So you became best man for your best friend, and you want to make his last eligible days as memorable and fun as they can be. You have the right place, but the rest is missing? Fear none, we'll show you how to organize a fantastic stag weekend in Prague!
As best man holding the stag party and your stag team together, this is just one aspect of your job. You also have to take care of your groom, organize different programs to keep everyone entertained and keep a close eye on the little details.
A stag weekend in Prague is the perfect opportunity for any groom to say goodbye to his days as a wifeless man. The capital of Bohemia has a spectacular nightlife, it's relatively cheap, and transport is also one of its strengths. The variety of delicious and cheap beers is extensive and can be found in the city’s great bars, as are the possibilities to have fun, for whichever way of leisure you prefer from restaurants to dancing clubs.
Who and how many?
The first step to start the stag weekend is to collect the names who will be invited. Making a list of people who will be part of the event, you can get a clearer picture of the needs (and of course wallets) you have to cater too. You probably need to invite a mixture of friends - from home, college, work, and family. While the diversity of people gives them the chance to make new friends, it also holds the possibility of having a too formal atmosphere. Make sure to include cheerful, supporting friends, who want to see the groom have the time of his life and encourage others to have fun too.
The easiest way to avoid awkward situations is to double check with the groom himself. He can probably give you an estimation of people he would like to see, and this also clears up the decision of the relatives. An upcoming trend of stag parties is inviting the groom’s father and sometimes even his future father-in-law. While it’s a nice thought to have them involved, their presence, especially the in-law’s might make some grooms uneasy and cause some unwanted tensions.
The ideal number of a stag party varies somewhere between 8 and 15, fewer than that might end up being a sad and boring event, but managing more than 15 people is like herding cats, especially if alcohol is involved. And of course, don’t forget the groom himself.
When?
What time to have your party is another tricky question. Make sure you start planning in time, at least a few weeks ahead, maybe more if there are flights to be considered. The earlier you book, the better deals you can get, and you also have to coordinate about ten other people. Don't be discouraged if someone can't make it; it's a miracle if the whole group can agree upon one date.
Besides, your first concern should be checking the groom's calendar, after all, you are organizing the party for him. To make the stag weekend the most convenient for him, make it happen at least two weeks before the wedding. Anything can go wrong, and you don't want to be left with an unfortunate incident without having time to solve it - we all saw at least one movie where the groom almost missed his wedding.
To make the group’s decision easier about the date, use Doodle or a shared excel document. That way everyone can tick the time suiting them, and you can easily choose a day or weekend. You should also consider the weather in Prague - a rainy day can quickly ruin the mood of a pub crawl with long walks.
How much to spend?
It’s best to include an estimated cost in the first message you send to your group about the party, considering booking, traveling, meals, drinks and various activities.
Once again, the groom is a good starting point when deciding about the budget. He most likely has an idea of how much his friends will be able to spend. The costs of the stag himself are commonly shared amongst the other guests, as a nice gesture, this also should be pointed out when talking about values. If you can, try looking up group deals - in many places, there are discounts for large numbers of people.
Eastern Europe is a relatively cheap region compared to Western Europe, which allows us to state that Prague is a wallet-friendly city. Cheap but quality beers can be found either in stores and pubs: A pint is around 1-2 £. The prices might change a bit if you are near the Wenceslas Square or the Charles Bridge, around these places it can be a bit more expensive, but still affordable. Food and drinks are also in the same price category; actually, it is almost as if the beer is cheaper than water. If you are not willing to stay in a 5-star hotel, then for the 3 nights of a weekend, you can easily find accommodation from 30-40 £!
Accommodations
There are a lot of possibilities to choose from when hunting for housing in Prague. You can choose from an array of hotels, apartments, hostels or campings, depending on which suits your needs the best. First, you should decide how much time you want to spend there. Do you want to have a place to crash after a long day of outdoor fun, or you need a place to start the evening? Hostels are the solution for the first one, but if you want to have a bit more space to call your own, you should consider a hotel or an apartment.
These might be more expensive but probably have more options like a communal area and a well-equipped kitchen which come useful if you decide to stay at home for a bit. The costs of housing depend on other factors too, for example, location and quality. A downtown apartment will probably be much more expensive than a hostel in the outer districts of the city, but you can save some money on public transportation.
Getting there
There are several modes of transport which can get you to Prague. You can go by car, plane, bus or train. They all have their advantages, so it's best to be informed about all of them.
Traveling by train from London to Prague is quite affordable, but you most likely have to change lines a few times or even wait overnight in foreign cities. Bus companies provide a wide range of transportation also from London every day. However, these trips might take a whole day. The easiest way to Prague is by plane, but it's also the most expensive. Different airlines have flights from London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol and the direct ones usually take one or two hours.
When you get there, you will have it easy - public transport in Prague is excellent in the daytime and at night too. You can buy a 72-hour pass for a weekend which is around 11£, and you can use the subway, tram, and bus with it.
What programs to choose
Make sure you do things that are enjoyable for everyone, especially collectively. Be aware of people’s physical strength, and health as the father of the groom might not be able to do something the younger guests are.
You don’t want anyone to feel left out, so try to determine the overall mood of the team and decide based upon that, or let them vote for themselves. Be careful with the latter though - more options lend more space and time for indecision. As people won’t necessarily know one another, it’s best to prepare with some icebreaking programs. Pay attention to people's individual needs too, like disabilities, illnesses, and intolerances.
It might be a good idea to include the discovery of the specialties of Prague in the program. As the Czech Republic and its capital are famous for their beer culture, you should visit some of their better-known breweries while you’re there. You can also take part in a bar crawl, tasting different beers, going from bar to bar.
If your team is more about intellectual challenges, give Escape Rooms a try! They are a fun and exciting challenge where you have to solve a series of a puzzle to escape a locked room. Prague also gives you an opportunity to dance if you want to, there are numerous nightclubs and party boats to choose from.
Tasks and games
Who doesn't like to play? Preparing little games and challenges for your group gives the weekend a fun twist and allows the guests to let loose a little. It also can be a great team building experience, so people won’t form little cliques based on who they know.
The extremities of the challenges depend on you and your team - but make sure to check that your groom is having fun, after all, you don't want to traumatize him. If you always have a little fun list of tasks, you can avoid dull periods and "what should we do now" vacillations too, and if you include some pleasant surprises, people will start looking forward to them.
Drinking games are quite common at stag parties, they have a million version and lighten the mood for other activities. Grooms are often faced with slightly stiff challenges, and these give the group an opportunity to have a good-intentioned laugh at their expense. A wedding game is a nice thought too, quizzes about the bride remind people of the joyous occasion they are there.
You don’t have to do it alone
If you feel like you don’t have the means or the time to organize a stag party, hire a company to do it for you! Some people feel like they can’t find the best deals or don’t want to handle the responsibility of making everything on their own, so they simply let others do what they do best:
- these companies book all of your flights and programs for you
- they can take you to places you might not have gotten in
- they give you a tour guide who knows Prague like the back of their hand
- you can edit your program with a few simple clicks
- they can get you group deals
- the best man doesn't have to pay attention to every person and detail, and you can enjoy the party too
Last but not least: time to start the Prague stag weekend!
All in all, there are some key points you have to pay attention to ensure a great stag party. Start planning in time, be informed about your possibilities and consider your guest's circumstances. Listen to your groom and if you feel organizing is not your forte, feel free to hire some help. Everything is given to make the stag weekend the best adventure of your groom’s life - after being married of course.