Calgary stag

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I was going to say the same thing. $1500 you could go to Vegas, although some of the wives may not be on board with that.

I would go to Banff or somewhere out of town, though. Even an hour away from home for the Calgary guys will feel like a road trip, away from everything else and they can just relax.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

A lot for me to go through here so I have to process it all but just wanted to say thanks for the replys, keep them coming.

It is hard for me to say No to the groom for this reason. Two years ago he co organized my stag to Boston for St. Paddys day, the one thing I really wanted to do was go watch Johnny Hockey play a playoff game for Boston College. Nobody else wanted to do this, it was a selfish move by me for sure but it was Johnny and the hype was real so I made up a jersey that he eventually signed, it was hands down the best memory I have of the stag (seems lame but it gave me one hell of a keep sake that brings back a flood of memories every time I look at it on my wall). Anyway, he was the guy who insisted I do it because I wanted to do it and this day was about me and this was the one time I can tell people F you, we're doing what I want to do.

I just want to repay that favor, and he loves live music, I love live music... he loooooovs live music. And the thing he loves more than live music? Seeing live music with his friends, standing in the back, drinking copious amounts of pints, doing shots and laughing at random sketch faces we talk to. So I know for a fact that one night will be his think about it and smile moment from the stag and IMO everyone else can buck up and deal with it for 2-3 hours, or stay home!

That's your best memory because it was something unique. I'm sure your friend will enjoy the concert, but will his memories of it be any different than any number of other concerts he's been to? I'm not saying the concert is a bad idea, but you should make sure to have at least one thing planned that is out of the ordinary for him.

[Aeneas]

troutman has a big birthday coming up this year. We are early days of planning a stag like getaway.

I think Sliver should be in charge now.


On topic: I think OP is doing the right thing, if there is one thing the groom absolutely wants, then do it.
My stag was great fun; it pleased both the groom but also catered to the crowd.

[Mr.Coffee]

I planned a stag for one of my best friends a few years ago and it really just ended up being a random series of events poorly smacked together. Luckily it worked out, here's how it went:

1. Street hockey early afternoon (this guy loved street hockey).
2. Get in cars, drive to clay shooting gun range north of city, walk around shooting stuff, none of us really sure why though
3. Drive back to Bookers crab shack and eat a #### ton of meat and start boozing harder (already some light boozing for non drivers earlier, but nothing crazy).
4. Head to Deerfoot Inn and Casino and rent out their ridiculous cowboy theme room for no good reason. Gamble drink party and run around their casino.

That's a summary, I was under strict orders not to bring in the ladies but I think if you added a dancer to the casino hotel room, that would have topped it all off nicely.

My only piece of advice would be don't go too ambitious with the plans because people will start drinking. If you have like 15 hours of stuff to do you're tired old man group may not get the perfect ascension of drinking / partying for maximum party ridiculousness at the peak time when you want it, and your party could end at 10 rather than 3 like it should be.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

A lot for me to go through here so I have to process it all but just wanted to say thanks for the replys, keep them coming.

It is hard for me to say No to the groom for this reason. Two years ago he co organized my stag to Boston for St. Paddys day, the one thing I really wanted to do was go watch Johnny Hockey play a playoff game for Boston College. Nobody else wanted to do this, it was a selfish move by me for sure but it was Johnny and the hype was real so I made up a jersey that he eventually signed, it was hands down the best memory I have of the stag (seems lame but it gave me one hell of a keep sake that brings back a flood of memories every time I look at it on my wall). Anyway, he was the guy who insisted I do it because I wanted to do it and this day was about me and this was the one time I can tell people F you, we're doing what I want to do.

I just want to repay that favor, and he loves live music, I love live music... he loooooovs live music. And the thing he loves more than live music? Seeing live music with his friends, standing in the back, drinking copious amounts of pints, doing shots and laughing at random sketch faces we talk to. So I know for a fact that one night will be his think about it and smile moment from the stag and IMO everyone else can buck up and deal with it for 2-3 hours, or stay home!

Make live music the end of the evening, for those who want to keep going. Start with heavy drinking, dinner, sightseeing, etc.

[KTrain]

$1000-$1500 to party in Calgary seems like overkill. You could all go to Las Vegas, see great live bands that you wouldn't be able to see normally and get cheeper rates on hotels than the Hotel Arts. Depending on the weekend you could see sports/comedy/etc.

It's the guys that live in Calgary that could be the problem. I'm not sure why they would spend a few hundred bucks to stay at a hotel in the same city they live in. It's easy enough to head home at the end of the night and the meet up with the guys when they finally wake up in the morning. So the cost of going to Vegas would be higher for them than a weekend partying in Calgary.

[manwiches]

Pm me if you want a contact for entertainment. I played hockey with the Southern Alberta Manager for entertainers. I read you were hoping to be Hotel Arts at one point. There was a stag we organized for a friend there last August where we rented a party room (had a bar, huge suite) attached to another regular room. Big area held about 20 guys, where we all mingled with the entertainment. Side room was for all the private entertainment

[taco.vidal]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

A lot for me to go through here so I have to process it all but just wanted to say thanks for the replys, keep them coming.

It is hard for me to say No to the groom for this reason. Two years ago he co organized my stag to Boston for St. Paddys day, the one thing I really wanted to do was go watch Johnny Hockey play a playoff game for Boston College. Nobody else wanted to do this, it was a selfish move by me for sure but it was Johnny and the hype was real so I made up a jersey that he eventually signed, it was hands down the best memory I have of the stag (seems lame but it gave me one hell of a keep sake that brings back a flood of memories every time I look at it on my wall). Anyway, he was the guy who insisted I do it because I wanted to do it and this day was about me and this was the one time I can tell people F you, we're doing what I want to do.

I just want to repay that favor, and he loves live music, I love live music... he loooooovs live music. And the thing he loves more than live music? Seeing live music with his friends, standing in the back, drinking copious amounts of pints, doing shots and laughing at random sketch faces we talk to. So I know for a fact that one night will be his think about it and smile moment from the stag and IMO everyone else can buck up and deal with it for 2-3 hours, or stay home!

Id say the best stags Ive been to are the ones where we did something that the groom loved and that the rest of the group could enjoy (rather than focusing on something the group would chose and the groom would tolerate). I have different a few different circles of friends and have enjoyed vastly different stags among those. On the rowdy extreme theres been stags with hookers and blo and on the other end theres been stags with no little and drugs and no debauchery on a weekend backcountry camping trip. The common thing about the good stags has been that its gotten could friends together in an environment the group enjoys.

The bad stags Ive been to were similar to whats recommended earlier in the thread. Guys start drinking at 10am. Nothing is planned about what the groom loves, rather its planned about what the group wants, some of which might not even be close friends.

From what Ive seen, for a lot of guys who have wives and kids and arent allowed out by the wife, a stag is one of the only time they can go out drinking, so those guys try to rule the stag and make it about them. The stags like this that Ive been to have resulted in some crazy stories but they werent really about the groom and arent memorable from a point of spending time with friends.

Two stags that stick out are one where the second stop of the day was the rippers in the early afternoon. This was one of those stags like Sliver talked about where the group was trying to embarass the groom. Lots of crazy stuff was happening early and the booze was flowing way too much, way too early. The groom had to be carried about mid-afternoon and some other guys were put in cabs. You can blame the groom, but when guys are ordering girly shots and egging him on, bad things are gonna happen. The other bad stag was one where the groom wasnt a big drinker but samething, guy got pumped full of booze over a day that seemed to be more about whipped guys who havent been allowed out in a while wanting to party. Groom took a tumble down some concrete stairs and busted up his face. He had to wear makeup for his wedding a month later to hide it.

Bottom line, if your group of friends like to party and hit the clubs, then do that. But to recommend that for everyone isnt a good approach. For the OP,
if the groom loves live music and that would make his night, and if the rest of the group can at least enjoy it, then it will be a fun enjoyable night for the group. If guys want to get liquored up or otherwise messed they can and everyone has fun.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

If I was OP, I would let Sliver plan this stag. He's got it right.

When I don't grow up, I wanna be just like Sliver. The guy knows how to have a good time.

[taco.vidal]

Another stag gone bad (or really good depending how you look at it).

I had one friend who was the first to get married out of most of my friends. This was right after university. Another friend had a boss who this particular group of friends had become friends with. The boss was a bit of a sketchy guy. Part of the plan for night was adult entertainment in a private room at a business the boss owned. The group of guys started drinking early so even though it was relatively early, most guys were feeling pretty good by this point. There were two entertainers that arrived. They both brought their own party favours and started participating in the party rather than just performing for it. The groom and most of the groomsmen partook in the partying. Luckily this was before the days that every phone had a camera and that things show up on instagram minutes after they happen.

This is one of the stories that rarely get talked about as most of the guys are still scared of it leaking out.

So if even if the group likes to party, know where to draw the limit. Id even suggest having someone sober chaperon the group so that you dont end up in jail or in compromising situations.

[Sliver]

The stag I described where we dressed the groom up wasn't meant to be a one-size-fits-all solution. It was an example of a fun night that maximizes the potential for a good and memorable time for everyone. The other best stag we did was in Fernie with white water rafting and partying from there, but no groom embarrassment as he wouldn't have enjoyed that.

What the groom wants doesn't necessarily have to be what the groom gets. In my view, the worst weddings are the ones where the bride enters them with the thought that it's 'her day'. No, if you're inviting a group of people to spend their time with you, a considerate person takes into account what will be best for the group as a whole. Selfish people only think about how the night should centre around them. The stag equivalent is the guy who has a definite plan and wants the group to stick to it regardless of how well it works as a group activity or how fun it will be for the group.

Some people are bad at planning fun events and parties. Some people are also unaware of when a party is lame or when other people aren't having much fun. When you're at one of these events, it's so disappointing because all the makings are there for an awesome time with all your friends, but a dud is at the helm.

At the end of the day, stags are parties. If you want to chill out with your friends doing something mellow, please do everybody a favour and don't call it a stag. As soon as it's a stag, everybody is required to go. Once everybody is summoned because you called it a stag, you better put on a fataing great show and deliver the goods. Particularly if I'm being asked to budget $1000+.

[Jason14h]

Instead of a Hotel rent a big house if possible (May be hard in Calgary)

Way more fun to have everyone in the same place and cheaper! Hire talent to the house, better then going out to Ballet IMO.

- Flames or Hitmen for a night is always good. Head over the Cowboys after for a final Cowboys and Casino night! Make sure to dress so people know it is a stag
- A pub golf type think might be something you guys would like. Start at the top of 17th and move towards Ship to end. Again, make sure everyone is dressed as a stag group for maximum free shots and women interactions

I do agree though, Banff should be the go to. Rent a place out there for everyone and just go with the flow!!

[surferguy]

Ive been to many and hosted a few Stag parties. The best ones we every came up with was renting a community hall for the afternoon. On a couple different occasions we set up friendly competitions or events (Olympic style). At one of them it was the groom vs the crowd. Seven events throughout the afternoon, if you beat the groom at the event you earned a shot, he beats everybody he earns a shot. That way he didn't end up too wasted before we hit the town for the night.

Similar idea was used at my stag party. My brother set up the day with numerous events ready to go. The idea was a loonie/toonie gambling day. Everybody coming through the door was given a number. He then built a big wheel which was the catalyst for each event. On the wheel were icons so everybody could gamble on the outcome of the spin (crowns and anchors style). Spin the wheel and see where it lands - click - click - click... ANCHORS!

Winners were paid out (loonie bets only to keep things under control) then whatever pie segment the wheel landed on there was an envelope which held the details of the event eg: beer pong. The envelope also contained random numbers - if your number was in the envelope - you were playing in the event. The random team members then lined up on their respective sides of the game and the rules were explained.

The rest of the people who were not playing (the gallery) then bet on the winners of the event. Once again the money starts flying and the friendly competition was on. At the end of the event winners are paid out and it was back to the big wheel to start over again. In the end - any house money was then given to the groom. In my case it was close to 700 bucks.

30 some guys booze fueled and friendly competition made for a hilarious day. It also encouraged a good amount of mixing of people and got everybody involved. If it during the summer months you can take advantage of the fields outside the community hall. The more silly the games the better.

Some that I can remember were:
beer pong
hockey shooter tooter
Golf - chipping closets to pin/plyon
boat races
cooler toss (this was actually the premier event in the end) watching a group of idiots try and toss a lunch pail size cooler the furthest is pretty damn funny. The bravado that goes on is something to behold - haha
Lastly one event was actually a pie to the face auction. This is a must at any stag IMO.

Once that wrapped we hit the town nice and tipsy for an evening of debauchery.
That's how my group of friends did it.

[Knalus]

So, if you guys were going to incorporate going to watch an out of town Flames game into a stag, where would you go?

[Sakic19]

Originally Posted by Knalus

So, if you guys were going to incorporate going to watch an out of town Flames game into a stag, where would you go?

Nashville

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by Sakic19

Nashville

I meant - where in Calgary would you go to watch a Flames game when they are playing out-of-town.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

Another stag gone bad (or really good depending how you look at it).

I had one friend who was the first to get married out of most of my friends. This was right after university. Another friend had a boss who this particular group of friends had become friends with. The boss was a bit of a sketchy guy. Part of the plan for night was adult entertainment in a private room at a business the boss owned. The group of guys started drinking early so even though it was relatively early, most guys were feeling pretty good by this point. There were two entertainers that arrived. They both brought their own party favours and started participating in the party rather than just performing for it. The groom and most of the groomsmen partook in the partying. Luckily this was before the days that every phone had a camera and that things show up on instagram minutes after they happen.

This is one of the stories that rarely get talked about as most of the guys are still scared of it leaking out.

So if even if the group likes to party, know where to draw the limit. Id even suggest having someone sober chaperon the group so that you dont end up in jail or in compromising situations.

Yup. I was at a stag like that, right after the digital camera revolution started. 2 megapixel resolution was still enough to cause 2 divorces once the pictures starting circulating. One guy is still in financial ruin because of it.

After that one, I have never gone to those types of bachelor parties. Firstly, any dude so desperate to bang rotten strippers gets zero respect from me. It's just something I don't understand about these things. Your buddies act like animals, and it is difficult to respect them afterwards. Especially if they are colleagues too.

When I did my best friends bachelor party, he wanted it clean, since he was at the same train wreck a couple years earlier, and wanted a true guys weekend. Golf, firing range, a camping trip, fishing and we capped it off with a group ride with all the guys in our group that rode motorcycles. No women at all to complicate things, and it was an amazing weekend for all of us.

Some of the best most memorable times I have had with my closest friends, have been sitting around a campfire in the mountains just shooting the breeze with a rye and Coke and the trees creaking in the wind.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by nik-

Fatal error.

You don't put the crew into a meat coma to start the night.

You are so one of the few posters I regularly enjoy.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Simple - Rent a section at a bar that can be closed off.

Have a combination of sports.

Darts
Bowling
Bust Squeezing
Butt Squeezing
other sports... I'll BRB

Guitar Hero
Cups
Beer Pong
Poker (Butt Squeezing)

The point is that you create an environment aimed at comradery, love, and fun. You don't have to go to special places.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by pylon

Yup. I was at a stag like that, right after the digital camera revolution started. 2 megapixel resolution was still enough to cause 2 divorces once the pictures starting circulating. One guy is still in financial ruin because of it.

After that one, I have never gone to those types of bachelor parties. Firstly, any dude so desperate to bang rotten strippers gets zero respect from me. It's just something I don't understand about these things. Your buddies act like animals, and it is difficult to respect them afterwards. Especially if they are colleagues too.

When I did my best friends bachelor party, he wanted it clean, since he was at the same train wreck a couple years earlier, and wanted a true guys weekend. Golf, firing range, a camping trip, fishing and we capped it off with a group ride with all the guys in our group that rode motorcycles. No women at all to complicate things, and it was an amazing weekend for all of us.

Some of the best most memorable times I have had with my closest friends, have been sitting around a campfire in the mountains just shooting the breeze with a rye and Coke and the trees creaking in the wind.

Yeah I don't get the point of strippers at a stag at all. Who wants to get a bunch of guys fired up that way at what is ultimately a sausage party, anyway. It can only lead to trouble and frustration.