Some wedding preparations are the joint responsibility of you and your fiancée, while other duties are traditionally yours. Drawing up a guest list is something you should do together. Begin with the names of immediate family, followed by more distant family members. Then move on to close friends and others. You won’t be able to invite everyone and you’ll need to confer with your families.
As soon as possible, confirm with your intended best man that he is willing to accept this role, and then ask your closest buddies to be your groomsmen. However, if you and your fiancée have decided against an official bridal party, you could still ask a best friend or two to act informally in a groomsman capacity.
When it comes time to select outfits for the big day, include your fiancée in the outing. She’s likely to bring gown fabric samples to facilitate some serious colour co-ordination. It’s also a great idea to look through The Bride’s Diary® and the website for some up-to-date fashion ideas.
Another item on your ‘To Do’ list is arranging the honeymoon. Deal with this as early as possible as popular destinations tend to be booked out well in advance. If you have a trusted travel agent, enlist their help with travel, accommodation and arranging the necessary documents if an overseas trip is planned. Speaking of travel, it’s also your responsibility to organise wedding day transport for the bridal party, your immediate families and your guests of honour.
Other traditional groom duties include booking a celebrant, paying for the girls’ bouquets and boys’ buttonholes, and purchasing ‘thank you’ gifts for your best man and groomsmen. And don’t forget a very special present for your bride-to-be! A pre-wedding celebration that you may, or may not, want to participate in is the buck’s night. Organised by the best man, this can be anything from the traditional night out to a weekend fishing trip. Refer to the Planner at the back of this edition for lots of helpful information.
At the reception, two of your biggest moments will be making your speech and the bridal waltz. You should prepare for both. Write down speech ideas during the lead-up to your wedding. Top of the list should be to say something wonderful about your new wife. If you’re the proud owner of two left feet, a few dance lessons won’t go astray. Remember that after you have danced with your wife, you should then dance with your mother, your mother-in-law and the maid of honour.
A few days before the wedding, get your hair cut, and if you’re hiring your outfits, make sure that they are all picked up the day before the ceremony. Whether you’re hiring or buying, check that all the required elements are present. If you are going to dress somewhere other than your home, pack everything you need the day before. On the big day, shower, shave carefully, and when you’re dressed, pin on your buttonhole. Be sure to adjust both your buttonhole and tie prior to the ceremony, photo shoot and reception.
Finally, if you want to surprise your bride-to-be with your wedding know-how, purchase a copy of The Groom’s Diary. Refer to the advertisement in this edition for more information.
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