Cultured hens & stags

Get those creative juices flowing at your hen or stag party. Try an arty day out, or soak up a bit of local culture -- at home or abroad...

Text appeal

Poetry and readings are always popular at weddings, so why not get in literary mode at the Hay-on-Wye book festival? Attend writing and poetry workshops and create a collective masterpiece that one lucky individual gets to read out during the wedding ceremony or celebrations (or not, as the case may be).

Red all over

If you are a big fan of paella and tomato, head for the annual Tomatina festival in the Valencia region of Spain. Around 250,000lb of tomatoes gets thrown in what has to be the world's biggest food fight -- and it's usually boys against girls. A big paella-cooking competition also takes place and is good for soaking up excess cava.

Abracadabra

Every marriage needs a bit of magic, and a little hypnosis up your sleeve wouldn't go amiss either. So why not hire a castle, set up a round table, and enjoy an occult weekend. Hire a magician and a hypnotist to teach you the basics and sit back and enjoy as your mates start revealing their innermost secrets and desires while under the spell (or pretend to, anyway...).

Therapeutic oils

Always fancied yourself as that woman in the flake advert who sits in the middle of a poppy field and paints? Then sign up for a short water-colour painting weekend with instruction thrown in, and who knows, you may come up with something that you can give the bride and groom as a wedding present.

A wee dram (or two)

Take the sleeper train to Inverness and wake up in the middle of the Scottish Highlands, home of whisky distilleries. Having canvassed opinion among your group on the best single malt, you can arrange to end your distillery tour and stay over after a meal of traditional Scottish fare.

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