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The stag night is an important part of the run-up to your wedding. It is a celebration of the joyful life change that approaches and a chance to have a big party with your closest friends and relatives.

There are a number of traditions that go with a stag night. Some of these are time-honoured rituals for the celebration of your upcoming nuptials. Others, however, are undesirable or even downright irresponsible, and in short are best avoided.

The Night Before the Wedding

Traditionally a stag night will be held on the groom's "last night of freedom" - meaning the night before the wedding. This isn't really an irresponsible tradition per se, but it is still best avoided. In fact, many people do avoid holding the stag night the night before the wedding these days - they choose the weekend before instead.

The reason this tradition should be avoided is that stag nights tend to go on well into the early hours. They also tend to involve a fair amount of drinking. This means that you are often not in a state the following day that lends itself well to the wedding. A talented Hampshire wedding photographer such as Lemontree photography can work wonders, but there is only so much that can be done for a pale, drawn, miserable-looking groom with bags under his eyes. That's to say nothing of the trouble you might have getting to the church on time.

Strippers

Another stag party tradition is introducing a risque element such as a stripper or lap dancer. This is once again to symbolise the groom's "last night of freedom" - the last night in which he is free to enjoy a stripper before becoming a married man. Similar traditions exist for hen nights too.

But ask yourself this: when is the last time you were considered "free to enjoy a stripper" while engaged? Unless you are completely, 100% sure that your partner will have an open mind about it, eschew this tradition. Otherwise, a happy ceremony may be swiftly followed by the discovery of an indiscreet photo on social media or a casual mention from one of your friends, leading to your very first argument. Unfortunately, as this sort of thing is often organised by the best man, a groom with good intentions may still find himself faced with a naked woman. In this case, try to politely decline the performance, and be sure to explain the truth to your partner at the first appropriate moment before she finds out from someone else.

Excessive Drinking

It's traditional on a stag night to get completely and utterly drunk. This tradition is already fading somewhat, but remains a key part of the familiar stag do.

There is nothing wrong with letting your hair down, having fun and drinking more than you usually would on your stag night. However, you want it to be a night to remember for all the right reasons, so it is best to rein things in a little bit. Vomiting uncontrollably in the street, spending the night in a police cell or waking up naked and handcuffed to a lamppost many miles from home will not make for a good party.