At some point in your life you will probably need to book at least one stag or hen do. You may even need to book one for next year, and have put it on the back burner. Well, this leads me to my first bit of advice — you need to book early.
Book Early
Booking your stag or hen do early gives you peace of mind. You’ll also have more choice of things to do and places to stay, and usually it will be much cheaper than booking last minute.
Most stag and hen companies will only need a small deposit (non flight inclusive packages), so booking early is a good idea. People in the group can then put it in their diary and not plan something else for that weekend.
Share with Tech
These days we have loads of technology at our fingertips. Take advantage of all the free apps and social media sites that can make organising your stag or hen weekend easier. You can create a type of stag or hen do forum* with your friends where you can exchange banter and share ideas.
*Be cyber-wise and make these pages or groups private, away from prying eyes.
Be Conscientious
Your stag or hen group will have people with different demographics. For example, some will not want to spend lots of money, others won’t mind. Some may not be able to swim, so booking white water rafting wouldn’t be a great idea. There might be an auntie in the group who may find Butlers in the Buff a little bit lowbrow. Or maybe a father who doesn’t think an all day drinking session is an attractive prospect. You get the idea, and this is why you need to…
Talk to the Stag or Hen
You need to discuss with the stag or hen where, when, who, why and what. After all, it is their stag or hen weekend, so it must go to plan.
The worst that could happen is people dropping out like flies before you have even got the weekend off the ground. Therefore, make sure you take on board what your stag or hen is advising about the group, and be conscientious towards your invitees.
Consider Logistics
If you live in Edinburgh and you book a stag or hen do to Newquay, bear in mind this is quite a road trip. If you go by train the price could cost you more than a flight to Prague!
So, if you have people scattered around the country try and find a central city or location which will give everyone an equal (ish) distance/travel duration. Bristol and Nottingham are excellent destinations as they are both off major motorways and offer amazing daytime activities and nightlife.
Communicate
Once you have agreed what type of stag or hen weekend you want to book, communicate it to the group so they know what to expect. Once everyone knows and there have been no objections, get it booked.
Get the Money First
The amount of people who will commit to a weekend thinking they will get their money back if they don’t attend is rising. Don’t pay for anyone you don’t know or trust. You won’t be able to cancel people off your booking within a certain time scale, so don’t pay for them hoping they will pay you back.
After Booking
Most good stag and hen tour operators will not only send you a nice pack detailing the finer points of your weekend, they will also email you an electronic version. Email this to everyone in the group so they all know details such as dress codes for nightclubs or what to wear on your white water rafting session.
If you have time on your hands, personalise the details to your group and add other information such as if you are planning fancy dress costumes or a hen do theme.
Guest post by Marco Walker of Designaventure
Images from Pixabay
