by Danielle Andrews Sunkel
Stag & Hen Parties are an important rite of passage for not only the bride and groom, but maybe more so for their friends. Any given Friday or Saturday it is not unusual to see a man dressed as a Fairy, or a woman wearing a veil & L-plate with some interesting accessories, surrounded by rowdy friends, going from Pub to Pub.
In Ireland Stag & Hen Nights are ingrained in to the Wedding Culture. There are even many businesses devoted to the concept. Party Brigade has an entire fleet of vehicles just for parties. Their "Boogie Bus" seats 16 and comes with a karaoke machine, disco lights, smoke and even lasers! Other options ar ethe Flame or Pink Limousines.
Many hotels also offer Stag & Hen packages. The Skeffington Hotel offers a dedicated Party Organizer for the weekend, Cocktail Master-classes, a reserved area & free entry to their Nightclub, with a bottle of complimentary champagne. The Prince of Wales has a "Happy Hens @ The Prince of Wales" weekend package and includes all meals, cocktail training and a boat trip. Ladies can add a Slumber Party complete with DVD & Screen, popcorn, chocolate and champagne, a private bar and twister. Burlesque, Bollywood and Salsa dance lesson can also be added. Options for the men include, Viking boat trips, Shooting ranges, Golf, Paintball and Go-karting.
For those opting for fun on a smaller scale, Stag Parties are pretty much the same as their North American counterpart, the Bachelor Party, and include Pub Crawls, Exotic dancers, and lots of drinking and ribbing of the groom.
Hen Nights usually include a theme of some sort and all the particpants dress up to that theme. Some examples are Fancy dress, Pink Police, Cowgirls, School Girls, Golfing Party, Fallen Angels and the ever-popular everything Willy. L-plates, traditionally placed on vehicles to denote a "Learner", are worn to show a Hen Party is in progress. Pub Crawls and Exotic Dancers are just as common as Slumber Parties and Spa trips.
No matter how their friends choose to celebrate a bride and groom's departure from eligibility, the act itself and the memories that ensue are what truly matters.
Great Post! Thank you for sharing your awesome trip with us!
I miss this kind of event. You all sure had a great time.
You make Stag & Hens sound superior to the average bachelor party. Yeah, but the goal is to make the night as memorable as possible for the bride and groom.
Excellent post!! I am glad after reading your blog. You have written very well. Thanks for sharing this informative information.