Our best bachelor party planning tips
Over the years we’ve learned from many of the mistakes bachelor party organizers have made. Please have a read so you can avoid some of the stress that comes with planning a party.
START WITH A SMALL GROUP - Trying to get together a large group of guys with different income levels, family situations and work schedules is very hard. We’ve seen more than a few bachelor parties in Vancouver fall apart because the organizer tried to make it work for everyone involved. It’s better to arrange the event with just a few of the groom’s most important friends.. Once you’ve got a set date, destination and price per person in place you can extend the invitation out to as many people as you like.
DON’T TRY TO DO IT ALL - Have you ever been to a stag party where the organizer hands you an itinerary with every second of the day planned out? Nice idea, but we always warn our over aggressive planners to remember that hangovers will happen and wreak havoc on their carefully laid out schedule. A lot of people end up missing out on non-refundable activities or skip some of the most important moments because they over did it the first day. A lot of our multi-day Kelowna stags end up with boat companies calling us because our clients didn’t show up for their 9am boarding time. (Another good point! Do not schedule anything to start prior to 11am if you will be out on the town the night before!)
KNOW WHEN TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT - We aren’t saying don’t tell your wife anything about the plans, but realize in advance if you are with the type of lady who will not approve of you having some Whistler strippers do a show at your chalet. We’ve seen many bachelor party ideas shut down just days before the event because someone told their girlfriend, who complained to someone else’s wife, and so on and so on until the groom is told he is not allowed to go.
DON’T TRY TO GET THE GROOM OVERLY DRUNK - Yes, the old story of the passed out groom tied to a lamppost outside a bar where his friends are is sort of funny to hear, but not to actually be a part of. Your friend wants to have a great time and remember his last boy’s night out before marriage, not end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning! Remember this is his night, not yours, so make sure he is enjoying himself.
IT’S ABOUT THE GROOM, NOT YOU - On the same note as the last tip, remember that this party is all about your friend. Some feel that a guy’s stag night should be filled with wild debauchery. Quite often the groom feels the same…but if getting a bunch of hookers and strippers in Kelowna is not the his idea of a good time, respect his wishes and save the scandalous stuff for another boy’s night out.
COLLECT THE MONEY UP FRONT - If you’ve had to put your credit card down to reserve a paintball time, strip club VIP, etc, make sure to get everyone’s payment as soon as possible. If a person hasn’t pre-paid, it’s easier for him to bail out last second, leaving you with his un-refundable portion of the bill. And good luck trying to collect after the bachelor party has ended. There’s always a few people who think they don’t owe anything more after they have spent hundreds that night buying the bachelor shooters and over-tipping the dancers (none of which include what the person owes you for his part of the axe-throwing, the nightclub VIP, the party bus….) It’s been our experience that the organizer always ends up paying the largest portion of the bill, even if he didn’t plan it that way. So collect that money asap!
DON’T TRY TO DO IT ALL YOURSELF - You deserve to have fun too! About one in ten organizers tell us “this is so hard, it’s like herding cats!”. So assign certain activities or nights out to others in the group. If there isn’t anyone you feel is responsible enough, enlist the help of a planning company, oh say someone like The Bachelor Plan… we will herd those cats for you so you can sit back and enjoy the party yourself!