To be fair, stags are the epitome of an alcohol fueled weekend, and if you can get through these sober, then you can get through literally anything else sober.
Throughout 2022 I went to 5 stags, both in UK and abroad. Whilst parts of them are difficult, on the whole I had a great time with my mates, and crucially, I wasn’t totally ruined for the entirety of the following week! My 5 observations below:
Drinking games are boring AF - clearly this bit isn’t for the sober attendee on a stag. They’re all about the drinking. I either sat them out totally, or got involved by doing other forfeits. Turns out that other forfeits are usually funnier and better than the drinking anyway.
Red bull is just as good as alcohol at enabling you to last whilst clubbing - 2 red bulls and you’re flying. Clubbing is exactly the same on red bulls vs alcohol, just clearer. If you like the music, it’s actually a better experience than when drinking. The people to flag first will always be the alcohol drinkers, and you can slope off with them if sober clubbing is all too much at this point.
Remembering everything is both hilarious and useful - a full and clear memory on the stag do antics is great for setting the record straight and calling people out on their behaviour, which may have otherwise gone unnoticed. You become the trusted version of the truth, and more often than not, trusted with the Airbnb keys.
Turning up for your mates and for yourself is a huge achievement and one you will not regret - being there for your mates is something deep down you want to do. And proving to yourself you can attend a whole stag do sober is a great feeling. It’s not easy - be proud of it. The first one is the strangest, but after that you’ve done it, and it’s only easier from there on in. I have genuine pride that I turned up to all the stags both for my mates and for myself. Plus it’s only a weekend - not all weekends are stags.
You don’t need to drink to enjoy it, even if everyone else is drinking - if you only take one thing from this blog, it’s this. You can have fun on a stag sober. Do not let people tell you otherwise. Show them you can have fun without drinking. I promise that the fun is there, with or without the alcohol. It’s just the hangover that leaves.
Matt.
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