Bucks party planning! So you’re in charge of planning a bucks party – what now? Here are two things not to do: 1: panic, and 2: leave everything until the last minute. Just take a deep breath, follow our nine simple steps to planning a perfect bucks party, and make it a celebration the boys will be talking about for years to come.
Who Plans A Bucks Party?
Traditionally, this responsibility falls to the best man. If you’re reading this article, that may be you – congratulations! It’s a big responsibility, but with a bit of preparation, you can do it. Having said that, you can and should ask for help from the other bucks if you need it.
Who Pays For A Bucks Party?
The guests all pay their own way, and it’s typical for them to kick in a bit each to cover the groom’s costs for the night, too.
What’s The Maximum That Bucks Party Guests Should Be Expected To Pay?
The upper limit that bucks party guests should be expected to pay for a one-day (or night) event is about $150. Of course, planning something a bit more lavish than this is fine, but be realistic about your guests’ budgets. One thing to remember is that they’re (presumably) also going to be the groom’s wedding guests, so they’ll be out of pocket for that, too.
Another thing for the groom to think about is that even if his guests can afford to pay hundreds of dollars for his bucks party, going down this path means setting a dangerous precedent where spending a small fortune on bucks parties becomes the norm for the group. And does anyone really want to spend hundreds of dollars on one of these things every few years?
9 Steps To Planning The Perfect Bucks Party
Planning a big event like a bucks night doesn’t need to be scary: the most important thing is to get started as early as possible and check in with the other bucks frequently throughout the planning process.
1. Make A Guest List
You’ll definitely have to consult with the groom on this one. Even if the groomsmen are your regular friend group, ask him if there’s anyone he wants to invite to the bucks night that you may not have thought of. While you’re at it, ask if there’s anyone he definitely doesn’t want to invite. As for how many people to invite, aim for no more than 10 or 15. Any more than this, and you’re more likely to face the extra hassle of being split up over more than one table at venues.
2. Discuss What You Want Out Of The Event
Now that you’ve decided on the ‘who’ of the bucks party, it’s time to decide on the ‘what’. Make a ‘Bucks Night Suggestions’ private chat group on social media or just via text for the guys, and get them to pitch in with ideas about activities and venues for the night.
How Much Should You Share With The Groom?
How much you discuss the bucks party arrangements with the groom depends on how much of a surprise he wants the party to be, but at a minimum, make sure you ask him about his likes and dislikes and what he definitely doesn’t want.
Ask The Groomsmen If They Have Any Special Preferences, Too
Of course, the bucks party is ultimately about the groom, but it’s still a good idea to ask the guests if they have any special preferences. Is there anyone who doesn’t drink alcohol or doesn’t want to be around if there are going to be strippers or topless waitresses? This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to exclude those activities to accommodate those people. It should be easy enough for someone to avoid certain parts of the night, especially if the bucks party is taking place in more than one ‘phase’, like over multiple venues.
3. Decide On A Date
It’s best to do this as early as you can. Remember, the guests are all adults with their own commitments, and the groom will no doubt be busy in the run-up to the wedding. Propose some dates and ask the chat how well these work for them. Does a proposed bucks party date clash with any other events in their lives? Double-check that it isn’t a public holiday, too. As for how far from the wedding a bucks party should be, at least four weeks is good. And it’s good to start planning the bucks at least six weeks in advance. You don’t want to be racing around to make bookings just before the night because all the venues and activities you really wanted were booked out.
4. Look For Activities
It’s increasingly common for bucks parties to include pre-booked activities rather than just consisting of a boozy night out and a stripper. The downside of this is that it makes the event a little bit more effort to organise, and possibly a fair bit more expensive. However, there are definite upsides.
Why Book Activities For A Bucks Party?
Something To Remember
Booking a fun activity can make your bucks party a memorable event, rather than one more boozy night out among many. You have the opportunity to create memories your group will be talking about for years to come.
A Way To Break The Ice
Let’s say the bucks party guests don’t all know each other. Maybe among the usual friend group, there are a couple of guys from the groom’s work who the other guests don’t know, or have only met a few times. Taking part in an activity together early on can be a fun way to loosen up and get to know each other before the night and the real celebrations begin.
Something To Talk About On The Night
Related to the above, what just happened during a go-karting session or on a boat is bound to give you something to talk about as the night goes on and get everyone into the right mindset for the party.
What To Do On A Bucks Night: 5 Ideas
If you’re reading ahead and haven’t asked the other bucks for activity ideas yet, here are a few to get you started.
Golf Driving Range
A good way to begin the festivities: book some time at a golf driving range and pay for a few buckets of balls, then take turns to mock each other’s form.
Go Karting
Maybe you want some friendly competition, but you and your friends are too uncoordinated for golf? Channel your aggression with some go-karting. Depending on where you go, you can even book a track just for your group.
Target Shooting
This is definitely one for before you get into the drinks. You can either book some time at an indoor shooting range or get some fresh air while you take potshots at clay targets that have been launched into the sky.
Stretch Hummer
Since you’ll have to get from A to B anyway, why not kill two birds with one stone and make your transport an event in itself? The Gold Coast has plenty of options for limousines, including stretch Hummers that are like mobile nightclubs.
Party Cruise With Topless Waitresses
Of course, you can do the clichéd thing and go to a strip club, but why not try something out-of-the-box and book a bucks party cruise with a topless waitress (or three) to serve the drinks? You can book your cruise for three hours, four hours, or all day, and if you think the Gold Coast waterways will be enough for you to look at, of course you can forgo the topless waitresses altogether.
If you’re sorted for activities and you want some suggestions for venues, check out our bucks party venue ideas.
5. Get Quotes And Do Research
Once you have some idea of the kind of activities or venues you want to book for the party, it’s time to shop around. For everything you want to book or buy, get at least two quotes, if possible. The guests need to know what they’re committing to spend: it’s no use having bright ideas about all the things you want to book if no one can afford them.
Check For Any Special Requirements
This will be a time to refine the ideas you all came up with in the chat and weed out not only anything that’s too expensive but anything that’s too impractical. As an example, a scuba diving trip is a no-go unless the ten or so people attending happen to have the required certification. For any activity or venue you want to book, be sure to ask whether there are any requirements like licences or dress codes.
6. Plan The Itinerary
Now it’s time to work out how the different elements of the night will fit together. You should be developing an idea of what times you want to book for the different places you want to go. If it’s an average bucks party, it’s likely that most, if not all, of the guests will be drinking, and you should take this into account when deciding what time to schedule each activity. For example, it might be better (or even obligatory) for some activities to be completely sober, whereas others might be better when everyone’s a bit loosened up. Don’t forget to consider practicalities like transport and where to meet up.
7. Confirm The Final Plans With Everyone
When you’ve come up with a tentative set of plans, complete with times, activities, venues, and prices, come back to the group to confirm it’s okay with everyone and that there are no glaring oversights. Be ready to present them with an itinerary, prices, a deadline for payment, and details of the account they’re supposed to pay into. This is a time to hammer out any kinks in the plan: if any aspect of the party doesn’t work for everyone, straighten it out now.
8. Get A Deposit From Them
So everyone’s agreed? Get all the guests to pay a deposit for the expenses of the night. Not only will some of the companies you’re dealing with probably ask for a deposit anyway, but this is a good way to get a commitment from any guests who are known to be a little flaky and get an idea of who really is coming.
9. Make Bookings
Once everyone has agreed on the final plans for the party and you’ve collected a deposit from all of them, it’s time to make your bookings ASAP, before anyone else dives on the date and time you’re after. Hopefully, you’ve followed our advice and begun the bucks party planning process early enough that there’s plenty of time to book exactly what you want.
Bucks Party FAQs
What Is The Meaning Of A Bucks Party?
Collins Dictionary defines the term as ‘a party for men only, esp one held for a man before he is married’, further noting that in Britain and some other countries, it’s called a ‘stag party’.
Why Is It Called A Bucks Party (Or Bucks Night)?
The term probably comes from the older British ‘stag party’ – both ‘stag’ and ‘buck’ are terms for various types of male deer. According to some etymological sources, the Germanic root word of ‘stag’ ‘perhaps originally meant ‘male animal in its prime‘.
What Happens At A Bucks Party?
A bucks party is meant to be the last big party for the groom before he embarks on marriage. It’s not that he can never party again, but the whole purpose of the bucks is to serve as a rite of passage into a new stage of life. Traditionally, there’s a lot of drinking, possibly a few juvenile pranks, reminiscing about the old days between the groom and his friends, and, yes, a stripper.
Can You Invite People To A Bucks Party, But Not A Wedding?
No, this is considered very rude. Think about it: you’re sending a message that that person is fun to party with, but you wouldn’t want him at an event as important as a wedding. And imagine how awkward it would be if he got the bucks party invite and just assumed he was also invited to the wedding, and that his invitation must have been lost in the mail.
Can Girls Go To A Bucks Party?
It’s definitely not traditional for women to attend a bucks party, but if the groom really wants a close female friend or sister to attend, who’s going to stop him from inviting her? Just make sure if there are going to be elements like strippers or topless waitresses, everyone’s clear on this in advance.
Where Is The Best Place For A Bucks Party In Australia?
We may be biased, but we think it’s difficult to argue against the Gold Coast as the ideal location for a bucks party. Not only is there a huge selection of activities to choose from, but there’s also perfect weather and a beautiful environment to enjoy them in. No matter what kind of experience the groom wants, in a setting like this, you’ll be talking about it for years to come.