Stag and Doe 101: Throw a Wedding Fundraiser Your Friends Actually Enjoy
What a stag and doe is, how much you can realistically raise, and how to run raffles and ticket sales online without a cash box.
If you're getting married in Ontario or anywhere the tradition has spread, you already know: a stag and doe (also called a buck and doe or Jack and Jill) is a pre-wedding party where friends buy tickets, play games, and help the couple fund the big day. Done well, it's a great party that happens to raise a few thousand dollars. Done badly, it's a cash grab with warm beer. Here's how to land on the right side of that line.
The honest math
A typical hall holds 100 to 200 people. With $15 to $20 tickets, a raffle, and simple games, couples commonly net $2,000 to $6,000 after hall rental and supplies. The biggest variable isn't ticket price; it's how many people actually show up. Sell tickets online, in advance, so you know your numbers a week out.
What makes it fun instead of grim
- One or two great games beat six mediocre ones. Crown and anchor and a toonie toss carry the night.
- A raffle with a few prizes people genuinely want (a cooler of craft beer, a smoker, a weekend cabin stay) outsells twenty gift baskets.
- Music loud enough to dance to, quiet enough to talk over near the bar.
- Food at midnight. Nothing fancy; pizza disappears fastest.
Run the money online, not in a shoebox
The traditional stag and doe runs on cash floats, paper tickets, and someone's uncle guarding a lockbox. You can skip all of it. With Vowesta's raffle tools, guests buy raffle tickets online through Stripe, entries are tracked automatically, and the winner draw is one click and provably random. No reconciling crumpled fives at 2am, and out-of-town friends who can't attend can still buy in.
Keep it legal
Raffles are regulated in most provinces and states, and rules differ for private events versus public ones. Check your municipality's licensing requirements before selling raffle tickets, especially if you advertise publicly. It's usually a simple form and a small fee, and it keeps the night stress-free.
The one rule
Invite people because you want them at a party, not because you want their twenty dollars. Say thank you from the mic, dance with your grandmother, and let the fundraising be a side effect of a good night.