While we don’t proclaim to be the foremost experts on UK stag weekends (we defer to our brethren Staggered from across the pond for that)… we do recognize cool shit when we see it. Release Travel definitely falls under that category.

Release  Travel has been setting up the biggest and best stag weekends in the UK since their formation in 1999. We first heard about Release from a groom that wrote us after hiring Release for their Stag Weekends London service. One line in that groom’s message still stands out to this day:

I’ve no doubt I’ll be using Release Travel to book the stag weekend the next time I get hitched.

Over 33,000 customers booked their stag and hen weekends through Release Travel. Powered by tremendous growth, quality reputation and a brand new website they’re making 2010 even better. There is no better destination in the UK for stag weekends Brighton, stag weekends Newcastle and stag weekends Bristol than Release.

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release travel is a sponsor of the man registry’s groomsadvice blog

We can’t say we blame the bride if she’s not into the concept of strippers at her groom’s bachelor party. The Best Man should always keep in mind that it’s important to respect her feelings on the issue by not telling her skipping the strip club portion of the stag night if she’s against it. HOWEVER, that doesn’t necessarily have to mean that bouncing boobs can’t be a part of the fun on the big night. We’ve discovered a new company that is marketing a series of gag gifts with bachelor parties in mind. We’re of course talking about Bobblebabes.com.

Bobble Babes offers gag and novelty style gifts that are ideal for presenting to the groom at the bachelor party. These aren’t your typical bobble-head items in that it’s not the head of the doll that’s bobbing… it’s the chest (see what we mean when we call them an alternative to the strip club).

Offering beer can koozies, hats and golf club covers, Bobble Babes runs the gamut for bachelor party novelty items. We also think they’d be a hit at your next BBQ, tailgate party or weekend trip to the lake. Head on over to the official Bobble Babes store to check our their complete product line now.

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Also, don’t forget to keep track of Bobble Babes news by liking them on Facebook and following them on Twitter.

disclosure: bobblebabes is a sponsor of the man registry’s groomsadvice blog

DO: Remember to Have Fun

From the moment he pops the question, there’s one thing groom-to-be thinks about more than anything else – the bachelor party. This isn’t a new phenomenon either, as bachelor parties are rooted in ancient history. Many believe that the Spartans were the first to hold bachelor parties as a celebration of the groom’s last night as a single man. This celebration included dinner and drinks with many a toast given in the grooms honor. The term bachelor itself, used as we do today, first appeared courtesy of Geoffrey Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales in the 14th century.

Bachelor parties have come a long way since then, and more importantly, they’ve become much more creative. Unfortunately, they’ve also tended to get more out of hand as well. In more recent times, bachelor party debauchery has even contributed to numerous celebrity break-ups. Paris Hilton, Mario Lopez and Ali Landry have all had relationships affected by the grooms last night out.

From fancy five-star dinners to a weekend in Vegas, there are many different ways to throw a bachelor party. But regardless of your party preference, there are some basic tips and advice worth following. These bachelor party dos and don’ts can make or break the celebration – and even the groom if you’re not careful.

1. Don’t let the groom pay
No matter how generous he is, the groom shouldn’t have to pay for anything during his bachelor party. It’s his last night out as one of the guys, so take care of him. Certain exceptions can be made, especially if the celebration spans a weekend or longer. But make sure to cover him when it counts – after all, it’s his celebration, right?

2. Do something different.
If your group always hangs out at the same bar or goes to the same restaurant or club, don’t go back to that place for the bachelor party. Take the groom somewhere different – hopefully somewhere nicer too. Whether he’ll admit it or not, this is a big deal for him, so do something special. Go all out, that way there are no regrets when he looks back on the night 10 years from now.

3. Don’t let yourself get tired
This is particularly important for weekend excursions or trips to Vegas. No, we’re not talking about doing anything illegal here, but some real simple things can help make sure everyone’s energetic and enjoying the party. Sleep can be hard to come by on a bachelor party weekend, so know where to find a good cup of coffee if you’re on an overnight trip. Better yet, bring one of your own coffee makers along with you. This can save you some serious money too – Starbucks gets expensive!

4. Do some advance planning
As great as it made the plot of The Hangover, don’t try to hold a bachelor party any closer than three days before the wedding. There’s just too much that can go wrong. Trust me – the bride and her family will thank you. Be sure to start planning early, as well, especially if there are a number of guys traveling for the occasion.

5. Don’t let the groom do anything he’ll regret
He’s still engaged, after all, so don’t let him get too out of control. It’s the best man’s job to make sure the groom behaves, which is actually the second most important thing he has to do – other than plan the bachelor party. Everyone else is on his own, just make sure to keep an eye on the groom. If Mario Lopez can get caught, then there’s no reason to expect that he won’t.

6. Do remember to have fun
Despite all the excitement and planning going into the bachelor party celebration, the most important thing is to just have fun. At the end of the day, it’s all your friends together celebrating an important moment in the groom’s life. Don’t lose sight of that amongst all the other craziness that may or may not be going on. And remember that at the end of the day, it’s not where you are or what you’ll do that matters – it’s who you’re with that really counts.

Mike Tennant is a freelance writer and columnist from Orange County, CA. Mike currently works with Air & Water Inc., where he helps newlyweds pick out their first wine cooler and tries to make other home appliance shopping exciting.

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We want to hear from you. What other do’s and don’ts do you have for throwing a memorable bachelor party? Let us know in the comments section below.

To help ensure that you can (healthily) drink yourself stupid at your bachelor party, we’ve teamed up with our new friends over at Drinkwel. Drinkwel is a new multivitamin supplement specifically formulated for people that drink alcohol. The product will help you prevent hangovers, replenish nutrients, and support against long-term negative effects of drinking. In other words, it’s a free pass to get bombed without a guilty conscious. Read more details on Drinkwel here.

Many of our readers are either grooms or Best Men that are actively planning a bachelor party. To help you guys out, we’re giving away THREE bottles of Drinkwel. To enter the giveaway, you simply must answer one question. What is your top hangover cure?

You can enter by leaving a comment below, “liking” us on Facebook and posting a comment with your cure or following us on Twitter and sending us a tweet with your cure.

We’ll randomly select three winners tomorrow (Tuesday July 13th) at 5:00pm PDT.

Drinkwel

Here’s the dilemma – you want a kick-ass, memorable bachelor party, but you’re worried that the Best Man hasn’t the slightest clue about planning a stag night. If only there was a comprehensive book full of ideas, games, gag gifts and stripper etiquette tips that could help him put together a stag night to end all stag nights. If only you could buy this book and give it to your Best Man. If only I was about to introduce you to ‘Stag Night’ by Christopher Measom….

Stag Night by Christopher Measom

‘Stag Night: A Bachelor’s Last Night of Freedom’ is a 176 page behemoth of a bachelor party planning guide. This baby runs the spectrum of the bachelor party planning experience from the history of stag nights to destination party planning to alibi creation. There’s even a section all about bachelor party tales. Hey, there’s no better way to avoid your own failure than reading about other people’s.

I sat down with a beer the other day to pound through this thing. I’m honestly not kidding when I say it was one of the most enlightening Saturday afternoons I’ve had in awhile. It wasn’t easy narrowing down my favorite excerpts to three, but here they are:

Zorbing

Zorbing – Have you heard of zorbing? I sure as hell hadn’t before I read about it in ‘Stag Night.’ To quote from the book, “zorbing is the practice of humans traveling in a sphere, generally made of transparent plastic, usually for fun.” Basically, as a bachelor party activity, you and your friends get put into giant plastic balls and get pushed down really big hills. Sign me the hell up!

Gags

Classic Gags – The book encourages  the use of gag gifts. We wouldn’t have it any other way. One idea that is suggested is putting the groom in a giant sperm costume for the night.

Drink Recipes

Stag Drinks – This is an area of the book that I can really get behind. In an effort to be an honest critic I prepared a martini based on the recipe from the book. Four martinis later, I was satisfied they had it down. Drink on!

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You can purchase ‘Stag Night’ for the shockingly low price of  $9.97 RIGHT NOW by clicking here.

AND

In honor of the kickoff to wedding bachelor party season, we’re giving away one copy of ‘Stag Night’ to a lucky reader. To qualify for the drawing, simply leave a comment  below. We’ll randomly select the winner at 5:00 PDT on Friday June 4 2010.