Planning my brother's stag weekend.
Josh Merrigan is organising his brother Sam's stag weekend. Both are in their early 30's and want a UK based trip.
Where did you look for inspiration and ideas?
Sam (the stag) loves outdoor sports, so I had a good idea of where to start. Finding the best location with plenty of activities for the group was harder, and that's when I turned to the internet. Tour operators can arrange Quad biking, Snowmobiles, Paintball, and other outdoor pursuits in countries around the world. I was amazed by the variety of packages out there - every combination, from mud wrestling and white water rafting to go-karting and golf is possible!
Why did you decide to make it a weekend trip rather than just a stag night?
At first I wanted to organise one night of partying in a city location, hitting all the best bars and clubs. But after phoning and emailing a few of Sam's friends it was clear that they were keen on a more special event. The clincher was price: the cost of a weekend's activities, accommodation and partying was comfortably within everyone's reach.
How far in advance did you start planning?
The wedding's set for the end of July, so I started planning in January. I picked three dates in July and asked each person to choose which two would be best for them… then I whittled it down to one date by elimination.
Did you consider a European trip rather than a UK stag weekend?
I did look at a lot of options, including Barcelona, Dublin, and cities in Eastern Europe such as Riga (Latvia) and Prague (Czech Republic). Quite a few of these are 'classic' stag locations, with many bars and restaurants which welcome stag and hen groups.
What problems did you encounter?
While money was no object for some friends, others were on a tight budget so I had to choose carefully so that no-one felt left out. To keep costs under control I chose a UK based weekend which left everyone with plenty of spending money.
What did you decide on, finally?
I booked a two-day trip for 12 people to Leeds, where we'll do Paintball and Mud Karting on day one, enjoy a big night on the town and stay in a 4-star hotel. Hangovers permitting we'll be straight onto the indoor ski-slopes the next morning for a snowboarding lesson - a couple of the guys are already well accomplished boarders so they'll be showing off while the rest of us get to grips with it! We finish with dinner at the world famous Hard Rock Café. I'm pretty sure Sam will enjoy the weekend and there'll be plenty of memorable high-jinks to look back on once he's a married man. And now that it's all booked I'll finally have some peace of mind!
