The depiction of the newly engaged man telling his fiancée, “Just tell me when and where to arrive,” excusing him of all wedding preparation chores has somewhat become archaic over the years. Grooms nowadays want to be involved because it is their special day as well. While some grooms are still careless about the wedding details and prefer to delegate all of the workload to their partners, things are changing. Brides no longer have to do everything on their own. A wedding ceremony is about two people coming together, so no matter what kind of couple you are or what responsibilities you have, both of you must be involved from the start.
This groom’s wedding planning checklist is designed to encourage grooms take an active role in their wedding preparation. It relieves the bride of some of the stress of wedding planning and makes the process smoother for everyone. It’s also a fantastic way for a couple to spend time together. Check out our ultimate groom’s checklist for tips on what to do as you get ready for the big day.
Create A Budget
No one wants to talk about spending or budgeting, particularly when it comes to weddings, but you’ll need some assistance. When it comes to wedding planning, you should be aware of the 80/20 rule. This is the idea that only 20% of your decisions contribute to 80% of your wedding expenses. The key goal is to work along with your fiancé to come up with the ideal 20%.
You and your partner must sit down and talk about saving and budgeting, as well as allocating a percentage of your savings to your wedding budget. To determine whether you can arrange a wedding for 20 or 200 people, you and the bride should total up how much each of you can contribute, including any parental contributions.
Choose Wedding Outfit Together
Gone are the times when grooms wore off-the-shelf suits and brides chose ready-made gowns for their weddings. When you start planning your wedding ceremony, you automatically start thinking about what you’ll wear for each function. You’ll gradually develop a visual image of how you both want to look for your special occasion based on the million photos on Instagram and a thousand more on Pinterest boards you’ve browsed for inspiration. Outfits are thoughtfully chosen nowadays to complement the décor colors, venue, environment, and the time of the event.
The style and ambiance of the wedding are the most significant factors for a couple to consider when deciding their wedding clothes. A classic tuxedo with a peak lapel is excellent for a more traditional, formal affair. In recent years, slim-fit shapes have become increasingly trendy. On the other hand, shades of grey are extremely popular for a less traditional look. A softer grey, sandy, or even jacketless tuxedo is suitable for a destination or beachside wedding.
Choose Your Squad
This might be the simplest box to check off on your overall list, or it can be a huge recurring issue based on the maturity level of some of your friends. Get together with your fiancée and decide (in a practical manner) how many bridesmaids/groomsmen each of you will need. You’ll need to choose your best man as well. Choose wisely because this guy will have almost as much duty as you in guaranteeing that the wedding goes as planned. If your best friend doesn’t have a lot of planning experience, ask them to talk to a wedding planner or divide responsibilities among the two of you. This will also be a great chance for you and your closest friend to learn new things and handle more responsibility.
Choose someone who can assist you with tuxedo selection, arrange gifts, and, plan the bachelorette party. Groomsmen and best man are at the crux of your team – your go-to people for wedding planning ideas, asking advice, and keeping you calm. So choose people you can rely on and who will step up for you, regardless of their experience in planning weddings.
Get The Presents Ready
Your best man and groomsmen have stood by you through thick and thin. As a result, you need to have little thank-you gifts ready to give them during the bachelorette party or the rehearsal dinner. In some cultures and communities, it is also customary to present small gifts to your in-laws, so be prepared to hand these over at the dinner party or the reception.
There are hundreds of groomsman gift ideas on the internet, and most of them involve purchasing multiples of the very same gift, so that should be simple. The best man’s present is more personalized and special, and it’s delivered anytime the two of you have some alone time, sometimes even on the wedding day. If you don’t know your in-laws well, it’s better to ask your fiancée for good suggestions.
Write Your Wedding Vows
While you may not have to write your vows if your fiancée and/or wedding ceremony lean toward the conventional side, it’s still important to write a note that captures your feelings about the big day.
Remember those study sessions in college when you would try to squeeze as much material as possible into your brain hours before the final exam? Yeah. This isn’t the time to do that. Take a deep breath and relax. Consider this from a logical perspective. You’re telling the love of your life why she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you and why the two of you belong together, so you need to be more thoughtful.
You already know all the answers to those questions. It’s only a matter of putting it on paper now. So, set aside some time for yourself, turn off your phone, laptop, and TV. You, a pen, and a piece of paper are all you need. You’ve got this. After all, you’re in love with her. The rest should fall into place on its own.
Plan Your Honeymoon
Consider this your prize for all of the stress, checklists, and hassles you’ve experienced as a groom-to-be. Planning a getaway with the love of your life, who you get to call your wife, must be exciting, right? So, get on it right away!
Plan everything from when and where you will go to the duration of the trip, types of adventures you want to try, as well as the relevant travel documents, travel, and reservations (airfare, accommodations, and car rentals).
A few small surprises for the bride will also go a long way. This should be simple because you simply have to consider yourself and your new bride. Plan ahead of time for your honeymoon. It is the only way to save money on last-minute hotel bookings and airfare.
Bottom Line
Wedding planning and preparation can be exciting, and, when done together, can be a great bonding experience for you and your partner. From choosing your outfit together to writing your wedding vows, creating a budget and planning your honeymoon, all these things help grooms to get involved in their wedding planning and have fun while learning new things along the way.
If you are unsure where to begin, this article will walk you through the most critical groom tasks for wedding planning. We hope you have a great wedding!