Post-pandemic hen, stag and sten dos boom!

three women in festival gig clothes posing behind a Polaroid cut out photo booth

The wedding sector like many others suffered a huge setback when the Pandemic struck in March 2020 but unlike other industries, events were rescheduled rather than cancelled.

With that in mind, a significant increase in weddings is expected this year as long awaited plans are put into action to trigger the much discussed 'Wedding Boom' and with that comes the rise in belated hen, stag, sten and hag dos - get ready to par-tay like it's 2022!

men and women sitting at a table outside having dinner

Experiences booking platform Fizzbox.com which features trending hen and stag do activities and venues has interpreted UK Weddings Task Force data and with a predicted 550,000 weddings in the pipe line could result in a mega 1,100,000 hen and stag do's – that's taking into account that couples have just one hen or stag do and not multiple events!

Celebrating the next chapter in their life is still as important as ever although Fizzbox has seen a number of emerging trends since the Pandemic began in March 2020. This includes micro multiple hen and stag dos – smaller events whereby the bride and groom-to-be celebrates with different sets of friends and loved ones to keep the numbers down.

There has also been an increase in those choosing a STEN do's (joint stag and hen party). This has been a popular option for same sex couples as well as those who are trying to cut costs. For many couples their financial situation has changed since the Pandemic with pay cuts from the Furlough Scheme or changing jobs due to redundancies, a STEN do is a more cost effective way to celebrate.Popular STEN experiences booked include Cocktail Making, School Sports Day, Go Karting and Bubble Football and Bubble Mayhen.

Liverpool Albert Dock skyline

Google Trend search data shows hen/stag do search for the UK has remained considerably higher in the last 12 months, a huge factor of this is the effect that the travel restrictions had on holidays abroad. The demand for those wanting a hen and a stag do abroad would not have altered but actually being able to do it just wasn't feasible. A hen and stag weekend can be a challenging task to organise so with added issues of Lockdowns and rule changes implicated at last minute, couples have chosen the safer option of a hen and stag weekend in the UK.

Most Popular UK Hen Destinations booked in January 2022
1. Liverpool 2. Brighton 3. London 4. Bournemouth 5. York 6. Bath 7. Edinburgh 8. Manchester 9. Bristol 10. Leeds

Most Popular Stag Do Destinations booked in January 2022
1. Newcastle 2. Liverpool 3. Bristol 4. Bournemouth 5. Prague 6. Edinburgh 7.Dublin 8. Brighton 9. Manchester 10. Cardiff

Spokesperson at Fizzbox comments: "Customer confidence is definitely improving with travel, which is extremely promising for the travel industry. We believe the UK will continue to be popular for hen and stag weekends in 2022 as we have some fantastic locations that caters for all types of hens and stag weekends and so many experience options on offer"

group on quad bikes through the trees

Historically the wedding season has run from late Spring through to September. January was always by far the busiest month for hen and stag bookings for the spring/summer period but this year Fizzbox has found that the beginning of February has been even busier with hens and stags booking their experiences. With so many postponed weddings merging with newer plans, weddings have now been spread across the year – resulting with the sector being a seasonless!

The ever popular cocktail class still takes prime position at the top, which shows that even though some attitudes towards going out and doing things since the Pandemic has changed, attitudes towards what is fun to do on a hen do has remained the same. Other popular experiences include the cheekier activities such as Nude Life Drawing, Cheeky Butler and Male cabaret show, showing that hens still want to do something with a bit of humour!

Most Popular Stag Activities January 2022
1. Bubble Football 2. Beer Bike 3. Knockout Games 4. Squid Game 5. Clay pigeon shooting 6. Bar Crawl 7. Quad Biking 8. Jedi Training 9. Boat cruise 10. Foot Golf

For stags, again they are still enjoying the more active and traditional stag do experiences which is good to see that they still value their time with friends and family and consider the traditional rite of passage to be an important celebration in their life.

Overall, Fizzbox.com believe that hen and stag weekends are here to stay. The Pandemic indeed has affected how couples celebrate, with some preferring to stay in the UK or keeping costs down with a STEN but on the flip side there are other couples who after a year of uncertainty and re scheduling have decided to go big with multiple celebrations.

Either way, however couples want to celebrate their prenuptials there is now more choice than ever. Particularly with the introduction of virtual experiences (for those wanting to celebrate at a distance), traditional experiences for those wanting to party and mobile experiences so that others can enjoy a number of activities in the comfort of their own home or private venue. The hen and stag boom is officially here and we predict may be around for the next few years!

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