Viva Las Vegas! Sin City tops the list of dream hen or stag do destinations, as nearly half of Brits happy to go abroad to celebrate a mate

When it comes to celebrating the end of a bride or groom’s former single life, it seems a simple trip to the local pub with some rudely shaped straws doesn’t quite cut it anymore. The modern hen and stag do is no longer just a night out – it’s a full-blown getaway.

As the summer wedding season heats up, new Lloyds research finds 14% of people have been on a hen or stag do abroad, with almost a third (30%) open to do so in the future. For those aged 25 to 34 years old, one in five (20%) have attended one, with a further 48% happy to do so in the future.

Dream destinationsand accommodations

For those who have or would attend a stag or hen abroad, Las Vegas, known for being the wedding capital of the world, topped the list for dream destination to be invited on a hen or stag do to, alongside Italy. However, over half of people said they'd only be willing to travel as far as Europe (58%).

The most popular dream destinations for a hen or stag do abroad:

1. Las Vegas, USA & Italy
2. Spain (excl. Ibiza)
3. Greece
4. Ibiza, Spain

The least desired location was Benidorm, with 1 in 10 respondents (12%) listing the Spanish beach resort as their worst-case invite.

In terms of accommodation, an all-inclusive hotel was the most desired choice for an abroad hen or stag (31%), with just 2% of respondents saying they would like to stay in the more budget-friendly choice of a hostel.

Expenses

Over a third of respondents said they’d be willing to spend between £300 to £499 on their flights and accommodation for an abroad hen or stag (35%), with just over a quarter of respondents happy to spend up to £300 (26%).

Nearly half of respondents said they’d be willing to spend up to a further £300 on activities (43%).

For those that had attended a hen or stag overseas before, over a quarter said between £300 and £499 was the most they’d spent attending one (27%), followed by between £500 and £749 (23%) and up to £300 (22%).

Who’s paying and how

While 37% of people believe the bride or groom should pay to attend their own hen or stag do, a third think they should pay to attend but be treated by the rest of the group to some activities during the event (33%). 16% of generous respondents believe they shouldn’t have to pay at all and the rest of the group should cover their costs.

When it comes to paying for activities, nearly half of Brits who have or would attend a stag or hen abroad prefer to use their debit card (48%). Cash remains a popular choice too, with 38% opting for physical currency. Specific travel spending cards were the least popular choice, with only 19% using one, perhaps reflecting the increasing popularity of debit and credit card accounts, such as Club Lloyds, offering free spending abroad.

“What happens on a hen or stag do…”

It seems the age-old saying “what happens on a hen or stag do, stays on the hen or stag do” divides the nation. While 40% of all UK adults agree with the sentiment, a slightly larger share – 42% – disagree. The remaining 19% are unsure, suggesting a shift in attitudes toward transparency or perhaps the advancement of the watching eye of smartphone cameras.

Tamara van den Ban, Managing Director, Customer Propositions at Lloyds said: “We’ve seen a real shift in how people approach pre-wedding celebrations. It's no longer just about a night at the pub, it’s about creating unforgettable experiences abroad. With competitive prices available for flights and holidays abroad, it’s no surprise people are taking advantage of this to celebrate with their loved ones.

“We’re making it easier for our customers to organise their trips from beginning to end with the recent launch of Lloyds Travel Booking, powered by Hopper. We’re the first UK bank to offer our customers the ability to book flights and accommodation through their mobile app and it’s just the latest addition to our wider range of travel tools that include fee-free spending abroad and travel insurance through some of our accounts.”

Case Studies (photos available)

Zara Sands, 24, Social Media Manager, London Last year I was a bridesmaid at my cousin’s wedding, and we celebrated her hen do in Mykonos, Greece. It was my first hen do abroad but I’m sure it won’t be my last. Thirteen of us stayed in a gorgeous self-catering villa and we organised flights separately with a budget airline. Activity wise, we had an incredible boat day, another day at a beach club and also had some more chilled out time playing games in the villa.

t can be hard organising a hen abroad, as everyone has different budgets and priorities, but it’s worth it in the end. I think people don’t mind spending a bit more when a hen do is abroad as you’re getting a holiday out of it too. The bridesmaids that planned my cousin’s hen did a great job of making sure everyone was comfortable with what was being spent. The bride paid for herself but was treated to some surprise goodies such as pyjamas and bridal accessories. We had to pay for transfers and the boat trip in cash (collected by one of the other bridesmaids prior to the trip) but otherwise we used our cards to pay for most things whilst there.

Scott MacDonald, 35, Consultant, Livingston I have been on three stag do’s abroad, including my own! My stag do and one other were both in Portugal, then earlier this year I organised one for a friend in Galway, Ireland. We’ve mainly stayed in self-catering accommodation; you tend to have some of your own space and it works out cheaper being able to eat in some days. One of the hardest bits about organising a stag is finding dates that work for lots of people, inevitably there’s always someone who can’t make it.

There’s also a pressure to make sure it’s an amazing experience whilst also suiting everyone’s budgets. I've been on a few stag do's both local and abroad and I would say the costs were pretty similar. If you can find a location with regular, cheap-ish flights then that's half the battle. Accommodation abroad can be quite reasonable and sometimes cheaper than staying in the UK - plus I think people don't mind paying a little extra for some sunshine. My stag do in Albuifera was over five nights and felt more like a holiday with mates with a stag do in the middle. In my opinion, a stag do abroad can definitely be affordable and sometimes cheaper than staying in the U.K.

Steph Clark, 30, Broadcast Engineer, Essex I have been on four abroad hen dos in the past couple of years; one in Ibiza, one in Greece and two in Portugal. I was a bridesmaid for the hens that celebrated in Ibiza and Greece, and I was actually in charge of organising one. Each abroad hen has been quite different, but accommodation wise it’s always been self-catering; I’ve stayed in a villa, a hotel and an apartment.

When organising an abroad hen do, it’s key the costs are clear to everyone attending and there’s no big surprises to anyone financially. I’m actually getting married myself next year, but as much as I love an abroad hen do, I’m choosing to have mine in the UK. I love the tv show Gavin & Stacey, so I’m hoping to have my hen do in Wales and include a visit to Barry Island. It’ll easier for more people to attend, and I’m hoping it’ll be less stressful to organise. My fiancé however is planning on going abroad for his stag. He’s attended a few abroad himself and likes the idea of a holiday with his friends to celebrate.

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