Image by gm photographics. Via Glam Country Wedding
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: buck’s parties are gross.
But slowly but surely we’re seeing a bucking of the trend (pun intended, thank you very much) as grooms-to-be move away from the archaic idiocy of the past. At least, that’s my optimistic perception.
Hopefully, these days when a man is about to get married he sees a buck’s party as an opportunity to celebrate his upcoming marriage with some of his best friends, leaving the stereotypical days of ‘I’m losing my freedom’ behind.
So in the spirit of this new found sensibility, I’ve put my mind towards a few ideas for Buck’s parties which are slightly more refined than the tomfoolery of yesteryear.
Feel free to take a leaf out of these pages and make your mate’s buck’s night one to remember for all the right reasons.
Escape Rooms
Image via Adventure Rooms.
If you’ve been living under a rock, you may have missed the escape room trend slowly taking over dark corners of your hood.
Escape rooms involve being locked in a room with no prior knowledge of what to expect and then being forced to solve a variety of challenges and puzzles to get out of that room. This is all done under a time constraint, of course.
I took the leap at Adventure Rooms Melbourne recently. It’s the perfect battle of wits with your pals combined with genuine laughs.
Head to a comedy show
Taking in a comedy show is a great bonding experience, regardless of who you attend with. If buck’s parties are all about celebrating and making memories, there’s nothing quite like sharing a laugh with some friends. If you find the right venue you can also incorporate dinner and drinks. The best part? It’s not that expensive!
Try Sydney’s Comedy Store or Melbourne’s Comic’s Lounge.
Whisky tasting
Starward whisky is made in Melbourne.
It’s a fair call that involving alcohol in a buck’s party tends to lean towards the debauched days of the past, however, whisky tastings are a far cry from shots and sculling comps. By attending a distillery, you remove the ‘bar’ atmosphere in favour of something much more refined. Learn about the distilling process, refine your pallet and sharpen your nose. It’s classy, sophisticated, and a skill you can keep with you to impress others! I recommend Tassie’s Sullivan’s Cove distillery and Melbourne’s Starward distillery.
Screen your mate’s fave movie
I know what you’re thinking: we can’t just go to the movies, that’s lame. I agree. But what about taking things up a notch. There are a wealth of independent cinemas around the country which will let you screen your own films. Imagine watching Die Hard with all your friends in your own private cinema. If you’ve been tasked with a massive guest list, you might even be able to take over a mainstream cinema – although movie choices would be limited in that case. Sydney’s Golden Age cinema oozes class – it’s been restored to its 1940s glory. In Melbourne, there are venues like Cinema Nova, which will allow you to screen your own film – for the right price, of course.
Cheese tasting
A cheese tasting combines all the best parts of the ‘old’ buck’s traditions and mixes it with new refinery – plus you get cheese! As bespoke bars pop up all over the country, the prevalence of cheese tastings and, even better, dedicated cheese bars, are on the rise! the perfect example is Melbourne’s Milk the Cow – a late night cheese bar which boasts more than 180 different cheeses in a six-metre long cheese cabinet! I’m pretty sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Ms Zigzag says: Ahead of a black tie wedding, I think it makes a lot of sense to throw your mate a refined bucks, and we’re loving Mr Houndstooth’s out-of-the-box suggestions.
About the author Mr Houndstooth: I am a happily married man. I enjoy a fine whisky, a new suit and swashbuckling around town with my beautiful bride. Looking back on my wedding day always makes me smile, even though it began to rain just as I said ‘I do’.
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