So you’ve been given the task of planning your best friend’s stag doo! What an honour! While it may seem like an overwhelming task at first, it’s not as painful a process as everyone makes out! Read on for a step by step guide to planning a memorable stag doo.
1) Talk to the stag first: Prior to making any arrangements, your first step should be talking to the stag to find out exactly what he wants from his stag doo. It’s his big send off into married life, so it’s only fair that you consider his wishes. By consulting with the stag you will also make your own job a heck of a lot easier.
2) Decide who to invite: Again, you will need to ask the stag who he wishes to invite. It’s not as easy as just contacting all of his friends on Facebook. Try to keep the number of people coming to less than 20; this will make the planning stages a whole lot easier. Make sure you invite close friends who will be out to ensure that the stag has a great time. The last thing you will want is a bad atmosphere!
3) Set a date: Stag weekends are very popular these days. Gone are the days when a day down the local pub would suffice. The best way to set a date is to ask each attendee to write down a list of dates that they can’t make, that way you can pick a date that is suitable for everyone involved. Try to set the date as far in advance as possible, this will give people a chance to budget for the stag doo.
4) Choosing where to go: The destination of a stag is usually determined by cost. Obviously a long weekend away isn’t going to be financially viable for everyone. You must be careful not to price people out of attending. Ask the stag whether he would prefer a local night out or a weekend. A local night out is the better option if the majority of attendees will struggle getting the time off.
5) Choosing a stag activity – The amount of activities available for stag groups to choose from is staggering (pardon the pun!). Once you have determined the location, you can then start looking for suitable activity venues. Remember, stag doo’s are all about creating memories, so choose an unconventional activity that nobody will forget. Unconventional stag activities include bubble football, white water rafting and hot dogging.
6) Keep everyone in the loop – In today’s digital age, there’s no excuse not to keep everyone in the loop. Set up a Facebook page where you can provide live updates and discuss ideas. You can even make the page private for members of the stag’s eyes only. Another excellent way to keep in touch with everyone is to set up an email group, this way people can just click ‘reply to all’.
7) Collecting deposits and funds – To find out who is serious about attending, and to start booking activities, it’s recommended that you ask for a small deposit off each attendee. Collecting money from friends can be both embarrassing and complicated, so provide each person with a small invoice and a settlement date. Better yet, name another person in the group to act as an accountant for the occasion!
8) Get everything booked up – Now that you have everyone’s deposits, and have decided on a destination, it’s time to book your accommodation, stag activities and transport. When this is done, you can kick back and look forward to the big event!
9) Confirm everything with the rest of the group – Now that you have booked everything, it’s time to let the rest of the group know. Write up an itinerary that includes where you will all meet, at what time, what to wear and what to pack.
10) Run a kitty – A well run kitty is a great way to keep everyone together and means that people are less likely to break off into smaller cliques. It will also prevent round shirking and eliminate the need to split supersized bills. Delegate the task of managing the kitty to one of the ushers or somebody sensible who knows as many of the group as possible.
Author bio: This handy guide was contributed by David at CIWW Stag Activities!
Photo courtesy of www.todaysparent.com.
