Everyone talks about the bride-to-be and all the preparations she needs to do to glide down the aisle seamlessly on her big day. But what about the groom? He doesn’t exactly want to show up in the rumpled t-shirt and jeans he slept in the night before, a 5 o’clock shadow clinging like peach fuzz to his jawline, puffy under eye bags with enough room to rent space, or the hair sprouting out like spring onions from inside his lapel!
While you may not be into getting involved in some parts of planning your wedding, if any at all, remember this is your big day too! Letting your b2b plan everything gives her the unspoken message that you’re not all that interested in the marriage. Remember, you’re about to share a very important moment letting those close to you know you’ve found The One you intend to spend the rest of your life with (well, in this day and age, you’re positive).
So, while picking out the flowers, choosing the color of the wedding invites, and planning the seating arrangements may not be big on your top ten to-do list, at least make sure you know the order of the day and what is expected of you (just don’t keep poking b2b in the ribs and asking “so, what’s next?”). It’s your job, for example, to pick the best man and groomsmen, choose the venue for the reception, organize the honeymoon, and don’t forget, to make a speech. Don’t come with a crumpled up stick-it-note with a few words scrawled on them… if you forget to thank someone’ you’ll never be allowed to live down the oversight.
Also, although organizing the transport of the rings to the ceremony is usually the task of one of the groomsmen or best man, just take it upon yourself to make 100 percent sure this happens. Be warned, not even the world’s fastest runner will be able to make forgetting the rings OK!
It may seem obvious the night before the big day, but don’t forget to set your alarm, or several. Get a good night’s sleep and make sure you have the right address. You wouldn’t be the first guy to show up late because you overslept or arrived at someone else’s gig. Another important tip is that your mates might try tempt you with a morning tot to celebrate or calm those nerves, but don’t overdo it and land up clinging to your mom’s arm in a desperate attempt to keep from passing out while you walk down the aisle. The same goes for the rest of the day… you do want to remember the day the next morning right?
This might seem obvious, but looking your best does take a bit of prep. What’s the point of reading GQ and Esquire if on your own wedding day you show up in whatever your fiancée thought would look good? If you think you and the groomsmen would look amazing in new midnight blue suits a la JFK, do you really want to be demoted to a cheap, poly-blend rental? Learn about the options when it comes to wedding attire and tuxedos. You might not actually appreciate the differences between white-tie and black-tie, but you’ll be happy to have figured out what makes you look like James Bond, rather than a medium-sized, black and white penguin wearing ill-fitting drapes.
Be sure that your b2b will pull out all the stops to make sure she looks stunning. You don’t want to be reminded every time you look at the wedding pics for years to come that next to her beauty, you looked like the beast. Think about getting a modern haircut close enough to the main event. Also, removing unwanted body hair is a must. If you have a pelt of back and chest hair that you’ve wanted to remove or thin out for ages, now is the time to do it — especially before buttoning up that super expensive, crisp white wedding shirt that you’ve noticed is a tad sheer. You also don’t want neck hair forming a halo around your tie!
If you’re too embarrassed to go to a beauty parlor to wax or laser and have given up on repeatedly straining to shave hard-to-reach places, we suggest Sensica’s Sensilight mini. The FDA-cleared Sensilight Mini is a high-impact product based on cutting-edge Reactive Pulsed Light (RPL) technology that disables hair re-growth at the root using light and heat. It is the ultimate, professional-grade, non-invasive, painless hair remover device that delivers permanent results for those who prefer using a device in the comfort of their own homes at a time of their convenience — in other words, no expensive, and repeated visits to beauty salons. Remember, you have as much right as women do to care about the way you look and to invest in the way you feel about your body.
Finally, make a to-do list of the more last minute things you’ve got to do: iron your shirt, shave, shower (properly!), and even learn to tie a tie like a pro. There’s no slacking allowed when it comes to being a groom!
