With many couples living together before making the decision to marry, traditional wedding planning seems to be less important. Couples either tend to work together in order to plan their special day or sometimes the bride can be so organised that their Groom simply needs to turn up to various appointments such as cake tasting or visiting wedding venues.
Did know that traditionally, the Groom is responsible for a number of tasks during the wedding planning stage and even paying for some of the wedding details!
Wedding cars or transportation
Traditionally a Groom is expected to organise and pay for the wedding transportation. This includes how the Bride will arrive at the wedding along with her wedding party, getting the Groomsmen to the venue beforehand and even the possibility of transporting wedding guests between multiple venues, such as the Church and reception venue.
Wedding rings
Choosing and purchasing the wedding rings is another important task on a Groom’s to do list. This is, however becoming more redundant as savvy Brides want to get involved with choosing their own wedding ring. If you are set on doing things traditionally, it might be worth discussing what your bride wants, taking her to the jewellers and getting your fingers sized together to prevent any disasters when exchanging rings at your wedding ceremony. Some couples also opt to buy each other their wedding rings which can make a lovely gesture.
Organising the Groomsmen’s suits
One of the main tasks a Groom has when planning a wedding is to choose what he and his best man/groomsmen will wear. It is important to discuss wedding colour schemes with your Bride, no matter how boring you might find it. There is an abundance of choice between black, grey or even different coloured suits. Whether you will wear a standard suit, waistcoat, tops and tails and the decision between ties and cravats are all things to consider.
Plan and rehearse the speech
Everyone knows that a Groom traditionally makes a speech during the wedding toasts so it is important to plan and prepare what you are going to say. Humour always goes down well with guests. Remember to keep it tasteful. If you are shy and the thought of standing up in front of everyone to speak frightens you, keep things short and sweet, thanking the Bride, wedding party and of course your guests for being part of such a special day.
Buy gifts for your best man and Groomsmen
If you can’t thank the important men in your life at your wedding, when can you? Choosing and buying gifts for your Groomsmen is a traditional way of thanking them for both their friendship and for their help with planning your wedding and of course, stag party! You don’t need to spend a fortune on gifts either. Some popular thank you gifts include alcohol or personalised hip flasks, cufflinks, ties, wallets or even novelty socks. Just be thankful that your Bride is choosing gifts for the bridesmaids!
Book the honeymoon
We aren’t suggesting that as a Groom, you can choose the location of your honeymoon and book it without consulting your bride. That would potentially be the first married tiff that you have! Discuss possible honeymoon destinations together and also the type of honeymoon that you both want. Are you looking for an explorative style honeymoon, or perhaps a relaxing beach break? You could always combine the two with multiple locations and stopovers.
This list isn’t an exclusive list or one that has to be followed to the letter. You may wish to be involved with a lot more, or even a lot less of the planning stage of your wedding. There really are no rules, just make sure that you and your future wife agree on who plans what and remember to have the money/budget chat early on in the planning stages. Good luck!