While it’s often the bride who picks up the bulk of the to-do list there’s still quite a list of things that the groom traditionally needs to takes care of.
Erm – how can we say this? Men aren’t usually as good at multi-tasking as women and many have a habit of leaving things until the last moment.
So, to stop the stress factor rocketing, we’ve created a last-minute checklist for your new hubby-to-be so he can see at a glance what he has to do and when – and you get the peace of mind of knowing that he’s on the case, hopefully.
Put a (wedding) ring on it
A ring is an everlasting symbol of your love and commitment for one another and it’s the groom’s job to get the rings organised. No pressure there then!
Your husband to-be needs to buy wedding rings for both of you and check that they are the correct sizes. If you’re having something bespoke created then you need to be sure that the rings are going to be ready in time, and the pair will need to be cleaned and tucked away somewhere safe until the big day. Your rings are a main event when you tie the knot so it’s essential that they fit correctly and that he has them ready.
Losing the rings may be something that happens in sit-coms but it has been known to happen in real life, too! It’s traditionally the best man’s job to take care of them in the church and hand them over to the groom in time for the ceremony.
The best dressed groom
Most grooms rise to the occasion of their wedding and dress smartly, even if they don’t go the traditional morning coat and tails look.
Whatever type of suit your fiancé wears, it needs to fit him perfectly and should be cleaned and brushed. He needs to have every aspect of his outfit in place and organised well in advance and absolutely not go shopping the day before.
Take his suit out of its bag and hang it up the night before to air and allow any creases time to fall out. It’s also a good idea for him to have a spare shirt handy, just in case something gets spilled down his front at the last minute.
Finishing touches
Not just for the girls, accessories are also key to a groom’s look. Firstly he needs to have some new socks on. They don’t have to be black, if he wants to rock a colour or stripes then let him. Just make sure his socks don’t have holes! Other accessories he’ll need to have are cufflinks for his shirt, his tie or cravat and any other option extra’s that he wants to wear with his outfit.
His shoes should be shiny and polished and if they’re new he needs to wear them in a bit before the big day – just as you have been wearing in your wedding shoes. He might want to wear a tie pin as a piece of jewellery and if you want to give him a gift of jewellery for your day, then this is something to consider.
A quick trip to the barbers
Just like you, your groom needs to be thinking about his hair on your big day (just think of the photographs you’re going to have taken). He should have it cut no more than a week before the big day. If he wears it longer it needs to be shaped and if it’s short then it needs to look sharp.
If you want to treat him, you could organise for him to have a cut and shave at a high end hair salon so he feels really special.
Talking of wedding speeches
This is one thing that your husband to-be-really shouldn’t leave until the last minute. Professional speech writer Lawrence Bernstein gives the following advice., “It may sound obvious, but too many people think they can create the speech of their life 24 hours before the big day,” says Lawrence. “However… there’s no substitute for proper preparation and thinking about what you want to say and writing drafts in advance.” Lawrence also suggests gathering anecdotes from friends and family and also double checking that you aren’t duplicating parts of your speech that another relative is using.
Also, get your groom to email his speech to himself so he has a back up copy on his mobile or iPad.
The honeymoon
The groom should check that your passports are in order, tickets are ready, insurance in place and all travel documents to hand.
For the honeymoon he should be packing swimming trunks, shorts, flip flops and T-shirts for day – and something smarter for your romantic evening dinners together.
He’ll also need sun cream, lots and lots of sun cream.
Photographs and memories
Mobiles are perfect for snaps, but your new husband should also bring a camera, charger and some spare memory cards to catch shots of your memorable first holiday as husband and wife together.
Finally, a basic first aid kit is always a good idea. Make sure he packs some pain killers, insect repellent, insect bit ointment, plasters and tablets for upset tummies. You know the rule, if you pack it you won’t need it, so make sure you pack a first aid kit!
We suggest you subtly leave these tips around for him to read so that he knows what he has to do, with plenty of time to do it all. If your groom still needs a point in the right direction, our Grooms Advice section is packed full of handy ideas to help your man in need.
