There was a time when getting hammered at pre-wedding celebrations meant going over the top with the consumption of alcohol but now it's the events themselves that are getting hammered — by soaring costs.
The Mirror is reporting that inflation, the weakening pound and the end of bargain basement flights to Europe are putting the dampeners on partying before the Big Day. The average cost of a final night out with your besties has catapulted to almost £400 – more than double the price than in 2013, and more than twice the rate of inflation.
Friends and family toasting their grooms or brides-to-be now have to shell out £385 each on transport, accommodation and drink — more than the average weekly minimum wage and £135 more than the 2010 figure of £150. A survey conducted by stag and hen organisers Last Night of Freedom showed that more than half of the 100-plus adults polled admitted they had pulled out of a stag or hen trip because they simply couldn’t afford it.
Soaring airline costs prompted Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary to admit the era of the £10 flight could be over, and the pinch was being felt well after groups had landed for their parties. A recent study by consumer group Which? found that plane tickets had increased by an average of 32 per cent over last summer.
And beer giant Heineken announced earlier this year that it was increasing prices per keg by 15.8 per cent, from around £160 to £190. The blame for the eye-watering increases has been attached to everything from the pandemic to Putin, although Matt Mavir, managing director of Last Night of Freedom, said that stags and hens would still splash the cash – if only to forget about the "grim reality of life" for a few days.
The industry expert said: “Considering we are enduring double-digit inflation, perhaps it isn’t surprising people want to spend more on having fun. The last few years have been rough, and we’ve faced everything from pandemics to the lingering threat of nuclear war.
“While the cost-of-living crisis is clearly a key factor, what we are witnessing is that when it comes to these big once-in-a-blue-moon events like a stag or hen do, some people are still happy to have a splurge and just enjoy life.”
According to Mr Mavir , there was a stag and hen boom in the early part of the last decade – especially to Eastern Europe, driven by cheap flights and bargain booze. However, current global instability meant those days were most likely over, with places closer to home beginning to enjoy a renaissance.
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Mr Mavir told The Mirror: “Every aspect of life seems more expensive in 2023, and stag and hen trips aren’t exempt. However, a lot of this is down to personal preferences. For example, groups are way more eco-minded than they were a decade ago, so some groups will be making greener decisions, such as travelling by train instead of the car or plane – even if that costs more.
“The pandemic and the rise of the staycation also pushed up the cost of staying in the UK and that’s never really dropped, even as restrictions have been lifted. People have also become more discerning when it comes to food, drink and accommodation.
"Hens are definitely happier to spend more money on 'Instagrammable' accommodation and somewhere swanky where the whole group can stay, rather than merely somewhere to rest their head. Stags, on the other hand, would have once picked the place with the cheapest pint. Now craft beer is a huge driver and groups are instead more bothered about finding somewhere with top breweries – even if that means spending a tenner on a pint rather than £1.”
Conversely, the soaring costs have coincided with a growing appetite among some for more budget-friendly locations. Benidorm, for decades a mecca for thrifty Brits seeking pound-a-pint deals and cut-price fry-ups, has enjoyed a massive resurgence in demand this year.
It is now breathing down the neck of two of Europe’s party capitals – Newcastle and Liverpool – for the top crown. “Stags and hens are definitely costing more, but that suggests the location isn’t where people want to spend their cash,” added Mr Mavir.
“A decade ago, after [the Hollywood blockbuster] The Hangover was released, Las Vegas was a massive market. Flights and hotels were cheaper 10 years ago, so it really appealed to stags. However, last year we sold just as many Torquay packages as we did Las Vegas — we might stop booking groups there altogether.
“Instead, having been forced apart for months and even years during the pandemic, people have realised that the location isn’t that important – it is the experience – and they’d much rather spend more on activities, a nice meal or a big memorable night out in order to bond and make memories together – which is what this should all be about.”
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