Those little things a Groom should be thinking about as he prepares to say ‘I do’.
A successful wedding is one planned by two people working together. Whether one party has more or less involvement in certain aspects of preparation is by the by. What is important is that as the groom, you are there when it matters. You fulfill your responsibilities as a groom, you tick off your checklist, and together, you create a wedding that doesn’t just represent the desires of one person.
If you have successfully navigated the wedding planning journey together, and are now looking back at the last 12 months and thinking, ‘I’m getting married this week!’. Congrats! This is a very exciting time. However, there are some crucial things that need to be done in the days, and hours leading up to your nuptials.
We have created a handy pre-wedding checklist, especially for grooms, which should help you stay organized and get this big day over the line.
- The Essential Pre-Wedding Checklist For Grooms
- 1 Week Before the Wedding
At this stage, you should have had your stag do, and successfully recovered from it without any permanent damage… The bulk of the actual wedding preparation should be done, and in the week before your big day, you should be mindfully planning and relaxing.
- Pick up the Suits for You and Your Groomsmen
One of the responsibilities much loved by grooms, is the suit fitting process. It’s an opportunity to gather their best mates, pick out a look they’d never usually have the opportunity to wear, and then go to the pub! Dream day. Well, those suits you picked out are now (hopefully) ready for you, and awaiting pickup. Try to collect them as early as possible, just in case there are any issues with them.
If you’re looking after the suits for the groomsmen, then make sure they are kept somewhere out of the way, and hanging. And if you’re delivering them to the best man etc before the wedding, make sure they do the same.
- Work on your Speech and/or Vows
If you’re exchanging your own vows, then please don’t leave writing them to the last minute. Allow yourself a few days to compose those heartfelt lines, and practice saying them out loud more than once, just to make sure you’re happy with them.
The same can be said for your toast, however, this needn’t be done alone. In fact, it’s a good idea to write a draft and then go over it with a trusted friend. Someone who’ll honestly tell you if that joke will fall flat, or if that love story isn’t as romantic as you thought. Together, you should be able to come up with something that is sensitive, yet light, and that will please everyone without causing offense. Easy, right!
- Pack & Prepare for the Honeymoon
If you’re jetting off on your honeymoon straight after the wedding, it’s a good idea to pack early, in case you’re missing something. It’ll also be much more relaxing to pick up an already packed suitcase post-wedding, than frantically packing hours before the flight.
Use this time to also confirm any bookings with the hotel, or agencies you’ve used, just to make everything is in place. And, as soon as you’re able, check-in for your flight or reconfirm your private flight times with Jettly.
- Pack a Groom Survival Kit
As a groom, it’s your responsibility to look after yourself, and your groomsmen on the big day. Scary we know! And in the hours leading up to your ceremony, anything can happen. Buttons can pop off, the best man could get food poisoning, and you might break a shoelace.
Cover yourself for any eventuality, and pack an emergency kit that’ll sort almost any minor situation.
- The Day of your Wedding
You’ve done so much careful planning, and prepared for every eventuality. This means on the day of your wedding you can relax (as much as possible), and enjoy the celebrations.
- Eat a Quality Breakfast
It can seem tempting to eat nothing at all and survive on whisky until lunch. Or have a giant cooked breakfast. Our advice, strike somewhere in the middle. You should have a healthy, filling breakfast that gives you carbs, protein, and a little fat. Something which helps you go on through to the reception without feeling hungry. While also lining your stomach ahead of all those champagne toasts!
- Steam your Suits & Get Ready Early
Once breakfast is out of the way, you’re showered and shaved. Get ready. Don’t leave it until the last minute. An hour before you need to leave should be enough time and allow for any emergency fixes to the suits of the groomsmen. And if your suits need a little touch-up, you’ll have time to steam them too.
- Check that the Cash Payments are Correct
If you and your groomsmen are handling cash payments on the day, make a final check on them before you leave for the ceremony. And confirm with whoever is handing them out that they know exactly what they’re doing. The last thing you want is the DJ walking off with the money that was supposed to go to the wedding cake maker. Label everything clearly, and introduce your groomsmen to your suppliers beforehand if needs be.
