In its most basic form, we all know why bachelor parties take place and it’s a well-known scenario. A couple announces that they are getting married and one of your buddies will soon be a groom on their special day. Leading up to his wedding day he selects a group of his closest friends and a best man as a ring leader, who is now responsible for organizing an (often) wild weekend. These weekends are typically filled with various activities, laughs, and merriment and take place sometime shortly before the wedding day - labelled as a ‘Bachelor Party’ or in some parts of the world a ‘Stag Do.' 

Today these parties are becoming more organized and extravagant in their nature so the groom can enjoy a party that they will never forget (or never remember). According to a report by Zillow, millennials are spending an average of $1,532 for a destination bachelor party, showing that this tradition is an important occasion. With countless men looking forward to these parties worldwide every year it begs the question as to why and how this ritual came about. So let us dig a little deeper and try to unpick the history behind these pre-wedding rites of passage.

The history

According to TIME the bachelor party actually goes back much further than you would think and is rooted in ancient history. Back in the 5th century B.C, it is believed that Spartans had a celebration for the groom’s final night as a single man, dinner would be held and toasts were made on their behalf. Even the word “bachelor” can be traced back to the 14th century and simply means a “young unmarried man”.

However, it wasn’t until much later in the 19th century that we started to see parties that resembled more of the modern traditions that we see today. The work of Thomas Thurnell-Read at Loughborough University has studied pre-wedding rituals and stated in a LIVE SCIENCE article, "You've got a lot of people moving away from the countryside and into the cities, and almost having to recreate rituals.” In essence, you had boys going to work in factories from a young age, once they finished their apprenticeship they would have beers in the pub to celebrate. Harmless practical jokes would be involved such as hiding tools and filling their overcoats with tar and feathers, quite like the silly antics that are seen in modern day bachelor parties. Thurnell-Read believes that these traditions during the industrial revolution were precursors to the traditions we see today.

When did the debauchery start?

Bachelor parties today are synonymous with male bonding, alcohol consumption, and visiting strip clubs all while playing up to the celebration of the groom’s “last night of freedom”. But how did we get here? Although it is hard to trace back the exact reasoning as to why these parties became more and more debaucherous over time, there was an event back in 1896 that has been dubbed the greatest bachelor party on earth by the New England Historical Society when Clinton Barnum Seeley, the Grandson of the famous American showman, P.T. Barnum, was getting married.

Clinton’s brother, Herbert, opted to organize an elaborate bachelor party to send him off in style. A guest list was created of important individuals and a 17-course dinner alongside music and drinking took place with scantily clad dancing women handing out gifts to all the attendees. The headline act of the evening was a belly dancer who went by the name of “Little Egypt” who performed a “hoochie coochie dance” which was a term used to describe provocative belly dances in the 1800s.

Unfortunately for Herbert and his guests, this didn’t end well, as the local New York Police Department shut the party down in the early hours of the morning and he was charged with indecency. Worse still, the scandal didn’t go down well with his wife who reportedly left him for less of a loose cannon and the son of a Boston stockbroker.

Perhaps this party was the catalyst for the bachelor parties we see today in the modern age.

Popular Culture Influences

There have been numerous movies in recent times that showcase bachelor parties and none more famous than “The Hangover” which proved to be a huge hit in movie theatres worldwide, grossing just over $277 million.  

The movie follows 3 men on a bachelor party in Las Vegas a couple of days before the wedding that got way out of control (there are 4 people in the party but the groom goes missing straight away) with the plot twisting and turning as they wake up with no memory and try to figure out what happened, and also the small matter of finding their friend. Starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha the plot is a slightly far-fetched example of a traditional pre-wedding male bonding ritual gone wrong including exotic animals in hotel rooms, missing teeth and suddenly being short-term carers for a missing baby.

Luckily, the story had a good ending as the groom was found on the roof of a Las Vegas hotel and they just made it back in time for the wedding.

Today’s Bachelor Parties

The modern-day bachelor party has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Now there are endless activities that the groom and his supporting cast can choose to mark the end of “single life” and the beginning of a new married chapter.

Although simply just enjoying a boozy night out is still an option, many groups are now opting to combine these antics with adventure activities such as off-roading, snowmobiling, and white-water rafting to create activity weekends and incredible memories. The great thing about trips such as these is it increases the bond between attendees and allows people to try something that they possibly wouldn’t do on a normal weekend.

Another popular choice is choosing a sporting event that can become the focal point of the party and can be combined with other activities both before and after the game to add structure to a group event. If the group are into sport, catching a big Football, Hockey or Soccer game can be lots of fun.

Whatever people choose to do it must be something everyone will enjoy but mainly for the groom’s benefit. It is their special weekend and they deserve to be shown a good time by their closest friends!

Looking to plan a bachelor party in Vancouver or Whistler?

Are you looking to plan an epic bachelor party weekend in Vancouver or Whistler but have no idea where to start or what to do? We can take the stress away from the planning process and do the hard work for you. Check out our Party Builder to see the range of options we offer in the region to find a good fit for you and your group. We are also more than happy to help with itineraries to create a unique and memorable bachelor party experience.