The Scottish city that is more expensive than Amsterdam for stag and hen dos
A Scottish city has been ranked among the costliest stag and hen party locations in the UK, with guests paying eye-watering sums that rival the cost of the wedding itself.
A new report from wedding planning platform Bridebook reveals that attending a hen party in the Scottish capital can cost an average of £1,467 over a typical Friday-to-Monday trip. This puts Edinburgh in third place within the UK and eighth overall across Europe. Only London and Oxford ranked higher domestically.
The study factored in accommodation, travel, food, drink, and activities. In Edinburgh, the biggest expense comes from accommodation, averaging £648 for a long weekend.
Luxuries such as spa days (£200), hefty taxi fares (£235), and alcohol (£264) quickly drive costs up. For many guests, this means parting with nearly four per cent of their annual salary to attend a single pre-wedding celebration.
Shockingly, the capital even outranks popular European hotspots such as Amsterdam and Mallorca, where flights are included in the costs.
For stag parties, Edinburgh is scarcely cheaper. A three-night stay averages £1,248, making it the third priciest city in the UK and again eighth overall.
Accommodation (£648) and transport (£235) remain the biggest drains, though cheaper activities, such as go-karting (£47), and slightly lower alcohol spending (£198) prevent the totals from matching the hen party costs.
Friends of the groom still face parting with over three percent of their annual income to celebrate. Even Dublin, long considered a notoriously pricey stag and hen destination, comes in lower than Edinburgh.
A weekend in the Irish capital averages £528 for accommodation, £218 for alcohol and £38 for flights, leaving it lagging behind Scotland's capital despite the added cost of travel.
Hamish Shephard, founder of Bridebook, said the financial burden of pre-wedding events is becoming a serious concern for guests.
'For guests, hen and stag dos are often as big a financial commitment as the wedding itself, with many facing substantial costs just to attend.
"With travel, accommodation and activities often falling on the wedding party, it's no wonder that some are spending nearly as much as the couple themselves!'
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Shephard added that couples should be mindful of how much is being asked of friends and family when planning extravagant celebrations at home or abroad.
'It's important to remember that while weddings, including pre-wedding parties, are of course a celebration of love and friendship, couples should be mindful of the financial strain these events can place on their closest friends.
"Clear communication and advance planning can help ensure guests aren't left feeling stretched by the cost of attending these celebrations, especially in overseas and urban locations.'
Bridebook's 2025 Wedding Report also revealed that nearly half of stag and hen parties cover the cost for the bride or groom, yet guests are still left facing staggering bills that often run into the thousands.
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