Tips for Organizing an International Stag Do

Normally the pressure around putting together international plans for a wedding is up to the bride and groom when planning for their honeymoon, however if you’re looking to throw your mate an unforgettable, that pressure will often fall to the best man too.

The following are tips for organizing an international stag do – possibly the best way to ensure that “what goes on tour stays on tour”.

Confirm the Wedding Date

This sounds fairly obvious, however a lot of best men get this wrong and don’t leave themselves enough time to arrange things. Depending on where you’re traveling, as a general rule of thumb it’s a good idea to make sure the wedding party arrives back home at least a week before the big day to allow for things like jet-lag and possible delays.

It is extremely unusual for everyone you invite to be able to make the stag do. Though the most important person it has to be convenient for is the Groom, so make sure that the dates have been set to suit him before you put any plans into action.

Who to Invite

As mentioned, it is extremely unusual for everyone you invite to be able to make it, especially when planning something internationally, though as another general rule, make sure you’re covered in the instance that you do get a 100% RSVP of yes.

Make sure the party doesn’t get too large, though don’t invite people off the general assumption that only 75% will be able to come. The bigger the group the more difficult an international trip is to manage, so sit down with the groom and go through a list of who he would like. The smaller the group, the more manageable it is to organize the trip, especially when it comes to collecting money.

Make a Safety Plan

You’re in an international city and it’s a sure fire guess that every member of your party is going to be getting blind drunk. Make sure you have pre-arranged important safety information, like carrying the business card of your hotel with you so that you can all make it back to your accommodation at the end of the night.

Especially when on an international trip, you would be amazed at how many people forget where they are staying after a few pints. A good way to pre-empt this is by organizing transport ahead of time and booking a private car.

Also be sure to have read up on the local laws of the country you are heading to – for instance some popular European stag destinations have draconian laws on things like drinking outside or taking your top off and pretending to impregnate that statue of a war hero, and will have no sympathy for a bunch of boozed-up Brits. Make sure everyone in your party knows the rules.

Plan for the Day Too

Generally stag do’s will see you hitting up bar after bar, though if you’re traveling halfway across the world you’ll also need to have planned activities for the day too.

Manage Your Expenses

An international piss up has the potential of becoming incredibly expensive, so make sure you choose a destination which won’t send the groom home broke.

A Budapest stag do, for instance, is a fabulous choice if considering travel to Europe, as it is the cheapest capital city, and provides some serious bang for your stag party buck. Local beer starts from as little as 50p a pint and there are a whole array of watering holes for you to choose from with some of the best bars in the world and a huge selection of nightclubs which stay open every night of the week. There’s also the option of taking a party ship down the Danube – a unique option which allows you to see the city’s landmarks spectacularly illuminated whilst partying at the same time.