Bid farewell to singledom in style. From massage to merrymaking, Wed serves up a feast of inspiration for boys and girls.
 
Strippers and L-plates are so old hat. You might want to sling them into your stag and hen repertoire for good measure, but exercise a little imagination and you need not repeat the pre-wedding celebrations of a million marrieds.

Your best man may consider it a rite of passage for the stag to wind up naked and AWOL with amnesia, but your guy gathering time needn’t be so predictably stereotyped. Similarly, as classy as the devil horns and sex toys are, there’s an array of alternative thrill-seeking options that don’t involve baby oil and incriminating photos.

Whatever your interests and however mixed the crowd, there lies a people-pleasing solution for all your partying needs. Many stags and hens are opting for weekends of festivity and frivolity or staggered stages of events and activities. That way, they present a variety of options for everyone involved. So whilst Granny may not wish to partake in the bungee jump, she’ll undoubtedly be keen for a spa session or gourmet garden party.

To initiate your party planning process, we’ve tried and tested a number of pursuits that should satisfy your merrymaking quota. Sweating it out on the massage couch and in the ocean in equal measure, we’ve been toiling ceremoniously hard to bring you some of the hottest stag and hen opportunities on offer…


St Moritz Hotel

RELAX
The run up to the day of ‘I dos’ is a hectic period so allow yourself some quality chill out time with your nearest and dearest. Take some time out at a country or waterside retreat, or, for the ultimate bliss fix, hit the spa for a day of massage and beauty treatments. There’s something for every man and woman.

GETAWAY
Lower Barn
Located amidst Cornwall’s stunning countryside, this boutique guesthouse caters for all your unwinding needs prior to your nuptials. With holistic therapies (in a tipi), a hot tub, divine food – not to mention a locale spoilt with stunning surrounds that beg exploration such as Mevagissey and the Roseland Peninsula – its sweet other worldliness is a luxury to lap up.
www.bosue.co.uk

St Moritz Hotel
Standing atop a hill overlooking the ocean near Polzeath, St Moritz is a haven of escapist extravagance. With exquisite interiors and a restaurant boasting an innovative, locally sourced menu, the award-winning Cowshed Spa comprises the hotel’s decadent capital. Their scalp massage is to-die-for, releasing tension and inducing relaxation through infusing their sumptuous products deep into your scalp and neck. The spa offers a range of treatments and packages attending to the feet, the hands and all in between to beautify and unwind. Heavenly.
www.stmoritzhotel.co.uk


St Moritz Hotel

PAMPER
Fistral Spa
With views across Fistral Beach and beyond, Fistral Spa is the scenic antidote to your pre-wedding stress. Centring on your need for natural balance, their gorgeous range of Espa products (famed for their rich essential oils, seaweeds and natural ingredients) remove you from space and time whilst working their magic on your skin and senses. The back, shoulder and neck massage is a pure wonder, and only one example of the selection of spa, aromatherapy and thalassotherapy treatments available, which also include body wraps, scrubs and reflexology.
www.fistral-spa.co.uk


Fistral Spa

Penventon Park Hotel Health and Leisure Spa
The outstanding service at this super chilled spa will cater for every stag or hen’s whim in spectacular style. Lavish your mind and body with a sauna, Jacuzzi or any of the diverse treatments that will mould you into the model of pampered peace. With facials so gourmet you could feast off the products afterwards (the organic facial comprises oatmeal, honey, organic yoghurt, avocado and essential oils), alongside a tantalising range of massage options from herbal compress to Thai, you could well coddle yourself sweetly unconscious.
www.penventon.co.uk

ADRENALISE
Up the ante and pick an activity that will get the pulse pounding and sweat pouring. There’s nothing like the injection of endorphins that comes from a blast of en masse physical tasking – be it anything from motor racing or paint balling to diving or water skiing. Mix up some Neanderthal style pain mongering with some sublime outdoors scenery and hit it as hard as you dare or desire.

Clay Target Shooting
Newnham Park canvasses 1550 acres of stunning woodland estate for its gun toting tricks. Situated between Plymouth and Dartmoor National Park, there’s no other place as bracing like it. Here, whatever your capabilities, you can shoot a range of targets whether it’s testosterone or oestrogen that drives your nerves. With exceptionally qualified and charismatic coaches to guide you expertly through their Sporting, FITASC and Sportrap courses toward the more tricky layouts, DTL, ABT, UT, Skeet, OS, Double Rise and Double Trap disciplines. Technicality aside, it’s an utter blast. www.newnham.co.uk


Newnham Park

Surfing
With some of the best surf breaks in the country, hitting the waves is a high like no other. Ladies may want to engage the services of female only surf school Hibiscus for their tailored approach, while Global Boarders offer excellent packages that have proven exceedingly popular for groups keen to ride a wave or two. Another bright surf business in the county covers everything from private and group lessons to surf tours, luxury surfing breaks and retreat holidays. Based in Newquay, Surfing Is Therapy plans your entire agenda whatever your requirements, ensuring all you have to do is kick back and zone out.
www.hibiscussurfschool.co.uk
www.globalboarders.com
www.surfingistherapy.com

Sea Kayaking
Specialising in one-to-one guiding and tuition, Paddlecrest Coaching offers top notch kayaking in some of the county’s most sublime coastal locations. With safety as a priority, their highly trained professionals are on hand for all strengths and standards. Whether you fancy a slow, breezy loll around or wave popping white-water ride, get a sea faring rush and give yourself a work out in the process.
www.seacornwall.com

PARTY
No stag or hen do is complete without some form of party – but go for self-tailored fun. Rather than selecting an impersonal club or over-frequented watering hole, think beyond the box for something different. Whether it’s a themed tea party, cocktail evening featuring your personal mixologist, vineyard visit or private disco, the entertainment should ditch the old haunts and generate a whole new scene of frivolity.

Private Party
This can be literally anything. Hire out a venue from beachside bar to village hall and transform it into a personalised party palace. Consider big back gardens, private land or any suitable living space. Employ the industry’s experts to deck out the space in style, or maybe opt for a marquee and bespoke décor for a creatively cool party venue.
www.absolutecanvas.co.uk
www.yourtoptable.co.uk



Disco Bus
A mobile disco cunningly combines transport with entertainment to provide you with a moving musical shindig. Plan your route in advance to pick up your guest list as you go or drive wherever the beats take you. Safe and slow – you needn’t worry about motion sickness – just dance it out in your own private club land. Try the Super Stretch Party Bus, based in Helston, for a rollicking ride like no other.
www.superstretchpartybus.co.uk

Skinners
A tour of the Truro-based brewery is available Monday to Friday with evening tours for groups available Monday to Saturday. Soak up a decent sampling of their alcoholic creations at the spanking new Visitor’s Centre, including their notorious Cornish cask-conditioned ales, lagers and cider for a proper Cornish knees up. If you can remain standing, that is.
www.skinnersbrewery.com

words Hannah May


Copyright WED Magazine 2010