How To Plan A Stag Do During Coronavirus

We know the past 6 months have been very hard, while we're also very sad to see the amount of weddings that were put on hold. But with a vaccination in sight, it seems like weddings will be back on for 2021 come spring. With that in mind, we should be seeing a double wave of 2021 weddings and the delayed 2020 weddings! This means stag do galore and a hell of a lot of partying!

When Is Peak Season?

The vast majority of stag weekends are booked in January, matching the travel industry, as Christmas passes and people want to plan something exciting for the summer. Let's just face it, while the cold winter seems relatively exciting as we associate Christmas with snow and hot chocolate, suddenly the cold just seems irritating come January and with no holidays booked for the foreseeable future, this leads to a huge number of bookings in a short space of time.

New Considerations

While the stag weekend used to involve a good few preperations and considerations, we now have a whole new set of things to consider. We've tried to list everything you should cover off before making the final booking:

• Older Members: Do you have older members of the stag group, such as the groom or brides dad? How will they feel about getting involved with everything you plan? Try to speak to them before booking anything to see what they're thoughts are. They may be keen to attend a separate UK based night out, or night in.
• UK or Abroad: Where would you like the stag weekend to be? How is the area doing in regards to the latest figures? Do they have any travel restrictions in place and will this likely change by the time the stag do goes ahead. If you're booking for the summer, we're hopeful all European destinations will have relaxed their rules as vaccines are pushed out and normality begins to resume.
• Getting Insurance: Most travel insurance brands have put in a number of restrictions to what they will cover. For this reason, it's more important than ever to read through all of the terms. It may be worth paying the extra if they do cover everything you require.

Activities

It's important to consider activities that should be going ahead without any issues. These are largely outdoor activities, as the chances of spreading anything is reduced. We'll try our best to help with recommendations below:

Ourdoor Activities

Easily one of the most popular activities is bubble football. But this feels even more relevant, as you're literally in a protective bubble, keeping you socially distanced. You get all equipment provided, plus a co-ordinator who will run you through a number of fun games and give you a chance at the ultimate battle off, plus a chance to bully the groom a bit.

Considering the urge to opt for activities spread far from society, you could consider taking on the great outdoors with a 24 hour survival experience. Located in either York or Leeds, this Northern adventure will teach you the bare necessities to living in nature and surviving in case we all end up in a zombie attack. 

If you find yourself looking abroad, you might want to consider these socially distanced hot rod tours, as you tear through the streets of Hamburg or Dusseldorf. 

Another activity we have seen grow in popularity over the past few months has been football darts, which can be played either inside or outside. This is a great game to battle each member of the group and ensure everyone gets involved.

Growth Of The Staycation

While we have still seen European destinations hold up very well, there has certainly been a slight shift towards staycations.

To be precise, 74% of stag parties took place in Europe prior to the pandemic, however since we went into the first lockdown, this has shrunk to 52%, with UK locations taking their place.

We're ready and prepared to send stag groups either within the UK or abroad, so whatever you're after, don't hesitate to ask.

It is also worth pointing out that more stag parties go abroad then do's. We provide both through our brands, however 65% of hen parties are based in the UK, with London the number one destination.

In contrast, the top two destinations for guys are Prague stag weekends and Budapest stag weekends.

Lockdown Stag Do Ideas

I've highlighted a number of activities that can be done even during lockdown, providing the government allows outside activities, but if we were to go into another hard lockdown then there are a number of options available to you.

Zoom stag do calls have become increasingly popular, but make sure to pay for premium, otherwise it will keep cutting out every 40 minutes.

Drinking games can easily be played while chatting on video, including the Paranoia drinking game.

There are also a number of virtual activities that can be booked via Fizzbox, our sister site, such as murder mysteries and escape rooms, all without leaving your house!