Pulling off the ultimate buck’s night

Every best man wants to throw a memorable buck’s party, but the days of simply booking a stripper after a few drinks at the local pub are well and truly behind us. Modern buck’s nights are about a different type of entertainment.

Golf days, paintballing , fishing trips and brewery tours have become regular events for buck’s days, but it seems not every best man wants to organise every little detail.

A buck’s party – known as a bachelor party in the USA, or a stag night in the UK – is, traditionally, an occasion for the groom and his friends to celebrate a man’s ‘last night of freedom,’ and, though, it’s a bit of a gender stereotype that a maid of honour is far more likely to throw herself into planning a hen’s night – thinking about the theme, decorations, invitations, etc, experts say most best men are far happier to outsource the task.

In many cases, it turns out this brilliantly organised ‘outsourcer’ is the best man’s wife or girlfriend. She’ll usually end up shouldering a lot of the responsibility for planning the event, but for those who don’t have someone close to help with planning a buck’s night, there are the professionals such as Nyree Stevens, who has helped organise hundreds of buck’s and hen’s parties across Australia through her companies, My Ultimate Bucks and My Ultimate Hens.

“We find these days men don’t get as many opportunities to go out with their friends, so there is a lot of pressure to make it a really special night, a really memorable send-off for their mate,” says Nyree.

These days, it is generally recognised that grooms are a diverse bunch, and that many might want something a bit more unique than a drinking binge and a stripper as their “last hurrah”.

Nyree started her first business My Ultimate Hens six years ago, but branched into buck’s events last year after continually getting asked if they organised them.

“We were getting a lot of feedback from the hen’s side of things, people were asking ‘do you have anything for the groom?’ We realised that there was a real gap in the market.

“We also realised that the best man often wants a great result with bugger all effort. With the hen’s packages, we find women really want to be involved in the details, but the men really just want to bask in the glory,” Nyree laughed.

With this in mind, her team created a diverse range of packages for My Ultimate Buck’s –ranging from scotch and cigar appreciation evenings, to quad-biking, to pirate-themed rum masterclasses, and even helicopter rides – with prices including all the activities, experiences, cigar, food, drinks and transfers.

But of course, there are still those who like just a touch of the traditional buck’s night titillation. Nyree says the trick is to keep it classy, and to add a touch of humour.

“We’re worked really hard to ensure our packages are modern and exciting, and that means some of our packages do contain that risqué element that many best men look for,” Nyree said.

“For example, one of our packages involves a trip to a shooting range – but there is a stripper who will remove one item of her clothing every time the Buck hits the target.”

“Obviously that is not for everyone, and people do need to think about what the groom and the guests will be comfortable with, but it can be an amusing way to get a bit of that traditional buck’s night feel without spending the whole event in a dingy strip club.”

Nyree suggests thinking foremost about what the groom would want, but also keeping in mind those who will be attending the buck’s party – an activity that might be perfect for a group of 20-somethings might not suit a 65-year-old uncle.

“There is no need to make anyone feel uncomfortable, we have such a broad range of packages that there is sure to be something everyone can enjoy.

“Our consultants are there to help. It’s a great opportunity to organise a really memorable and special event that will really make the groom feel like a king among men, that he will remember for years to come.”

Ten great alternative Ideas for a buck’s night

Sand quad biking
Jet boating
Epic Paintball or Skirmish laser force
Poker night
Criminal underworld tour
Outdoor Go-karting Grand Prix
Sand tobogganing
Stand-up paddle boarding
Scotch tasting masterclass
Brewery tour