Brides-to-be ditching the hen do for the ‘hag do’... with the groom

THE hen do is losing its popularity as brides-to-be opt to have joint parties with the groom and his friends.

The popularity of ‘Sten’ or ‘Hag’ bashes, as the joint stag and hen parties are known, has doubled in the past two years as couples cut costs, a poll shows.

Travelling abroad runs up an average bill of £680 each while partying in the UK still leaves stags and hens £240 poorer.

Couples marrying later in life have also reduced the desire for drunken excess and those who live together often share the same friends, so it makes sense to party together before the big day. A poll of 1,000 Britons for fashion brand Jacamo finds that 64 per cent of women think joint parties are a good idea and 48 per cent say it would be their preferred option.

Not surprisingly, men are rather more reluctant, with 44 per cent saying it is a good idea but only 25 per cent saying it would be their ideal choice.

Celebrities including Tom Cruise, Westlife’s Brian McFadden and Virgin heiress Holly Branson have all had joint bashes.