When it comes to Weddings, the attention is almost ALWAYS centered around the Bride. This post will solely focus on the GROOMS! Fellas, get in here! If you are clueless about what to do and what not to do while prepping for the wedding of your dreams, then you are in the right place! (Visuals are from real Astonishing Weddings)
So you’ve bought the ring, popped the question, helped select the venue, attended the tastings, and selected your tux. So that means you’re all done, right? Well not exactly!
It’s finally the day of your wedding and you’re in the room with your groomsmen with no clue what to do. On the other-hand your fiancé and her Bridesmaids have the entire morning planned out from hair/makeup to helping the bride into her dress. With that being said, we would like to get the guys up to speed. Below you will find our top 10 wedding day tips to help Grooms prepare for their wedding day without a hitch.
1. Eat/Drink: We cannot emphasize how important breakfast/ lunch is the day of your wedding. Wedding days are very LONG! Whether your wedding is a mid-morning celebration or an evening affair into the wee hours of the night, you’ll need adequate fuel to get you through it. In addition to breakfast hydrating is a MUST. If you have plans to run to that open bar that you spent thousands of dollars on as soon as you are done with photos during cocktail hour then replenishing your system with water earlier in the day should be essential.
2. Time Management: Although weddings days are long, time will pass you by in the blink of an eye. It is crucial that you keep track of time in order to make it to the altar on time. Your wedding planner/coordinator put so much time into creating a detailed timeline for the day that it is imperative to stay on track. You wouldn’t want your first dance with your new wife cut short right? One hiccup can cause a major set back. If you are the type who lets time get away from you, it may be best to assign a Groomsmen to be the time keeper for the day.
3. Clean Room: We’re not saying that guys naturally keep a dirty space. We’re saying that a clean room makes for great photos and space for your photographer and planner to mauever without any stumbles. Typically the room that the Groom and Groomsmen are getting dressed in will be the same room that the Groom slept in the previous night. If this is the case then the first thing on the to do list after after getting a good night’s rest should be to request for room service to come tidy up. This includes making the bed and throwing away any trash.
4. Help your Photographer: When your photographer arrives he/she will be ready to start shooting immediately. If you and your Groomsmen are still getting dressed then you can help them out by giving them something to shoot in the interim. We always encourage our Grooms to lay out their accessories. These accessories can include your watch, cologne, bow-tie/tie, belt, vow book, cuff links, or even gifts to your groomsmen. It may sound a little cheesy, but trust us.. it makes for good photos.
5. Be ready for direction: Although you may have a time keeper, the photographer will typically walk you throughout the morning with additional guidance from your planner or coordinator. Be prepared to accept direction from the photographer on the fly. There will be various locations that the photographer may utilize inside of the hotel and outside so just relax and go with the flow.
6. Spoil her: On the day of the wedding we encourage the Bride and Groom not to communicate with one another prior to the ceremony. This makes the anticipation for seeing one another so much greater. Instead of calling or texting your soon to be Wife we suggest that you write her a thoughtful letter. Your planner/coordinator can deliver it to her the morning of the wedding. If you are really full of surprises you can include a gift. This will be a nice touch and will give her another reason to look forward to seeing you.
7. Keep your guys in check: On the day of the wedding your Groomsmen will be in the same room with you getting dressed. It’s important that you verify that everyone has all of their accessories and shoes for the wedding. Although the room may be tight (we know how guys love their personal space) we suggest that you keep your guys together so that everyone can remain on the same schedule and will be ready to leave when it’s time. Additionally, we ask that you share some key advice with them such as silencing their phones, emptying their pockets for photos, and making sure they take it easy on the alcohol prior to the ceremony.
8. Unplug: Not only should the Groom silence his phone, but he should also consider unplugging for the day. Everyone who’s important should be in attendance and will respect that you aren’t accepting calls. We don’t like for the groom to receive any type of bad news on the big day so we encourage them to designate a Groomsmen to accept all calls on his behalf so that he can screen what’s important and what isn’t.
9. First Look: A “first look” is when a couple sees each other on their wedding day before the wedding ceremony. It is a private moment for the couple, away from the eyes of family and friends. Although this will most likely be determined prior to the day of the wedding, we encourage the grooms to be on board if it asked of your fiancé. The first look usually eliminates jitters at the altar. It also makes for great photos for the couple and the bridal party. If the bridal party photos are captured during the first look then this leaves more time for the couple to have additional portraits by themselves and with family members during cocktail hour.
10. Last but not least, Be patient: There will be times when things do no go according to plan. For instance, the Bride and Bridesmaids may be running a little behind due to an unforeseen circumstance. This will be the perfect time to share some words of gratitude with your groomsmen and to let them know how much you appreciate them.
Astonishing Bonus Tip: If you and your fiancé have agreed that her suite will be the suite that you all will return to after the wedding reception then you should pack an overnight bag. The overnight bag should be given to your soon to be wife the day of the rehearsal or sent over the morning of the wedding. If you are checking out of your suite the morning of the wedding then you can designate a Groomsmen to hold your other belongings (preferably in his suite if he’s staying an additional night ) until the following day.
