The Lad's Guide to Hosting a Classy Stag Do
— By Felicity Newburry

Hollywood seems to push on us a ridiculous expectation that the lads of the bridal party have to throw the groom an outrageous, alcohol and stripper-fueled fiasco, but for many grooms out there this just isn’t something they’re interested in! If you’re planning a stag-do for a groom who would quite happily give clubs and exotic dancers a pass, then read on for 6 classy ideas that you’ll all have a blast doing!

Image by Bachelor Party Shop

1/ Team Competitions

If the groom’s party is a particularly large one then splitting into teams and taking on a weekend of team-oriented recreational activities is a great idea. What about:

• Paint-ball
  Laser-tag
  Airsoft
  Ten-pin bowling
  Racing through obstacle courses on high ropes or assault courses
  Playing a good old game of rugby, soccer or beach volleyball with team uniforms and all!

This is a classic but a goody! Everyone will have fun and to the best man (or groomsman) who is organising this, make sure you throw in an extra hurdle for the groom - like running the paintball gauntlet!

2/ Wet Shaving

This is a fantastic, masculine way to have all the lads looking sharp for the big day. Seek out a gentlemen’s barber and book in a time where you can all recline in your chairs together and enjoy a true, old-school professional shave. With the time-old tradition, the cutthroat razors, foam and cologne, each one of you will walk out feeling like the real Clint Eastwood. Many barbers serve a beer or whiskey with your wet shave too – winning!

Image by AP Photography 

3/ Bonding Time

If the groom’s party is smaller, then think about doing activities that allow for chatting, laughing and story sharing. Such as:

• Tramping
  Mountaineering
  Kayaking
  Sea fishing
  Clay-bird shooting
  Off-road driving
  Flying

The benefit of having a small groom’s party is that these more expensive activities are more viable given that only three or four of you will be on board.

4/ Evening Activities

Instead of activities, perhaps you’d rather just spend an evening in a particular, classy and relaxed environment with all the men involved, enjoying each other’s banter and company. Some environments you could look into are:

• Casinos
  Breweries
  Comedy clubs
  Amusement parks
  Limousine cruises
  Boats

If you want to skip planned recreational activities and book out a site such as the ones listed above, a good idea would be to organize some games in case the evening starts to slow down.

Image by The Anndore House

5/ Classy Stag-Do Games

If at any stage you want to employ some fun and good-natured games for the groom’s stag-do, then check out these ideas below.

• Don't Drop the Baby: This game involves giving the groom a raw egg and informing him it his future child. He has to ensure the egg survives whatever has been planned for the stag-do and this can lead to some pretty hilarious baby-compromising situations!
• Toy Soldier: Everyone in the groom’s party will need to bring an action figure or toy to the party that is in a fixed position. At the beginning of the night, everyone drops their toy into a hat and without looking, picks out another one. From then on, anybody at any stage during the party can call “Incoming!” cuing everyone else to stop whatever they’re doing and assume the position of their toy. If you’re in a public space, this can make for a pretty light-hearted and funny inside-joke!
• The Groom's Task List: Together and before the party, the groomsmen craft a list of tasks the groom has to achieve before the end of the festivities. This may involve funny tasks such as dancing from one activity to the next or engaging a stranger in an arm wrestle.

6/ Stag-Do Uniform

A fun way to identify yourselves when you’re out doing an activity is to wear something that signifies you’re at a stag party. This could be matching outfits, colours or even screen-printed t-shirts with things such as “Steve’s Best-Man” “Steve’s Ring-Bearer” and “I’m Steve” for the groom. Get creative!