Edinburgh is one of the UK’s most popular destinations for hen parties and stag dos. With its stunning architecture, legendary nightlife, wealth of activities, and unique character, the city attracts celebration groups from across the country year-round. And for most of these groups, custom printed t-shirts have become an essential part of the occasion, not just a novelty, but a genuine centrepiece of the celebration’s identity.
At Crescent Print, we produce hen party and stag do t-shirts for groups visiting and based in Edinburgh every week. Here’s everything you need to know to get yours right.
Why Custom Hen and Stag T-Shirts Work
There’s a reason this tradition has become so widespread. Custom garments for celebration groups serve multiple purposes simultaneously:
Instant group identity: In a busy Edinburgh venue or street, a group in matching shirts is immediately recognisable as a celebration group. It signals that something special is happening and creates an immediate shared identity.
Practical safety and organisation: For large groups in busy environments, matching garments make it easy to spot your group members and ensure no one gets separated.
Personalisation and inside jokes: The best hen and stag t-shirts reference something private and meaningful about the group or the occasion. A design that makes perfect sense to the group but mystifies everyone else is peak personalisation.
Lasting memento: A well-designed shirt from a memorable occasion becomes a keepsake. Even years later, it’s a physical reminder of a great time.
Photo opportunities: Matching shirts create brilliant photo content, whether you’re capturing the memory for yourselves or sharing it socially.
Design Ideas for Hen and Stag T-Shirts
The design is where you can really have fun. Some popular approaches:
The classic “team” format: Names on the back, sometimes with a role (the Bride, the Maid of Honour, the One Who Cries at Everything). Simple but effective , these designs are classics for a reason.
A shared joke or memory: Something that the group will immediately recognise and find hilarious, but that makes no sense to the outside world. The more specific, the better.
Matching theme: Does the group have a shared theme for the event? A decade (70s, 80s, 90s disco), a movie, a colour scheme? The t-shirt can reflect and reinforce the theme.
The couple’s design: A design that celebrates the couple getting married , a caricature, their names and date, a favourite quote or shared reference. Particularly popular for hen groups who want to centre the bride.
Destination design: An Edinburgh-themed design that marks the location as well as the occasion. A stylised Edinburgh skyline, the castle, a famous local reference. These work especially well as a souvenir of the destination.
Ordering Tips for Hen and Stag Groups
Getting your group order right requires a little more coordination than a standard order, but it’s very manageable with good planning:
Collect sizes early: This is the most common source of delay and stress in group orders. As soon as the event is confirmed, collect size information from every member of the group. People’s sizes are personal , it’s better to ask directly and privately than to guess or estimate.
Decide on personalisation: Are all the shirts identical, or does each person get their name (and possibly a role or title)? This affects both design and printing method. Identical shirts with no personalisation are simpler and quicker to produce. Individual names require either a more flexible printing method (DTG or heat transfer) or additional setup time for personalised printing.
Set a clear brief: Give us as much information as possible about what you want. Colours, design elements, text, names, roles , the clearer your brief, the better the result. Vague briefs lead to back-and-forth and slower turnaround.
Order with margin: Order two or three extra shirts if possible, particularly in common sizes. Having a spare is far less stressful than running out.
Consider the garment type: T-shirts are the classic choice, but matching hoodies, vests, or sashes are also popular options for specific occasions or climates.
Turnaround Time for Group Orders
Standard turnaround for a hen or stag group order is typically three to five working days once artwork is confirmed. For groups visiting Edinburgh from elsewhere, this usually means ordering in advance of the trip and either arranging delivery or collecting from our Edinburgh shop upon arrival.
Same-day and next-day options are available for urgent orders, though these are best suited to simpler designs without extensive individual personalisation. If you find yourself needing t-shirts urgently for a group event, call us directly and we’ll do everything we can.
Typical Group Sizes and Pricing
Hen and stag groups typically range from six to twenty people, which puts them in a range where DTG printing is often the most appropriate method , particularly if each shirt has an individual name. For groups where all shirts are identical (same design, no individual personalisation), screen printing becomes competitive from around fifteen to twenty garments upwards.
We’re happy to price both options so you can make an informed decision based on your priorities.
Getting Started
Contact Crescent Print or visit our Edinburgh shop to discuss your hen or stag t-shirt order. Tell us about your group, your event, your design ideas, and your deadline, and we’ll take it from there. We love working on celebration group orders , they’re some of the most fun projects we do.
