4 in 10 couples now have joint stag dos

BRITS are shunning traditional stag and hen dos and opting for more relaxed celebrations, even inviting their partners, a new survey has found.

More than a third (37%) say they plan to have their husband or wife to be at the pre-wedding bash, known as a ‘sten’ do. And two-thirds of adults say they would prefer a quiet classy break abroad with friends instead of a drink-fuelled stay in a budget hotel.

Surprisingly, almost half of those aged between 18 and 24 say they don’t want a stag or hen do at all, according to a survey by package holiday specialists James Villas.

Joint celebrations have been garnering popularity since 2001, with 7% of those married between 2001 and 2005 having a ‘sten’ party. This rose to 10% of those married between 2006 and 2010, and 23% for those married between 2011 and 2015.

Those who had indulged in more traditional celebrations felt regret with 21% wishing they had a calmer celebration. More than four in ten (43%) would re-do their hen or stag if they could. Most people would downsize their party with more than a third (35%) saying they would invite less people.

Birthdays on the other hand are a bigger cause for celebration and holiday as almost a quarter of Brits (24%) said they have celebrated abroad. Younger people are more likely to have marked the occasion further afield with almost a third (30%) of 25-44 year-olds having celebrated a birthday out of the country.

Nearly a fifth of Brits (17%) have also marked a wedding anniversary by going overseas, and over a quarter (26%) of millennials have gone abroad to celebrate their hen or stag do.