London - From drawing up the guest list to choosing the perfect venue, the pressure is on when it comes to organising hen and stag parties.
And it seems that the pressure is getting too much for some couples, with the latest research revealing that combined “sten” parties are fast becoming the preferred option in Britain.
Sten parties see couples embarking on adventurous group outings with their friends to celebrate their last night as singletons together, with one party-planning company seeing a 100 percent increase in the last three years.
While some people may find it hard to fathom the thought of spending their last night of freedom with their partner-to-be, party planning companies have reported the highest number of bookings for sten parties to date.
A spokesman for GoHen, one such company, said: “There’s no denying the growth; we’re organising three times as many sten party bookings as we were two years ago.
“Having a joint hen and stag party can definitely help make for savings because group sizes can be bigger. The sten approach can also add an amusing extra dimension.”
Popular activities include paintball, whitewater rafting, highland games, as well as less adventurous activities such as recording a pop song or recreating an iconic music video to play at the wedding, the survey revealed.
“A combination of more sophisticated demands and bigger budgets are making sten parties the new pre-wedding ritual,” said a spokesman for Lambrini, which carried out the survey.
WHICH STEN PARTY PERSONA ARE YOU?
Body language experts are offering a word of warning to couples wanting to celebrate together and urging them to choose the right party personas to sten with. But which one are you?
THE PARTY PLANNER
This isn’t her official title, but little Miss Bossy took the role anyway, hijacking the sten night by taking full control of the celebrations. She’s booked the stretch limo despite the group objecting. She’s bought the pink furry ears for the girls and T-shirts for the boys – almost as if it’s a big surprise. You either end up fighting, or you go with the flow and have fun. Albeit not the kind of fun you were planning.
THE ROVING CHARMER
Any good flirt knows that sten dos could lead to rich pickings for a bit of suave flirting given the mixed group. The Roving Charmer will spread his skills wisely, telling mothers of the bride they look like the bride-to-be’s sister.
THE ‘IT SHOULD BE ME’ HEN
She is the life and soul of the party, proposing the toast and making sure everyone enjoys the fun. While the evening wears on, she becomes quieter before being discovered in one corner of the loo with mascara streaming down her face having just counted how many times she has been a hen but never a bride.
THE JOKER
As they haven’t been asked to make a speech at the actual wedding (for obvious reasons), the Joker decides the sten do will be the best moment for an impromptu toast. Armed with intimate knowledge of the bride or groom-to-be’s dating history, he will happily recount all until you can hear a pin drop in the room. The Joker is power-mad and knows knowledge is power.
THE PAP
This is the guest who sticks to mineral water all evening but who goes around snapping everything and anything. Especially those moments that you know you’d rather forget the following day. If you’re lucky, the pictures will be shared in private, but you know they’re far more likely to be shared with the whole world online and will get several thousand hits on YouTube if The Paparazzi has decided to film the whole thing.
THE STILL-WATER STAG
Often either the stag’s father or an uncle and he’s never known for his capacity to let his hair down and have fun. Suddenly, though, in the middle of the party he will unexpectedly roar on to the dance floor and start letting rip “Gangnam Style”. He’s spent months practising for this special moment which only ends when he slips over a party streamer.
THE MUMZILLA
She’s helped organise it, and there’s a chance she’s paid half for it so she’s determined everyone is going to have a good time even if it means quarrelling with most of the group.
THE WING MAN
You might have thought the stag’s closest ally was the “best-man to-be” but every guy also has a Wing Man – the one who watches his back and acts as PR should the groom-to-be take his fun a step too far. The Wing Man will be watching and waiting for the moment when things get too exciting. He won’t stop the action but he will keep the MumZilla chatting while he goes on, or confiscates the cameras to make sure it doesn’t all end up online.
THE ROWDY BRIDESMAID-TO-BE
She got the gig because you liked her quiet, intellectual behaviour and elegance. She is not an old friend, more like someone you work with and admire. But what you didn’t realise until the sten party is how much she changes behaviour once the sun goes down. People will ask who she is with funny looks on their faces and when you spot embarrassing behaviour, like grabbing the microphone to do karaoke, you’ll deny having ever seen her before in your life.
THE CYNIC
Stag or hen parties tend to bring out the best in most people, which is why this guest feels the need to give everyone a reality check in terms of reasons to not be quite so cheerful. They will walk about costing out the entire event and say that they’ve been to better parties. – Daily Mail