The Top 10 stag and hen cities

Grooms-to-be are spending nearly £200 a head on lengthy stag parties abroad, despite the financial gloom, while their brides-to-be are cutting back. According to research released today, 74 per cent of men hold pre-wedding celebrations lasting more than one day, and 32 per cent hold them abroad. The figures from Hotels.com and Wedding Ideas magazine found that stag parties spread over a weekend or longer and cost participants £179 each, while two thirds of hen parties now last just one day, costing £118 a head. The most popular destinations for the men are in Europe, with Prague, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Tallinn the most visited by British stags, although London was still number one. Jo Smith, a solicitor from London is getting married in December, with a hen party planned for her home town of Liverpool, while her husband-to-be is holding a three-day stag party in Kiev. "It would never have crossed my mind to go abroad because some of my closest friends couldn't afford it and I probably wouldn't enjoy it as I would be worried about how much they were spending," she said. "I think, in general, blokes don't worry about money as much as girls and are a lot happier spending what they don't have." The most popular hen destinations are London, Brighton, Edinburgh, Devon, Cornwall and Bath, with Barcelona the only foreign city in the top ten. Rachel Moschke, editor of Wedding Ideas said: "... brides are becoming increasingly conscious of what they ask their friends and family to pay for. The hen do is one area where brides feel like they need to keep their eye on the budget and are celebrating in the UK so there is more in the kitty for their big day."

Most popular stag/hen destinations

Stags: 1) London, 2) Prague, 3) Amsterdam, 4) Brighton, 5) Barcelona, 6) Leeds, 7) Edinburgh, 8) Tallinn, 9) Liverpool, 10) Newcastle

Hens: 1) London, 2) Brighton, 3) Edinburgh, 4) Devon/Cornwall, 5) Bath, 6) Cotswolds, 7) Lake District, 8) Barcelona, 9) Liverpool, 10) Newcastle