Short answer: the best stag and doe games are quick to learn and loud enough to draw a crowd: beer pong, cornhole, giant Jenga, a ring toss, a dance-off and couple trivia. Set up six to eight stations around the hall. A stag and doe (also called a buck and doe or a jack and jill) usually raises money for the couple, so read Ontario's rules on raffles and 50/50 draws, below, before anyone sells a ticket for a draw.
Party games anyone can play
No money on the table, just bragging rights. Give each station a sign and a friend to run it.
- Beer pong (or water pong). Two teams, ten cups a side. Needs a long table, cups, balls and a referee.
- Cornhole. Bean bags at a slanted board: three points through the hole, one on the board. Needs two boards, eight bags and a clear lane.
- Giant Jenga. Pull a block, stack it, don't topple the tower. Needs a giant set and a spot away from the bar, because it will fall.
- Ring toss. Rings over bottle necks. Needs a crate of empties, a dozen rings and a tape line.
- Minute-to-win-it. Stack 30 cups, move a cookie from forehead to mouth, no hands. Needs a timer and a dollar-store box of supplies.
- Couple trivia. Ten questions about the pair: first date, worst road trip, who said “I love you” first. Needs answer sheets and pens on every table.
- The shoe game. The couple sit back to back, each holding one of their own shoes and one of the other's. The host asks “Who's the better driver?” and up go the shoes. Needs a mic and a question list.
- Dance-off or lip-sync battle. Tables pick a song; the crowd's noise picks the winner. Needs a DJ who is in on it.
- Limbo. Funnier every hour. Needs a pole, two volunteers and one song on repeat.
- Photo scavenger hunt. A card on each table listing shots to get: both moms in one frame, the best man mid-dance. Needs printed cards and a photo booth or a few phones.
The classic stag and doe money games
These are what most people picture: a toonie a play and a prize at the end. They are also the games that run into Ontario's lottery rules when a fee, luck and a prize come together, so read the next section before you play any of them for money.
- Toonie toss. Coins tossed at a wall; closest to the wall wins the pile. Needs bare wall and a tape line.
- Crown and anchor. Chips on symbols, three dice decide. Needs a mat, dice and a dealer who can count.
- The big wheel. Pick a number and spin. Needs a prize wheel; halls and party rental shops often have one.
- Higher or lower. The dealer flips a card and the player calls the next. Needs a deck.
- Money board. Guests buy squares on a grid and a draw picks the winner. That is a raffle by any name.
Three more stag and doe ideas
- Silent auction. Donated items with bid sheets: a cottage weekend, a gift basket, a round of golf. Needs clipboards and a firm closing time. Here are prize ideas and how to ask for donations.
- Date-night jar. Guests write a date idea on a craft stick for the couple's first year. Needs sticks, markers and a jar.
- A photo booth. More on that below.
Raffles, 50/50 draws and games of chance: check first
Ontario's lottery licensing offices define a lottery as any event with three parts: a prize, a chance to win it, and a fee to take part. A raffle, a 50/50 draw and a money board all fit, and so can a paid game where luck picks the winner.
The AGCO says you need a licence to run a lottery or raffle, issued by the AGCO or your municipality, and licences are for eligible religious and charitable organizations. Individuals are not eligible. Some municipalities spell it out: the Township of Woolwich lists “Wedding, Stag/Buck ‘n Doe events” among those not eligible for a lottery licence.
So check with your municipality before you run a raffle or a 50/50: call its lottery licensing office and describe exactly what you plan. We rent photo booths; the rules are theirs to explain. Start with the AGCO's charitable gaming lottery licence page.
Stag and doe planning basics
- The hall. Legion halls, community centres, arenas and banquet rooms. Spring and summer Saturdays go first, so book three or four months out and ask what is included: tables, kitchen, bar, cleanup. See halls in St. Catharines and Niagara and in Hamilton.
- Tickets. Sell them ahead through both families and the wedding party; door sales are a bonus. Sort out drinks before you set the price. Our free printable stag and doe tickets come with numbered stubs.
- Drinks. If the hall holds its own liquor licence and runs the bar, ask them how it works. If not, the AGCO lists stag and does as private events that need a special occasion permit. Under that permit, drink money can only cover the cost of the alcohol, a fee to get in counts as an indirect sale, and to advertise, raise money or make money from the event the AGCO says you need a public event permit instead. Read its private event permit page.
- Food. The Ontario classic is a late lunch around 10:30: buns, cold cuts, cheese, pickles. Cheap, and it keeps people at the party another hour.
- Timeline. Book the hall three or four months out, start selling tickets six to eight weeks out, collect auction donations and make signs two weeks out. On the night: doors at 7 or 8, games until the late lunch, dancing after.
A photo booth at a stag and doe
There is nothing to win and nothing to pay at the booth. Guests walk up between games, grab a prop and leave with a strip or a text, both carrying the couple's names and the wedding date. Every print on a fridge is a save-the-date.
A self-serve booth suits a hall party: we drop it off and test it before the doors open, and it runs on its own until 11pm, with free delivery anywhere from Mississauga to Fort Erie. Snap is $449; Snap & Print ($549) adds unlimited prints, 12 backdrops and props. See stag and doe photo booths and pricing, stock up on props guests actually use, read how to get guests into the booth, then check your date.
Quick answers
What is the difference between a stag and doe, a buck and doe and a jack and jill?
Only the name. All three are the same pre-wedding party, popular across Ontario, where friends and family buy tickets, play games and help the couple put something toward the wedding. See what a stag and doe is.
Can we run a 50/50 draw at our stag and doe?
Ask your municipality first. A 50/50 is a raffle, the AGCO says a lottery or raffle needs a licence, and licences go to eligible charitable and religious organizations, not individuals. Start with the AGCO's lottery licence page.
How long before the wedding should we hold it?
Most couples pick a Saturday two to four months out: close enough that people are excited, early enough that the money helps with deposits.
Can the photo booth stay until 1am?
Yes. It runs until 11pm as standard, and late hours are $50 per hour, up to 1am, booked ahead.
Still have a question? See the photo booth FAQ, or browse booths for birthdays, proms and parties.