A Bachelor Party Guide from A to Z

What does it take to make a stag do perfect? What sort of activities can you do at a stag do? Where should the stag do be held? Who should you invite? Who organises the stag do?

There are countless questions that arise when organising a stag do. In this article, you’ll find stag do tips to help you organise a fantastic stag do evening or weekend.

To start with, a brief history of stag parties

Do you know where the stag party comes from?

Similarly to the for a hen party, the history of stag parties also goes back a long way.

Where does the tradition of the stag party come from?

To answer this question, we need to go back in time to antiquity – or, to be precise, to ancient Greece.

The Spartans bid farewell to the newlyweds’ last night of freedom with a boisterous celebration web, the ancient Greek men spent the evening eating, drinking and revelling with their friends until dawn.

Who’s organising the stag do?

In principle, it is the best man’s responsibility to organise the stag party, but there are certain circumstances in which this custom is set aside. If, for example, an older relative is the best man, the task usually falls to one or more friends. It can also happen that someone organises the event for themselves, although this is very rare. Whatever the case, the main thing is that the groom has a brilliant time on his last night of freedom!

Who should you invite to the stag do, and how?

Is there even such a thing as a stag party invitation? We know that when it comes to a hen party, great importance is placed on the details. It’s incredibly important to women that the whole evening is beautiful, tastefully planned and organised, and the invitation is an integral part of that.

Is this common amongst men as well?

Not really. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you. If you’re organising a friend’s stag do, it’s up to you to decide whether to have one. Generally speaking, though, men don’t really need one. It’s worth adding that a well-thought-out, humorous invitation is never a bad idea! There are a few brilliant, free ideas on this page for a stag party invitation.

Who should be at the stag do?

It’s customary to invite the groom’s relatives, friends and colleagues who are closest to him! And they must be men only! Sorry, ladies, but men don’t go to hen parties either! 🙂

If you’re not sure who to invite to the stag do, ask the groom – or, if you want to surprise him, ask the bride for the list of official wedding guests. Ask the groom or the bride about any male family members and colleagues you might not know. This will give you a clearer idea of who is most important to the groom and who you should invite.

When should the stag party be held?

As you may have read at the start of this article, in ancient times the stag party took place on the evening before the wedding. These days, things have changed a little. In many respects, it’s better to organise the stag do a few weeks before the wedding day, preferably on a weekend.

If you don’t want to subject your friend to a very unpleasant morning after, you’d be better off not getting him drunk the day before his wedding – because, let’s face it, but at a stag do and the morning after, it’s not often you see sober, well-groomed grooms. 🙂

What should you bear in mind when choosing a date?

• The groom’s schedule always takes priority; before you start organising anything, ask him when he’s free.
• Come up with a few different dates and put them to a vote so everyone can choose what suits them best! Try to organise the stag do at a time when as many people as possible are free.
• Start organising the event well in advance! That way, there’s a good chance more people will be able to make it, and it’ll be easier to organise too!
• Check the weather forecast! Of course, it also depends on what time of year the stag do is taking place. If it’s not in winter, when it’s cold anyway, then it’s worth organising an outdoor event. And it’s not a good idea to plan this for a rainy day. You can’t predict the weather with 100%-level accuracy anyway, but you’ll have a better chance of it working out.

Start planning at least two months before the wedding day! Don’t make the mistake of leaving it too late – by then, hardly anyone will be available on your chosen date, you won’t have time to plan the programme properly, venues will be fully booked, and so on.

How do you go about organising a stag do?

What are the factors that organisers need to consider and discuss before starting to organise an event?

Step 0! Before you start brainstorming, work out how many of you there will be and how much each person can or is willing to spend on the stag do! Once you’ve got that sorted, put together a quick summary to work out the budget you’ll be working with.

Not everyone is in the same financial situation. This needs to be taken into account when organising the event. You should choose a compromise that works for everyone. Tip: Assign costs to each item so that you can keep track of whether you’re still within budget.

What sort of stag do should you organise?

A pub crawl? Just a relaxed night out for a drink? A barbecue? A trip? Or perhaps something really special and out of the ordinary? Be sure to sort this out with the groom and the other guests before you take any further steps.

Where should the stag do be held?

The previous point has narrowed down the options a little, but that’s still not enough. Let’s say you’ve opted for a typical pub crawl-style stag do. Next, from the countless options, you’ll need to pick out the places you’d actually like to visit. It’s a good idea to map out a route so you don’t end up wandering around aimlessly.

How long should a stag do last?

Just one evening? A weekend? Or perhaps even longer? When considering this question, you need to take into account the groom’s wishes and, of course, the budget.

What sort of tasks should there be at a stag do?

It’s a good idea to discuss this issue right at the start of the planning process. You should always consider what sort of person the groom is, and tailor the tasks to suit his tastes. Make sure you don’t include any tasks in the programme that might be embarrassing for him. Of course, there’s always room for one or two funny, teasing stag do challenges. 🙂

Do we need any props for the evening? Where should we get them from, and who should get them?

It’s a good idea to divide the tasks up in advance. For example, it’s best to have one person in charge of buying the props, so you don’t end up running around unnecessarily. TIP: Make sure every task has someone in charge. That way, no one is overburdened, everyone has something to do, and things will run more smoothly.

Drawing up a timetable

Have a plan in place and try to stick to it as closely as possible. Whether it’s a pub crawl, a garden barbecue or even a trip abroad, try to stick to the schedule; otherwise, the evening could easily turn into just another ordinary Friday, and nobody wants that.

Stag party dress code

One of the typical features of stag parties is that the group dresses up in some sort of funny outfit, which makes it obvious from a distance that they are a stag party.

The outfit is usually a T-shirt with a funny slogan, but we’ve all come across English lads on a stag do dressed as unicorns on the streets of Budapest, so it’s fair to say that the possibilities are limited only by the imagination.

If the team is looking for a slightly more understated look than the unicorn costume, then Choose some for them from here – from the range of patterned and printed stag party T-shirts.

What should we get as a stag party present?

Yes, it’s customary to give the groom a present at his stag do too! But what should you give him? It can be a funny or a serious gift – the main thing is that it reflects the groom’s personality.

A special drink, an experience – but a creative, handmade gift is also a good idea.

Stag party etiquette: who pays for what?

Opinions are divided on this issue. Some people think that the groom should invite his friends to spend his last night of freedom with him. Many people believe that those invited to the stag do chip in to cover the costs. There is also a theory that parents often contribute financially to the event, although personally I have never come across such a case.

In Hungary, it is most common for friends to cover the costs of a stag do. It’s important to organise an event that everyone can afford.

What sort of stag do activities are there?

There are many different ways to organise a stag do. As mentioned earlier, when putting together the programme, the key consideration is what sort of person the groom is, what he would enjoy most, and where he would feel most at ease.

Let’s take a look at a few ideas for things you could do at a stag do.

• The classic: pub crawl in the city centre
• For travel enthusiasts: sightseeing and partying at home or abroad
• If you’re looking for a fun-filled evening: billiards, table football, darts, slot machines, amusement arcade
• A must for fans of liquid bread: beerbike
• If you were to spend the day being active: paintball, shooting, archery
• For sports fans: sporting events, sports matches
• For fans of extreme sports: bungee jumping, tandem jump
• Water-based activities: boat trips, sailing, rafting

Apart from these activities, of course, anything else is an option – anything you and your friends think the groom would enjoy. You can also combine different stag do activities. For example, the evening could start with a game of paintball, followed by a beer bike tour, and then later in the evening a classic pub crawl, complete with fun stag do challenges.

A few ideas for stag party challenges to give you some inspiration

Whether you’re in the city centre, abroad, at a garden party at a friend’s house, or even taking part in a special or extreme activity, a stag do is never complete without a few fun challenges.

What are the best stag party games?

• The vendor – The gist of the task is that the groom has to sell something. It’s quite a bit of fun, and it can even boost the evening’s budget a little if the groom is good at selling.
• The Big Bridal Quiz – It’s similar to the ‘get to know the groom’ quiz played at hen parties. The quiz consists of questions about the bride, and it’s the groom’s job to answer them correctly. Before the stag do, the bride must also fill in the test so that everyone knows which answers were correct. You can make the game a bit more mischievous; for example, if the groom gets an answer wrong, he has to take a drink.
• The singer – This is a classic street challenge – the busier the street, the better! 🙂 The groom has to sing a couple of songs as loudly as he possibly can. You could even collect some money whilst you’re at it – you never know, someone might really enjoy the performance; you never know who might have an opera singer hidden inside them.
• Collecting telephone numbers – Another classic – this one probably needs no introduction. The groom has to get as many girls’ numbers as possible. The numbers can be written on a part of the groom’s body, on his T-shirt, or even in a notebook or on a mobile phone.
• Beer Bottle Skittles – For this challenge, you’ll need a few beer bottles, a ball, the groom and two adventurous friends. Just like in proper skittles, the aim here is to knock over the pins (in this case, the beer bottles). Each person has three attempts. Whoever performs best drinks a shot. The team treats the unlucky competitors to an all-out shot (it’s not worth losing in this game!). This game is perfect for a garden party or a barbecue stag do!
• Label cutting – It’s the groom’s job to cut the labels out of the ladies’ clothes. The rest is up to you. The groom can receive a present for every label he finds, but if he collects too few, he may well be penalised.
• A collection of good wishes – The groom must collect well-wishes on his T-shirt. Cheating is not allowed; the well-wishes must come only from women.

Frequently Asked Questions