I’m looking for some imagination and experience from Dopers in anticipation of my friend’s stag do next month (located in London, but don’t let that preclude you replying).
He’s gay, it’s a (small) mixed sex group, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t want a stripper- and I can work around all that but most of his friends are BLOODY STUDENTS which means they won’t want to go for an expensive spa day followed by a meal and drinks - fair enough really.
I could do the standard restaurant/drinks but I’d like to do something more interesting than what you’d do on an ordinary night out.
I’m thinking a massage at Spa London, or the Zoo at night, or maybe the Eye, but would love some advice - London-specific or not… I’m looking for some imagination and experience from Dopers in anticipation of my friend’s stag do next month (located in London, but don’t let that preclude you replying).
He’s gay, it’s a (small) mixed sex group, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t want a stripper- and I can work around all that but most of his friends are BLOODY STUDENTS which means they won’t want to go for an expensive spa day followed by a meal and drinks - fair enough really.
I could do the standard restaurant/drinks but I’d like to do something more interesting than what you’d do on an ordinary night out.
I’m thinking a massage at Spa London, or the Zoo at night, or maybe the Eye, but would love some advice - London-specific or not…
My friend in Salt Lake City had his bachelor party at the 49th street Galleria – that’s an indoor viodeo-game emporium/miniature golf complex. Whee. Afterwards we went to a “private club” and had a meal with --shhh! – alcohol. That’s as wild as it got. But a lot of us were students, and could afford it.
My own bachelor party was even cheaper – a backyard barbecue.
My stag night was not what I was expecting but seriously fun, my friends said that they would pick me up and all I had to do was bring a spare change of clothes. I was assuming the worst but we actually went to the woods and went paintballing which was quite a nice surprise. After a few normal team rounds we played ‘firing squad’, which is exactly what it sounds like. Afterwards, same with CalMeacham, a backyard bbq. Pretty tame but at least I can remember what happened.
Poker night? All you need is a deck of cards and some chips. You can set the stakes wherever is comfortable for the people playing, or run it like a tournament–buy in for $20, be given $2K worth of game chips to play with. Last man in the game will have all the chips when the game ends. Prizes or a share of the buy-in money for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place (depending on number of players). Could include a surcharge–$20 to play, +$10 as a wedding gift for the groom. The dollar values I used for the example could be raised or lowered, whatever works well for your group.
We all went skydiving for my bachelor party. Don’t know what might be comparable there, but something along those lines that nobody (or very few) in the group hase done so it can be particularly memorable and noteworthy.
What kind of food does he like? If he/his friends are major carnivores, how about a bbq with some exotic “tasting” opportunities? You could do some standard hamburger-type cheap fare, followed by Ostrich steaks, Alligator, Rattlesnake and such, cut up into tasting bites and passed on trays.
Tip - this can be reformatted into many different tastes and types, from Scotch to fruit to wine and/or cheese, to seafood. One thing that never changes is it’s best to start with the normal food and let everyone fill up a bit before bringing out the tasting fare. This way folks are chewing slowly and actually tasting. If you decide to provide a few really “out-there” choices, folks are less likely to be sick if their stomachs are full of recognizable food.
Another thing that usually goes over well in a non-drinking crowd is an ongoing intellectual challenge. An example would be to tape the name of some esoteric character to each person’s back as they walk in. They are only allowed to ask “yes” or “no” questions about this character,a nd must try to name them before the evening is out. this has the advantage of keeping people mixing as well.
My husband went to play laser tag and bumper cars and arcade games at a local teen-type hangout. It was great. A bunch of 20 somethings were running around shooting each other and between matches, playing Skeeball and racing games like kids. It was a pretty manly, adrenaline-pumping kind of event, but still childlike and carefree.
My friend didn’t want any stripper stuff. So we went out to see a really excellent band he wanted to see, after a great dinner. Obviously, his money was no good that night.
Look into B&Bs in the area. Obviously you’re not looking for the Victorian Dame with the frou-frou menu. But a young, hip couple with three bedrooms at a reasonable price mught rent you all three rooms and use of the back garden for the evening. They might even be foodies who’d help plan the thing.
Or maybe a cooking school? Is there one in the area? they are always looking for the chance to cater adventurously. . . and they usually have a party room of some sort.
Yes, I’m grasping here, but didn;t want to leave the problem unaddressed.
A friend of mine has property in the middle of nowhere we have used for a variety of events, including bachelor party weekends.
We call the events “Men’s Town”. Everyone brings their cool “stuff” (drones, guns, clay pigeons, a taser, someone even once brought dynamite) and we camp for the weekend. Everyone throws in for liquor and food. Never a serious injury yet.
Just a note that this thread was [del]awakened[/del] re-animated by a since-banished spammer, so while you’re welcome to contribute on-topic posts, it’s likely that the OP is no longer seeking assistance with this particular issue.
