How to Plan a Stag Do: The Complete Guide

A Great Stag Do Doesn’t Happen by Accident

Planning a stag do comes with a fair bit of responsibility. You need to get the guest list together, agree on a budget, find a date that works, choose where to go and book accommodation and activities that the groom and the rest of the group will enjoy.

And then there’s the group chat – where getting 15 mates to agree on anything can become an activity in itself.

The key to planning a great stag do is getting the important decisions made early and giving everyone plenty of notice. In this guide, we’ll take you through the whole process step by step, including when to start planning, setting the budget, choosing a destination, booking activities, organising payments and those final checks before you go.

We’ve been organising stag weekends for over 20 years, so we’ve added plenty of practical tips along the way to make planning yours a whole lot easier.

1. Decide Who’s Organising the Stag Do

The best man traditionally takes charge of planning the stag do, but there’s no rule saying he has to do everything. The groom might have two best men, a few mates may share the planning, or someone particularly organised might volunteer to take the lead.

However you divide the jobs, it helps to have one main organiser. Someone needs to keep track of the decisions, bookings, dates and the inevitable group chat.

Before making any plans, have a quick chat with the groom. He doesn’t need to know every detail, especially if you want to keep parts of the weekend a surprise, but it’s worth finding out the basics:

• Who does he definitely want to invite?
• Does he fancy a UK stag do or a weekend abroad?
• What sort of budget would be realistic for the group?
• Are there any activities or destinations he particularly likes?
• Is there anything he definitely doesn’t want?

Once you have a rough idea of what the groom has in mind, you can start getting the rest of the group involved.

2. Get the Stag Do Guest List Sorted

Before looking at destinations or activities, you need to know who is coming – or at least who needs to be invited.

The groom should have the final say on the guest list. Along with close mates, this might include brothers, cousins, work friends, university mates or future family members. Don’t assume someone should be invited just because the rest of the group knows them.

Once you have the names, set up a group chat and start getting a realistic idea of numbers. Not everyone will be able to commit immediately, but knowing roughly how many people are interested will make it much easier to start looking at budgets, dates and destinations.

A few things will make this easier:

• Get the full invitation list from the groom.
• Don’t add extra people without checking with him.
• Give everyone a rough idea of the type of stag do being considered.
• Give people a deadline to respond rather than letting the group chat drag on for weeks.

The final number may change as the plans come together – that’s normal. At this stage, you just need a good idea of the group size so you can move on to the budget and start narrowing down the options.

3. Agree on a Stag Do Budget

Get a rough budget agreed early. It will help narrow down your choices for destination, accommodation, and activities, and avoid suggesting a weekend that half the group can’t afford.

Think about the overall cost of the stag do, including:

• Travel or flights
• Accommodation
• Activities
• Transfers and local transport
• Food and drinks
• Spending money

You don’t need everyone to agree on an exact figure. A realistic price range is usually enough to start looking at options that suit the group.

It’s also worth deciding how you’ll handle the groom’s share. Some groups split his costs between them, while others cover certain parts of the weekend. There’s no fixed rule, but agreeing this early avoids awkward conversations later.

And one useful tip: don’t make one person responsible for collecting everybody’s money if you can avoid it. Chasing ten or fifteen mates for deposits and payments can quickly become one of the least enjoyable parts of organising the stag do.

4. Choose the Date

Finding a weekend that works for a whole group can take some patience, so start looking at dates as early as you can.

Speak to the groom first and pick two or three possible weekends. You can then put these to the group rather than asking everyone when they’re free and ending up with twenty different answers.

Think about:

• The wedding date – leave enough time between the stag do and the big day.
• Work and family commitments within the group.
• Bank holidays, which can be popular but may also affect travel and accommodation prices.
• The time of year and the type of stag weekend you’re planning.
• How much notice people will need to book time off work and arrange travel.

If you’re planning a stag do abroad, get everyone to check their passport at this stage too. Make sure it will be valid for the trip and meets the entry requirements for your chosen destination.

Once you’ve found the date that works for the groom and most of the group, get it agreed and move on. You probably won’t find a weekend that suits absolutely everyone.

The earlier you settle on a date, the more choice you’re likely to have when it comes to accommodation and the activities you really want to book.

5. Choose the Right Stag Do Destination

Once you have your dates, approximate group size and budget, this is a good time to speak to Infinity Weekends. You don’t need to have the destination decided – tell the team what sort of stag do you have in mind, and they can help you narrow down the options.

Think about what matters most to the group. Are you looking for sunshine and beach days, big nights out, loads of activities, somewhere easy to get to, or a bit of everything?

Popular stag do destinations include Benidorm, Albufeira, Tenerife, Marbella, Magaluf and Liverpool, but the right choice depends on the type of weekend you’re planning.

Before deciding, consider:

• Your overall budget
• Travel time and flight options
• The choice of stag-friendly accommodation
• Activities available in the destination
• The type of nightlife you’re looking for
• How much you can realistically fit into your weekend

It’s particularly useful to think about activities at this stage. If the groom has his heart set on Go-Karting, a Party Boat, Golf or a Pool Party, that can help narrow down the destination.

Infinity Weekends can then put together options based on your dates, numbers, budget and ideas, giving you a much clearer picture of what will work before the group makes the final decision.

6. Choose Your Stag Do Activities

The activities are usually some of the most memorable parts of a stag weekend, but you don’t need to fill every spare hour. One or two well-chosen activities each day can give the weekend some structure while leaving everyone enough time to relax and enjoy themselves.

Think about the groom, the group and the destination. If a bit of competition sounds right, Go-Karting or Bubble Football are great options for getting the whole group involved. Both are popular stag activities available in several destinations, including Benidorm, Albufeira and Marbella, so you don’t have to base the whole destination decision around one activity.

Don’t Forget the Food

Some activities are the food, and many others include it. Either way, make sure meals are part of the plan – nobody likes a hangry stag!

For example, Benidorm Go Karting Grand Prix with BBQ includes a meal as part of the experience, and Full Monty Night with Female Stripper in Magaluf combines an evening meal with classic stag entertainment.

A Bottomless Breakfast or Brunch can work well earlier in the day too. If you’re heading out on a boozy boat party later, getting the lads together for breakfast first might give them slightly sturdier stomachs for what’s ahead – keeping the lightweights in the game a little longer!

This is where Infinity Weekends’ experience really comes into play. The team has tried the activities, knows what works for stag groups and how to fit everything together. They know which combinations work, what’s worth booking and how to get the most out of your time – less faffing around, more time with the lads and a stag weekend that gets talked about for all the right reasons.

7. Get the Accommodation Sorted

Accommodation is a big part of any stag weekend, especially when you’re travelling as a group. You want somewhere that works for your numbers, budget, and weekend plans.

Infinity Weekends can arrange your accommodation alongside your activities, helping keep everything in one place and making the whole booking much easier to manage.

If you’re heading to Benidorm, check out “Our Benidorm Stag & Hen Accommodation Guide”. It explains the different accommodation options and what groups can expect when staying there.

8. Book Early – Especially for Popular Weekends

Once the group is happy with the destination, accommodation and activities, don’t leave it sitting in the group chat for another month.

Popular stag destinations get busy, particularly during spring and summer, and the best accommodation and activities can fill up quickly. Larger groups also have fewer options if they leave booking until the last minute.

Booking early gives you more choice and, just as importantly, gives everyone longer to spread the cost.

9. Keep Everyone in the Loop

Once the stag do is booked, make sure everyone knows the important details – what’s booked, what they need to pay and when they need to pay it.

This is where having everything organised through one booking makes life so much easier. With Infinity Weekends, everyone gets their own online account, so each person can keep track of their part of the trip and make their own payments.

For the organiser, that means less admin, fewer payment reminders and no spreadsheet tracking who owes what. You can concentrate on the important stuff – like finding the perfect chicken suit for the groom to wear through the airport.

10. Do the Final Stag Do Checks

As the weekend gets closer, Infinity Weekends will help with the final details, making sure you have the information you need for your accommodation, activities, timings and meeting points.

That leaves the group with one important job before heading to the airport: check your passports! Nobody wants to be the lad whose passport is still sitting on the kitchen table.

Stag Do Planning FAQs

How far in advance should I book a stag do?

Ideally, start planning and booking your stag do at least 8–10 months in advance, especially for a large group, a popular destination or a weekend abroad. Booking early gives you a much better choice of accommodation, activities and timings, as well as more time for everyone to spread the cost.

Left it later? Don’t panic – it’s still worth asking what’s available.

What information do I need to get a stag do quote?

You don’t need to have the whole weekend planned. Your preferred dates, approximate group size, rough budget and an idea of the type of stag do you’re looking for are enough to get started. Infinity Weekends can help with the rest.

Can our group size change after we book?

Group numbers often change between the first enquiry and the actual weekend. If someone drops out or another mate wants to join, speak to the Infinity Weekends team as soon as possible so they can check what can be changed.

Can everyone pay for their own place separately?

Yes. Everyone in the group gets their own online account and can pay their share directly, so the organiser doesn’t have to collect everyone’s money or spend months chasing payments.

Do we need to organise our own flights?

Yes. Infinity Weekends doesn’t book flights, so your group will need to arrange these separately. The team can help you with the rest of your stag weekend arrangements.

Can Infinity Weekends organise the whole stag weekend?

Infinity Weekends can bring the main parts of your weekend together, including accommodation and activities, while helping with timings and the finer details. You’ll also have an event manager to help with your booking, taking a big chunk of the organising off your hands. Give us a call or send us an email, we're here to help.

Ready to Start Planning Your Stag Do?

You don’t need to turn up with a finished itinerary – that’s where the Infinity Weekends team comes in.

Got a mate getting married in 2027? Now’s a good time to get the stag do sorted. Get your dates and rough group numbers together and ask Infinity Weekends for a free, no-obligation Quick Quote. With over 20 years of stag weekend experience behind them, the team can help turn those first ideas into a weekend the lads will be talking about long after the hangovers have gone.