Your Stag Party: How to Decide Whether to Have it at Home or Abroad

A stag party is a big deal. In the end, it’s one of your last (if not your last) parties as a single man. So, deciding where, when, and how to do have your stag party can be a little tricky. If you’re looking to organize your event efficiently, Celebrate Just Right is the team that can make it happen.

The most important part of planning a stag party is doing what you really want to do. But as we all know, we can’t always get what we want. Maybe a party abroad would be great but you know your best friend wouldn’t be able to go, or maybe you just want to stay at home – but you kind of also want the party to last more than one night. Here are all the things you should consider when making this important:

Consider your guests

Are they all (or at least the important ones) going to be able to go if you have your stag party abroad?
Are they all in the right condition to travel?
Can they agree on a date to leave the country for a couple of days?
Can they all really coexist for more than 24 hours in a hotel? (the answer to this question is often ‘no’, if you think about it carefully!).

Consider wedding expenses plus travel expenses

You are probably not wealthy right now – especially if you are also paying for a honeymoon and/or wedding expenses. Traditionally, wedding expenses are covered by the bride’s parents. But this isn’t always the case, and you need to consider if you are in a position to spend that much money.
Everyone is going be spending some money on your wedding, including those coming to your stag party e.g. renting a tux, buying you a gift, even paying for a hotel room.

Consider the organization

Time – not only is organizing this going to be time-consuming, but you need to make sure you have the time to plan a big trip. Your bride is probably the one planning, but if you are involved, then it is going to be pretty hard to plan a wedding and a stag party. So, either delegate, be super organized, or yield.
Itinerary – you’ll need to make a very detailed itinerary if you are going abroad. You’ll need to plan where you are going, where you are staying, and maybe even what you are wearing – if your friends are into that sort of thing!
Finances- you need to organize your own finances and make sure everyone is paying what owe, i.e. the flight, the hotel, etc….
Stress – Organising a stag party will almost certainly cause you stress. It doesn’t matter if you are super organized and super Zen. However, an at home party can require almost as much planning, and therefore, almost as much stress.

Pros of abroad

There is a much wider variety of options when it comes to adrenaline-filled activities.
Food and drink might be cheaper, although this depends on where you are going.
Nobody knows you. You and your friends can act like idiots, dance around, do stupid things and there is no risk of running into people you know.
New experiences – Like the food!
The clubs – If you are going to eastern Europe, or maybe Asia, strip clubs are a little less relaxed with their touching rules. But always check first and be respectful.
Wider options – particularly with activities. You can bungee jump or tank dive, for example.
Better weather – there are plenty of places where the weather is better than in the UK.

Pros of home

You don’t have to deal with another language – unless you were going to Ibiza, Paris, Lisbon, or a big city, and even there you’d have to deal with the language barrier. In your own country, you don’t.
You don’t need to take a flight – so no ticket expenses, no awful food, no fear of flying.
You can still drive around and go to other cities. So you don’t have to stay in one place, and everywhere will still be within driving distance.
Familiarity – you know what to expect, especially when it comes to food and drink.
If you are having a stag very close to the wedding day you won’t be stressed over delays, being sunburned, or anything else.

Cons of abroad

The language – either you all learn a language before getting to your location, or you’ll have to be constantly looking for people who speak English.
Some people might not come – of course, this can also happen at home, but it is less likely.
You don’t know your way around – unless you are actually from the place you are going to, or have gone there many times, you don’t know your way around. You can’t be sure which clubs are the best or where the food is good. You have to trust the reviews and will likely be disappointed with some places.
Currency issues – you’ll have to make sure you exchange enough money for the whole trip, and that there is an exchange bureau nearby that you can go to.
Organization – ee’ve already been through this but organizing a party abroad can be a pain! Especially close to your wedding.

Cons of home

Especially if you live in a big city, alcohol and food are likely to be higher than abroad.
You are likely to bump into people you know while doing the ridiculous things one does during their stag party.
Lap dancing and strip clubs tend to have stricter rules in the UK than in any other countries.
You will probably be less careful with the whole ‘after party’ dynamic. Even if it doesn’t look like it, you’ll be paying more attention to where everyone is if you are in an unknown country.

Overall…

A stag party abroad might be more stressful. But you’ll probably have a great time partying in another country. It all depends on what you want from of your stag party. And, don’t forget- you can always leave all the organising in the hands of your best man.