How Far in Advance Should You Book a Stag Do?
The timeframe needed to plan a good stag do is a question that often proves quite hard to answer. It may seem simple, and in general the question would be as early as possible, but there are a few things to consider:
- How far away is the wedding? (weeks? months? years?)
- Where is it going to be? (at home or abroad?)
- How many people are going? (are you booking for 6 or 60?)
- What budget do you have? (a tenner per head or hundreds each?)
It’s difficult to be specific, as obviously a stag meal for six at a pub in your local area could probably be booked the night before, whereas if you’re trying to sync up and book in for 20 guys to jet off for a stag weekend, that type of undertaking is months – if not years – in the making!
Stag do planners
Usually, stag do planners should keep in mind that many of those who manage establishments that offer stag-based activities do not always have the most organised setups.
It may take you a while to get through and ensure that the booking is confirmed for your stag party and you get a straightforward schedule.
Most stag organisers will look to find a time in that period 2-6 weeks before the wedding itself, so this will lead you to consider your stag do calendar and what time of year you are looking to book accommodation and events. Remember that the wedding date is the most important of all, and that many of the stag guests will also be wedding guests, so sometimes splitting the stag do and wedding over two separate paydays can help.
Booking a stag party
For many people, booking a stag party in advance is advantageous as it allows them to utilise early booking discounts and have more time to negotiate group rates in the places you plan activities.
Early booking can definitely helps with a factor such as travel, allowing you to access a wider choice of hotels, as well as cheap flights, and then gather in payment from everyone. Still, you should not rush into making a decision.
First, get a nod from everyone attending the stag party that they’ll be available for a set date. Some people are tough to pin down, but ultimately, if they’re not going to prioritise the stag do in their calendar then you’ll have to let them know (politely) that you need to go ahead and make the call on dates and you hope they’ll be able to make it.
If you have decided to contribute towards the stag’s expenses between you, and even generally if you have group deposits or overall payments to make, ensure that the money is collected in before the payment deadline. The last thing a stag do planner wants is to end up overdrawn as he had to cover several booking fees! Always check whether a place you make reservations has a charge for cancelling or reducing numbers.
There are some establishments that offer excellent services but are hard to get reservations. If you hesitate on making booking you may end up losing that chance entirely. Others charge you for cancelling a booking and may not refund the booking deposit. So, while you should book a stag do as soon as possible, you should always make sure that you know the final number of attendees as closely as possible.
Ask the group’s advice
It doesn’t hurt to ask the group’s advice, as long as you’re planning early enough.
A stag party guest list is usually comprised of people who have attended similar events before and can offer a lot of good ideas on the best destinations or events or hotels to book.
To best answer the question of how far in advance should you book a stag do, we can only say as far in advance as you can, as long as all the key factors are considered. Ensure that you have weighed the best options available before making the booking and tried to find a solution that suits most if not all of the group.
Stag do calendar
Your stag do calendar should be well planned. It might sound overly-strict, but it actually makes things far more enjoyable than everything being disorganised or uncertain.
Additionally, if people have to pay in a couple of activity deposits or book some travel tickets, it goes a long way to ensuring they don’t pull out of the stag do late on. Make sure nothing no consideration left behind, or kept awaiting a decision for too long. If these hitches can be eliminated then it can help the whole plan move along smoothly.
Add some tees to the mix
We hope these tips have been useful for getting you thinking about exactly how you should go about planning your stag do.
