Average price of stag and hen do now tops £1,500 as friends demand ‘tradition’

Guests are typically shelling out £376 on travel and flights, £362 on activities, £385 on digs, and £396 on grub and drinks. Those attending a bash in the UK anticipate spending £854 – £200 on travel, £235 on accommodation, £211 on activities and £208 on food and bevvy.

Interestingly, 51% would be willing to splash more cash if they were offered the opportunity to engage in more cultured activities. However, 43% confess that if they were organising a stag or hen do, keeping it cost-effective would be their main concern.

The survey of 3,000 adults was conducted by international money app Wise, which has launched a helpline led by actor Joe Thomas, famous for his role as Simon in the popular comedy series The Inbetweeners, to provide advice on cultured stag or hen events without breaking the bank.

The funnyman will be assisting brides and grooms-to-be with their pre-wedding party dilemmas, including how to dodge a ‘sten’ do – where the stag and hen parties are merged – and how to gracefully exit the inevitable WhatsApp group post-event.

Arun Tharmarajah, director of European payments at the app, commented: “Stag and hen parties have certainly seen an ‘upgrade’ in recent years but this can come with a price tag – and present all sorts of predicaments.”

“It’s particularly challenging for older best men, bridesmaids and guests who are planning and attending these more ‘grown up’ events.”

“Joe will answer all kinds of questions from ‘how do I convert my pounds to euros and split that between 18 people? ‘ to ‘what’s the best destination for a more suave and sophisticated stag? ‘”.

“Our research shows that as you get older and particularly when you’re in that sweet spot of stags, between 25-44, when everyone seems to get married your tastes in these events do change.”

The study also revealed what those surveyed would prefer to do on their own stag or hen do. Almost a fifth (17%) would go for a ‘traditional’ event featuring exotic dancers and fancy dress, while 39% would opt for something a bit more cultured.

While 23% of those aged 35-44 would prefer a completely sober stag or hen so they could remember it better. When it comes to top foreign destinations, Barcelona, Ibiza, Berlin, Amsterdam and Santorini topped the wish list.

But 35% believe expectations for these trips have increased significantly in recent years, with those aged 45 and above most likely to feel this way.

And while 71% of over 55s consider stag or hen dos an activity for younger people, only 34% of under 35s feel the same way, according to the OnePoll data.

The poll also discovered that setting a budget that suits everyone was the top challenge for 30% of those who have had to organise a stag or hen party in the past. While 28% struggled to find a date that worked for everyone invited.

Joe Thomas, from the Wise stag and hen helpline, will be available for advice on organising pre-wedding events on Friday 31st May from 1-2pm. You can reach him by phone on 0800 6990 002 or text on 07537410154.

Joe commented: “Organising a stag or hen party is a fairly thankless task, with someone almost always likely to be left upset about something.”

“The key is to make sure that it’s something that the person being celebrated actually wants to do, if they want willy straws and strippers, then that’s what they should get. But if they’d rather do a walking tour of baroque architecture in Prague, that needs to be considered too I know which one I’d prefer.”

Here are the top 20 struggles of organising a stag or hen party:

1. Setting a budget that suits everyone.
2. Finding a date that works for everyone.
3. Picking activities that suit everyone.
4. Finding a location and venue in the UK that everyone was happy with.
5. Trying to balance what others want with what you think the stag or hen will enjoy.
6. Organising events.
7. Getting people to pay their share of expenses on time.
8. Managing group communications, such as on a Whatsapp group chat.
9. Planning surprise events.
10. Dealing with that one person who is more difficult than everyone else.
11. Whether the stag/hen’s share should be paid for by the group if it’s in the UK.
12. Working around friendship tensions.
13. Choosing a destination abroad everyone was happy with.
14. Working out who should be on the guest list.
15. Calculating the cost of items when transacting in a foreign currency.
16. Contemplating if there should be some activities that do not involve alcohol.
17. Figuring out how the accommodation should be divided.
18. Deciding if the stag/hen’s share should be covered if it’s an event abroad.
19. Balancing the amount of alcohol consumption with the activities planned.
20. Coordinating fancy dress outfits.