A Sten Do is a joint stag do and hen do, where both parties have a joint pre-nuptial celebration. These are hugely growing in popularity, with couples that have combined friendship groups being able to celebrate together rather than apart.
 

What Is A Hag Do?


A hag do is another term for a sten do, where the group is jointly celebrating, combining the terms stag and hen do. A hag do is also commonly associated with gay and lesbian hen/stag do’s.
 

What Are The Most Popular Sten Do Ideas?


You want to find an activity that both the guys and girls are going to enjoy if the group is mixed. But your best bet is to be open with the group and see what they would all like.
Of course, it's the bride or groom that should be the most happy, so it comes down to the activity they would enjoy trying. You may want to book something as a great ice breaker, such as cocktail making, an inflatable knockout course or a beer bike. You can arrange a restaurant visit for later in the evening to layer the stomach, before booking some bars and entry to a club for the end of the night. Some of the most popular sten do activities include the West Country Games, immersive experiences and a bottomless brunch
 

Where Do People Celebrate Sten Do’s?


The most commonly booked destination for sten do’s are: London, Benidorm, Brighton, Manchester and Bristol.
So it’s official, London is the home to sten parties, not just London hen parties. This contrasts quite a lot with the stag side, where London is the 9th top seller.
 

What Are The Most Commonly Booked Activities? 


It’s A Knockout, Cocktail Making, Live Comedy, Escape Rooms, Welsh Country Games, Beer Bike and Quad Biking.
 

Why Are These Celebrations In The Media?


A number of celebrities are having hag do’s. In fact, it was heavily rumoured Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a joint celebration before their wedding. For a long time, these weren’t booked as they simply weren’t considered, however now they are in the media, these types of holidays are becoming more commonplace.
 

The Survey Results


We surveyed 1,000 people on whether they would go on a sten do with some interesting results. 71% stated they would definitely consider a sten party for their big send-off. However 61% said they weren’t sure whether their partner would agree.

A remarkable 94% said they had never heard the term before 3 years ago, while 20% said they hadn’t heard the term before we sent them the survey!
When asked what type of activities they would like to do on a sten party, there was a clear style: Adventure – 68% Holiday Abroad – 12% A Drunken Affair – 8% In Nature – 4% Sophisticated – 4% Down The Pub / Low Key – 4% 

With it’s a knockout being the top selling activity, this was unsurprising, as groups were after something active with a sense of adventure.

Considering stag and hen parties have a tendency to have strippers involved, we asked whether this would still be the case on a joint party or whether there would be a stripper for each, however there was a resounding no from 98%.
We were curious to see what people would most like to stay in when booking the accommodation for this type of trip and it was interesting to see hen houses were much more popular. Hotels are the go-to for normal pre-nuptial parties, however when the group is mixed it seems people are more interested in booking a big group house together. If you happen to fall into the same bracket, we strongly recommend our very own Brighton Hen House, in the third most popular city.
 

What Are The Benefits Of A Sten Do?


The first benefit comes down to price. With two celebrations going on at once, the prices can creep up, however if the couple can share a room and half some of their costs then there are benefits to economies of scale.
It also helps to solve the issue of non-trust that is sometimes associated with these festivities. There is no ‘I’m off to Eastern Europe, catch you in a few days’, it is a joint adventure and no need to feel nervous about what the other half is up to.

The most important reason in our minds is that we don’t have one set of friends, based purely on gender. It can be awkward if friendship groups are mixed, or the custom style is not to invite a friend simply because of their gender, therefore this allows you to drop all those ridiculous traditional methods and focus on just having an amazing time with the most important people in your lives.
Plus, if there happen to be single members of each gender, this could be a great opportunity for them to meet each other before the wedding and hopefully sparks will fly! A wedding is a beautiful occasion and any opportunity to help others find love in the build-up would be absolutely perfect.
 

What Are The Negatives To This?


We mentioned there will be no strippers, well some people want strippers and this would definitely be awkward in front of the other half. Adonis Cabaret is one of our top sellers, however persuading male members of the group to come along might be a difficult challenge.

If you like to get a bit more than tipsy, then a hen party is your last night of freedom, where you can get drunk beyond belief. However the last thing you want is a hard time from your partner. This won’t be the case for all, but it is an extra consideration for some.

You also have to limit a number of other activities which the guys might not be into. Forget perfume making, nude life drawing, burlesque class or any form of dance class. This isn’t true for all guys, but a lot might be disappointed (or their mates will) if told they are going to be learning Beyonce’s Single Ladies dance moves as a day time activity.
 

Common Argument Point

So it seems simple enough, you have someone you want to invite from the opposite gender, therefore the stag or hen becomes a sten. But the moment you 'open the floodgate', so to speak, introduce the concept of having to invite a lot more than you may have planned.

You may have instigated the idea as you have a very close friend who you want to invite and don't understand the outdated concept of split gender pre-nuptial celebrations. That all makes sense. But you have to ask yourself who else will now be disappointed not to be invited.

You may have siblings who qualify for a sten do. Or maybe it's another old friend who will feel let down by being left out. We love the idea of a sten do, but we also recommend spending some time considering your party size and who you may be leaving out.