Future grooms – looking for some first-hand advice on how to make sure your wedding day is both smooth sailing and effortlessly enjoyable?
We’ve collated some of the best wedding tips from the grooms we’ve met at the hundreds of weddings hosted by our Dine team over the years. From pre wedding advice, to tips for the day itself – read the ultimate guide for grooms to be!
Before the big day arrives, here are 8 important things to consider!
Some grooms think that taking a laid back approach, i.e. letting their other half make the majority of the decisions for their wedding, is the best way to avoid wedding planning stress.
The reality? Your fiancée will probably take your easy-going attitude as a lack of interest in your big day, which won’t go down so well. Even if you don’t really care what the napkins look like at your wedding breakfast, try to feign some interest and include yourself to avoid any meltdowns.
Kian, 32 told us “I really just wanted my fiancée to have the wedding of her dreams, so I decided to leave all the decisions on flowers, colours and so on up to her. After a few months she told me she felt I didn’t really care about the wedding at all. We sat down and divided up the day into areas she would take the lead on, and areas I would do the research- and then we made the final decisions together”
A best man isn’t just the person who can organise the best stag do. Your best man needs to be able to step up and help you keep organised – from organising the little details to dealing with any disasters that strike on the day.
As Felipe, 28, put it:
“Make sure your groomsman is reliable! I’d been friends with my best man for almost 20 years before my wedding. He was always the one who got our friend group together and organised the best trips. But when it came to the wedding, not only was he late but he was pretty uninterested in helping with some of the more boring details of wedding planning.”
If your partner does want to take more of a lead in planning the wedding, then it’s a good idea to check in with them regularly (and not just when they ask you for advice!).
Each week, make a point of asking how’s it going? How are you? It can go a long way to show you care and appreciate the extra effort they’re putting in.
Even if you think you have your wedding speech nailed, it doesn’t hurt to have a second opinion and to practise reading it aloud, to make sure it flows properly. It’s one of the most important speeches you’ll make, after all! Plus, on the day itself emotions can be overwhelming- you don’t want to make your speech up on the hoof when you’re struggling to put two words together!
Your groomsmen may even have some additional points to add, to take it from a 4 to a 5 star speech.
Ross, 29 said “I do lots of presentations at work, so I thought I had the speech nailed, But on the day, it was so much harder- looking at my new husband, at all our friends and family- I was holding back the tears! Although everyone said it was a great speech, I just wish I’d run through it a few more times so that I was more on top of what I was going to say.”
Now is not the time for a style or haircut overhaul. Don’t be tempted to get a shorter or very different haircut than usual, just before your wedding day. You might hate it, but those photos will last forever and will be proudly placed across the living rooms of both your parents houses.
If you do want a change, test it out at least a month before to give you time to change your mind.
Michael, 30: “I had shoulder length hair until 3 days before my wedding when I decided to go shorter. What a mistake! The hairdresser accidentally shaved too far and then I had to go for a number 1 all over to even it out. It didn’t suit me and I felt self conscious all day!”
It’s usually hard to completely avoid experiencing any wedding stress – it is a lot of money and planning after all.
One way to make the lead up less stressful is to make time for each other to do non-wedding related things. From a picnic to a night away – be sure to add plenty of romantic moments before your big day so you remember why you’re getting married, and can take any stress thrown at you.
Before the big day, think about what photos you’d like to get. From specific family shots to fun moments with your groomsmen – give a list to your photographer in advance so you get the best out of your wedding day photography.
Don’t be tempted to go too crazy the night before your wedding. Your other half will notice if you’re looking sleepy by the time food is served, not to mention the photos won’t lie!
Prioritise getting a good night’s sleep and a clear head, if you really want to enjoy your wedding day.
What about on the day? Here are 8 useful tips to get you through!
Win extra husband-to-be points before the day even begins!
Ahead of your wedding day, create a romantic video message or poem for your other half, and arrange for someone from their bridal party show it to them as soon as they wake up. A wonderful way to calm the nerves and remind them why they’re marrying you!
George, 40: “I sent my partner a video message on the morning of our wedding as I knew she’d be a bag of nerves like me. The first thing she said to me when we saw each other at the church was how much she loved it!”.
Even if you’re not one for keeping to schedules, if there’s any day to do so, then it’s on your wedding day.
Ahead of the day, make a plan for the entire morning. From what time you’ll set your alarm, when people are arriving, what you’re having for breakfast, transport… everything!
This helps you focus on enjoying the special moments and will make getting to the venue on time seamless. And make sure you build in some breathing space- for contingency and also in case you need a few moments to take a breather!
Speaking of mornings, weddings usually kick off around lunch time, meaning you’ll won’t be greeted by a plate of food until late afternoon – so make sure you stock up on a hearty breakfast if you don’t want to disrupt the vows with a rumbling belly!
Consider making it an occasion with your groomsmen, ordering in, or even going out for breakfast to your favourite place.
Gary, 33 says: “One thing I regret from my wedding day was missing breakfast. By the time our wedding reception started I was already ravenous (and feeling pretty hangry!). Even then I didn’t get a chance to eat much when food was served as I was busy speaking to guests.”
If you’re feeling nervous about the big day, then help shake it off with some exercise. Before you start getting ready, go for a jog, visit the gym or even play a game of football outside with your groomsmen. At Howsham Hall, the billiard room is a popular room for grooms to be to hang out with their groom crew before the ceremony.
Neil 48, says: “The morning of my wedding I went for a long run. It really helped to clear my head and reduce some of my nerves for the day ahead. Would definitely recommend it!”
With such a life changing event ahead of you, take 10 minutes to meditate or write down your thoughts about the day and what you’re most looking forward to. It’s something you can look back on and even share with your partner in the future.
Before you set off to start the ceremony, organise for your groomsmen to get together and do a toast with some special whisky or drink of choice. This is an ideal opportunity to hand out any groomsmen gifts too, if you’re choosing to do this. The bar at Rise Hall is a great place for a pre-ceremony get together.
It can be easy to get so caught up with loved ones during your wedding that you don’t spend much time together as a couple – but the day really is about the two of you after all!
Ask groomsmen and bridesmaids to help whisk you off several times throughout the day so you can have some alone time to take it all in.
Pavel, 34 says “We were so busy with family and friends we felt like we’d hardly spent any time together! Fortunately our Event Manager pulled us to one side and put us into a private room for quarter of an hour with some bubbly- it was great to just be together for a few moments”
Don’t sweat the small stuff. No wedding goes 100% to plan, so expect some mishaps to avoid disappointment. Once you do, you’ll enjoy the day a lot more!
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