The End of the Separate Hen and Stag Do

Most Australians are quietly ditching the separate hen and stag do in favour of one big shared trip with everyone together. The trend is real, and it is driven by a mix of rising living costs and a genuine desire for more meaningful time with friends and family. It is a shift that reflects how we are all rethinking what a celebration should actually feel like.

The data backs it up. According to the 2027 Skyscanner travel report, 39 per cent of travellers said they would prefer a shared pre-wedding hen-stag do with their partner, friends and family. The reasons are practical: it is more fun, less hassle, and it stops the same group of people from being asked to attend two separate trips that drain time and money. It is a smarter way to celebrate, and it is gaining traction fast.

The cost of getting married is pushing couples to rethink

Jarrod Kris, a travel expert at Skyscanner, told the Katherine Times that people are marrying later in life and are shifting away from traditional boys-only or girls-only events. That shift is reimagining the hen-stag do entirely. Kris said, "People are really starting to think about how they can have a more purposeful experience when they go away with their friends and family."

That purposeful experience is not just about saving money, though cost is a big factor. The report found that two-thirds of Australians said cost-of-living pressures were affecting their holiday choices, yet 78 per cent said they still planned to travel as much or more in 2027. Kris put it bluntly: "Given the current economic climate, most people would be looking at other ways to save, but right now people are making those sacrifices elsewhere to ensure they can preserve travel."

When groups travel together, they travel in packs

Not every pre-wedding celebration needs a passport, but when groups do go overseas together, the data shows they tend to travel in packs of seven. That is a useful number to keep in mind if you are planning a trip and trying to work out how many people you can realistically fit into a hotel room or a car hire.

The shift is also changing what people expect from a holiday. Three in five Australian travellers said they would book accommodation because it serves a nutritious breakfast. That is a telling detail. It suggests that the old model of a holiday as an excuse to eat and drink poorly is being replaced by a more intentional approach to how we spend our time away from home.

The new standard for a pre-wedding trip

What does a shared pre-wedding trip actually look like in practice? Based on what Skyscanner is reporting, it looks less like a weekend of strip clubs and three-day benders and more like a group of friends and family gathering in a destination that offers good food, good company, and a chance to slow down. The emphasis is on quality time, not on the sheer volume of activities.

The report describes Australians as entering a new age of travel discernment, where every trip is expected to deliver something meaningful. That is a high bar, but it is also a refreshing one. It means that the trip itself has to justify the cost, the time off work, and the effort of getting there. For a pre-wedding celebration, that means the destination and the experience have to be worth the price of admission.

Where the money is going

The trend is not just about the type of trip; it is about how travellers are prioritising their spending. The Skyscanner report found that travellers viewed shared pre-wedding getaways as being more fun, less hassle, more convenient, better for shared friendship groups, and better for quality time. Those are not small distinctions. They reflect a broader shift in how Australians think about value, both in travel and in life more generally.

For couples planning a wedding in 2027, the message is clear: the separate hen and stag do is not dead, but it is no longer the default. The shared trip is becoming the new standard, and it is a better one. It saves money, it saves time, and it creates a more meaningful experience for everyone involved. If you are still planning a separate trip, it might be worth asking yourself whether you are doing it because it is what you want, or because it is what you have always done.