How The Groom Can Help Plan the Wedding

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When it comes to wedding planning, the stress on brides can be overwhelming BUT it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of details the groom can assist with, especially if he’d like to be hands-on and involved in the process from start to finish.

1. Picking his groomsmen
The wedding day is just as much about the groom and his friends and family as it is the bride. This means that he should be in charge of deciding who he wants standing by his side on the big day. With that said, naturally, the groom is in charge of actually asking his friends to be groomsmen in your wedding. After all, his people are the ones that are going to help him accomplish everything on his list. From coordinating schedules for tux fittings, and even lending a hand in bachelor party planning, there is much to be done. When it comes down to it, the bride should not have to worry about anything groomsmen related because the groom should have it covered!

2. Testing his tux
While the bride will probably want to make sure that the groom is picking the appropriate colour and style, he should take initiative to go and try on different tuxedos well in advance. This may end up being a decision that you make together, but taking the initiative beforehand will ease a lot of stress. That way the groom knows what he’s comfortable in, and that can hopefully narrow down the choices when it comes to having to make a decision.

3. Styling his hair
You may think that there isn’t a lot that goes into deciding a hairstyle for the groom, but think again! While grooms typically have less hair to deal with, any mishaps are likely to be more noticeable. Grooms should take it upon themselves to try different styles well in advance of the big day. It is essential to use the exact products he plans to use on the day so that he can closely monitor how his hair reacts. That way he will be able to tell if they hold his hair where he needs it to stay. Not only that, he should look closely to see if his skin has any type of unexpected reaction. When it comes to shaving, he should take the same approach and use a fresh razor and trusted products well before the wedding day. That way the groom will be confident that his skin won’t have any reaction on the day of the wedding. This is arguably the more important test run given the fact that his face is quite literally the focus of the day (and in the pictures and videos that will live on for years to come.)

4. Thank you gifts for his groomsmen
If you’ve ever been in a wedding party, you know how much work goes into being a part of the big day. The groomsmen are in charge of making the bachelor party something to remember. More importantly, they’re tasked with keeping the groom as calm as can be throughout the entire process. That’s no easy feat! He can give thanks by giving his groomsmen gifts they can use well after your day is over. A practical idea would be to pick out something they love and make it personal with engraving. You can choose from flasks, mugs, jewelry or keychains to say thanks to these guys.

How to be the best Best Man

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Being given the title of Best Man means you have responsibilities from the second you receive the honour til after “I do.” Your part in helping the groom during all the different phases of the wedding will get him through one of the most stressful, yet wonderful, times of his life. Both before and after the ceremony, there are plenty of ways you can support your friend and help facilitate a positive wedding experience for him and everyone involved.

Check in on the groom’s well-being throughout the process
The weight of deadlines, tension from balancing a wedding budget, and exhaustion that comes with planning can surface as symptoms anywhere from headaches to hair loss. Check in on the groom’s health throughout the process and advise him to seek professional help in the form of remedies for chronic pain or prescribed hair loss treatments when he won’t seek help himself. As the best man, you have the responsibility of lightening the load of wedding planning in any way you can, so step up when times get tough and put the groom’s health first when he neglects to.

Make sure the groom brings along the necessities
The groom will undoubtedly have a ton of things he has to remember on the morning of the wedding. It’s likely that he’s already nervous about the ceremony, so chances are he’ll need you to help him remember anything he might overlook amidst the day’s chaos. Talk to the bride, create a list of things the groom cannot forget and check them off as the day goes on. Keep in mind that whether or not you remember critical items like rings or vows can make or break the entire experience, so be sure you have them with your wedding checklist.

Write the perfect speech
If you’re one of the many people who cringe at the thought of standing in front of a huge audience and delivering a speech, you’ll need all the help you can get in making sure that the speech is up to par. The finest best man speech will entertain your guests with a good balance of seriousness accompanied by a little bit of humour. Incorporate some funny stories or marriage advice, and always remember to thank the couple for making you an important part of their big day.

Keep the groomsmen under control
One thing the groom shouldn’t have to worry about on the big day is the groomsmen. Your job as best man is to ensure that each of the men are fully aware of where they need to be and when. They should know what to do, what they’re wearing and should have perfected their roles as groomsmen for the ceremony and beyond. Though it is always fun to hang around with the boys, things can get crazy when friends get together, so make sure you keep the group contained and collected.

Choose a meaningful gift
Though you’re helping in various different aspects of planning the wedding, you can’t get so lost in helping out that you don’t take the time to get a meaningful gift for the couple. Use both your friendship with the groom and history with the couple to choose a gift that you know they will love. Take some time out of helping the groom and find a gift that will stun the couple, like a customized wedding box or a bride and groom toasting flute set. Get them a heartfelt present they will actually use and want to keep and remember.

While a large part of the wedding planning is done by the couple, the best man can have a huge impact on the groom’s experience as a whole. When he’s stressed, you’re there to take some weight off his shoulders. When he needs a second set of eyes and ears, you can be that for him. Regardless of how you contribute, the groom will surely be grateful that he chose you as his best man when looking back on the day he married the love of his life.

How to Plan the Perfect Honeymoon

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Who said wedding planning stops at “I do”? As you’ve probably heard, your wedding day will fly by, so you’ll want to have something you can still look forward to after the chaos has died down. It’s important to not get so caught up in wedding planning that you forget to plan your dream honeymoon until the last minute. Take some time, follow these tips, and you can have the honeymoon you’ve always dreamed of!

Start the planning early
Don’t wait until after you’re married to start thinking about your honeymoon. For many reasons, you should start the honeymoon planning shortly after you’ve begun the wedding planning process. Although you don’t necessarily have to book your trip before getting married, the earlier you start planning, the better. Planning early will allow you to find more options, and have your pick of resorts and flights instead of filing through everyone else’s leftovers. An even better perk of planning and booking early is you’ll find better prices, which means you’ll get to enjoy more than you anticipated!

Find room in your budget
Speaking of better prices, be sure to fit your honeymoon into your wedding budget. Most couples tend to focus on how much money they’re going to spend on each detail of the wedding day, but forget to set aside a specific amount for the celebration after. Don’t make that mistake; decide how much you can afford to spend on your trip and create a separate account to budget for that. If you create a budget for your honeymoon, you’ll be able to break up that money into amounts to cover your flights, your hotels, and then your food and adventures along the way. If you fail to set aside a budget, you’ll end up just using the money left over from the wedding (if there is any).

Go with something that fits your personality
While it might be easy to just ask your friends and family what they did for their honeymoon and plan the same trip for yourself, it’s not always the best choice. Whoever you’re getting a recommendation from could have an entirely different personality than you, so you want to choose something that’s going to work for you and your new spouse. If you’re more of the relaxing type, you won’t want to plan a honeymoon backpacking across Europe. Or if you’re in between and like to relax but also like to have fun, you might want to book a cruise that has amenities that allow you to lay low and get a tan but also enjoy entertainment and nightlife. Plan a trip that satisfies your likes and hobbies!

Find the right destination
Once you’ve decided what kind of vibe matches your character, you can start researching specific destinations you want to visit. Maybe consider checking off a bucket list destination, or pick a region you’d like to visit and look into honeymoons available there. Picking the right destination is crucial in your experience, and you want to enjoy yourself fully on this newlywed adventure. Once you have an idea of where to go, you can start planning your activities, your meals, and your relaxation as well!

Use an agent
While it’s likely that you could plan a honeymoon all on your own with the research you do online, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use a travel agent. An agent will be able to plan a completely cohesive trip that has all the amenities you’re looking for. They will also be able to work with your budget to get you what you want (and maybe more) for the amount you’re able to spend. An agent will likely have connections all over the travel community, and will be able to fit you into a certain hotel, or find better accommodation than you could have on your own! So don’t shy away from using an agent right from the get-go.

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