Cost of hen and stag events soar

Barcelona is a popular destination for weekend pre-wedding revels

Many now dread the invites, and it's not surprising - hen and stag events are now costing Britons £532m a year.

A few Babychams have now been replaced by full-on nights out or weekends away in increasingly exotic destinations.

The average stag or hen night will now set back friends £90 a time, rising to £365 for a weekend extravaganza.

The survey of 2,000 people by Morgan Stanley found men spend twice as much as women on drink and food at the events - £112, compared to £62.

One last fling?

It has been estimated that this year more than 3.3 million Britons will be donning 'L' plates or slogan t-shirts to indulge themselves in their final hours of "singledom".

A third of these partygoers will be in their twenties.

The modern day hen and stag experience has evolved into an extravagant, and often costly affair Patrick Muir of Morgan Stanley's Consumer Banking Group

But older Brits will also be sharing in the frivolity: more than one in ten hen and stag attendees will be in their fifties.

The research found that Prague comes top for pints to the pound, when compared to other popular destinations of Amsterdam, Barcelona and Budapest.

Hens and stags in Prague will pay 46p for a pint in one of the city's bars, whilst a glass of wine will cost 72p.

Amsterdam was most expensive for a pint at £2.50 and glass of wine was £1.54.

"It seems that the days of saying goodbye to single life over a couple of beers in the local pub may have come to an end," said Patrick Muir of Morgan Stanley's Consumer Banking Group.

"The modern day hen and stag experience has evolved into an extravagant, and often costly affair."