A Stag night should be something more than just another evening out with the boys. It’s a rite of passage for a man to have a fun filled day, weekend or evening with wild abandonment before walking down the aisle.
The choices of entertainment ideas for that last night of freedom are wide and varied. What about a Party Bus that will take you to the top venues in town, a fun casino party, quad / karting racing or even clay pigeon shooting day out. Maybe you want to spend a weekend being active? skiing weekends, 'blokarting' or paintball adventures are increasingly popular. Maybe you like extreme sports? Being pampered at a fitness centre or being massaged in a steamy spa in Budapest? Being creative or cultural as you stumble through the narrow streets of old town Barcelona or Prague? In the lap of luxury on a hired cruiser or yacht? Or do you want a traditional boozy weekend either home or away?
Whatever you eventually decide upon the key to success is as always, 'planning'.
* Draw up list of people to invite, in consultation with bride/groom.
* If celebrating locally make sure you select a venue that's easily accessible to everyone.
* Decide on what kind of stag 'do' you think would be best for the people involved, set the itinerary and make inquiries and then some provisional bookings.
* Create and send out invites.
* Let stags know well in advance if there's anything extra they should bring - e.g. props, funny stories about the groom, old photos, a change of clothes and be contactable (e-mail is great for this!) to answer queries about directions, accommodation etc.
* Pre-book everything you can so you aren't thwarted by not being able to get into a venue/restaurant. Confirm in writing (especially accommodation) and reconfirm the day before too.
* Make sure everyone knows exactly where you're meeting e.g. which bar of the hotel? Which entrance of the station? Give a contact number - ideally a mobile phone - for last-minute changes / confirmations.
* Make sure everyone knows roughly how much the do will cost - and that they'll be helping to cover the groom's costs. Make sure everyone knows how and when payment is to be made.
Have a fall-back meeting-place for late arrivals/people who get lost.
* Think ahead about how you'll be getting home.
Any good TIPS for others?