groups are becoming less welcome.

Ensure that whoever you use arranges everything for you – be sure you know what you are paying for and what is excluded. Is it full board or are evening meals extra, what about lunch? Do you have to drive everywhere yourself or are transfers provided? Do you really want to be looking for your stag activity venue with a convoy of 10 cars and you navigating?

If you are wary of using a company, then ask the company for testimonials or if you contact past customers. It’s your head on the block so make sure the groom has a memorable time (well maybe being memorable is asking too much) !

6. During the stag do

Jokes and embarrassing the Groom are traditional but remember don’t go too far. You are the one who will have to explain to the Bride why her beloved hasn’t got any body hair! You know the Groom best and will know where to draw the line – don’t you? Best advice is not to come up with any crazy stag do ideas. A good way to get everyone involved quickly is to have t-shirts printed with photos or nicknames of everyone. This breaks the ice and gets everyone talking. The other one which is very popular (those of you who have sampled Swansea will vouch for this) is fancy dress – a must not only for the Groom but also the group. ALL Stag Do’s will come up with the usual dilemma of stripper or no stripper. Again you know the Groom. Don’t be pressured by the group.

Keep a kitty. It is far easier with a big group than going in rounds as someone will be missed out or miss their round – especially as the night draws on. Gather the money early on and replenish when needed. So those who wish to drop out later on in the night can.

Make sure you can get back to your accommodation at the end of the night! Take the address or phone number with you. You’d be amazed how many blokes forget or don’t know where they are staying. This is especially true if they travel in someone else’s car. Many companies will arrange the transport for you as a matter of course.

Finally and most important of all LOOK AFTER THE GROOM – HE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. You may have to lie for the rest of his life, which could be short if his prospective wife found out about some of the things that traditionally go on.

Stag do ideas

Having explained how to plan the perfect stag do, here are some thoughts on how the stag weekend could pan out.

Top 10 stag party ideas and activities

  • Experience the adrenaline rush of canyoning.
  • Take your stag group out paintballing.
  • Be Jeremy Clarkson for the day with our 4×4 vehicles.
  • Oz Clarke would love our Distillery Tour.
  • Haven’t drunk enough on your stag do – go on a brewery tour.
  • Get your tux out and visit Casino Royale!
  • If you want to be a beach bum, take the stags surfing.
  • Wales was home of the 2010 Ryder Cup, so why not try a round of golf?
  • Visit the nightlife capital of Wales – Swansea.
  • Or why not try out our powerful off-road quad bikes.

Whatever your stag do needs, Call of the Wild have plenty of ideas for you. Take a look at our Stag Weekend Packages or why not build your own itinerary.

For more information on our services such as corporate events, take a look at our indoor and outdoor team building ideas.

Related links

Top 10 Tips on How To Organise a Stag Party

Canyoning Summer 2014

This is one of our Stag Parties Canyoning:

This is a testimonial from one of our customers who came on a stag do

This is one of our stag parties Canyoning

If any of the above interest you, contact us now!