How to organise a Great Stag Do
As any seasoned or experienced Stag organiser will always tell you get your priorities in line and stick to the agreed plan. The Best Man’s duties are numerous and a well run Stag Do will make the Groom feel he has chosen the right person for the task and ensuring the Wedding Day itself is in capable hands should anything arise. The Groom will want his last night before nuptial bliss to be nothing less than a full on celebration as relinquishing the single status has to be a rip roaring memorable experience and prompts the proverbial, whatever happens on a Stag Do stays on the Stag Do until there is a future reunion of course. If you have been nominated Best Man then the very first step in preparations is to have a one on one discussion with the Groom to fine tune your to do list before you engage anyone else, this is essential. He will guide you on whom to invite, the where and any special requests. However, some Best Men are so trusted that they may decide to surprise the Groom and not reveal the destination until the actual day of departure, in one such case the Stag Goers all met at the airport where the Best Man then revealed the destination to the Groom with a video kindly prepared by e.g.: a Krakow Stag Do company showing a pert female derriere with the words, Krak-Ow! See you soon, much to the delight of all present. An able and creative organiser will always go the extra mile to start the Stag Do off in great spirits. One extra piece of advice is to also consider the Bride as she may have some important information on the Groom’s Stag Do performance levels or limitations. Now that you have the basics prioritised with the Groom you can initiate an engage with fellow Stag participants.
1. Destination, Dates & Theme
These days it has become a trend to go abroad with low cost flights and accommodation packages, although some participants may be travelling from different countries or regions try to facilitate an easy travel destination, that is, not too far away as some of the invited guests may decline. Depending on the theme of the Stag Do you may have to allow recovery time, one Stag Party went on a skiing weekend and 2 people got hospitalised but luckily the Best Man held the Stag Do six weeks before the wedding date just in case of this eventuality, clever, yes? Many groups choose the more traditional style and use fancy dress or just a t-shirt with the Stag’s name. Also you need to establish the minimum and maximum group size. So the to do list has the destination, dates, theme and ideal group size, you are almost ready to send out the invites. Remember that it is better to have the above info confirmed in order to avoid confusion by some participants offering their ideas. The ideal time to start the Stag Do process at least 3 to 4 months prior to the big day as many will have to organise time off work or extra flights or travel plans to be there. Time to send out the invites plus you can also set up a private group on the various media platforms to enable everyone to stay up to date.
2. Budget, Activities & Accommodation
This particular stage is developed while you are waiting for replies from the invited, clearly, some replies will be provisional and not full confirmations on joining the Stag Do and they will also appreciate news on accommodation and activities and how much is involved to make their final commitment to it. Many organisers use dedicated Stag & Hen companies because they offer complete package deals with or without accommodation, this is by far the best solution as the group will receive discounts and if the group number is high enough the Stag and sometimes the organiser go free especially if you take accommodation with them. Another advantage is that you the organiser or Best Man can enjoy the Stag Party more as there will be guides to accompany you on the activities and relieve the stress as you have a single contact number to co-ordinate everything easily while keeping an eye on the Stag that you promised the Bride you would do. Check out the package deal concept as they are designed to entertain the Stag Party over 2 or 3 nights including return airport transfers but leaving the group free during the daytime to recover from the night before or offer extra daytime activities, you could earn the grand title of Legend using these kinds of services. The other option is to organise everything on an individual basis through various companies though it may work out cheaper past experiences have proven that the hassle and stress factors are greatly increased as the organiser has to liaise with many different contacts and might be forced to detach himself more from the main group during the fun. So, now you can send out this extra information on activities, accommodation and confirm the budget options.
3. Book flights, Accommodation, Activities and Payment Schemes
The low cost airlines offer a group booking system but it does take some time to complete as you have to enter all the Stagger’s names and details and a further downside is the payment is effected by one person, namely you as the organiser plus you have to collect it in order to make the payment. If someone has to drop out then further complications are on the horizon. The trend is to let everyone book their own flights especially if they are arriving from different departure points as is often the case. Same with the chosen activities or package deals through specialist companies, all participants can pay for themselves via the companies website and the main organiser can see who is shy or paid up, so much easier to handle this way but if you do it using several different operators you will probably have to collect all payments prior to booking.
4. Snagging, Terms & Conditions
Invariably there will be a few snags along the way and you are the man to solve them as the organiser. Reputable Stag & Hen companies have set terms concerning cancellations, delayed or cancelled flights be sure to read them as soon as you reserve any services. Make sure when you book activities transfers are included especially if you book individual operators and check to see if your accommodation has a security deposit regulation when checking in as this is very common these days in the tourist industry. Also, late cancellation policy forfeits which come into effect as you get closer to the departure date.
So, there you have it a perfect guide on organising a legendary Stag Do, nobody said it would be easy but following the narrative above not only will you have a fantastic Stag Do but also go down as a legend in your own lunchtime and forever be held in high esteem by the Bride and Groom.
