Groom’s Week - Top 5 do’s and don’ts for the groom

April 27th, 2007 | Groom Ideas, Wedding Ideas

Hi everyone! It’s our final day of Groom’s Week. I’d like to thank Craig Michaels for guest blogging the entire week for Our Wedding Plus! If you haven’t read this weeks posts please take time to, they were very informative and different than what you normally see on a traditional wedding blog. Hopefully we had some grooms following along too! Guys, it’s okay to admit you’ve been reading along, at least this week!

If this is your first time checking in this week let me get your caught up…Craig Michaels is the author of the popular book Thirty to Wife: The Tell-All Groom’s Guide to Weddings - How to Get Hitched Without Losing Your Mind or Your Fiancee (rated 5 stars on Amazon), guest blogging with us this week. If you are having problems getting your fiancé involved in the planning process or if you are just wondering what’s going on in his head read through Craig’s posts. Craig’s book is the ultimate guide to help the groom through the planning process and help him to help you keep your sanity! It recounts the last thirty days prior to his wedding in which he confesses his mistakes to hopefully help future grooms avoid them. I encourage you to pick-up a copy of his book. Here’s Craig’s final post

Thanks Rhonda. Today I’m going to wrap things up with:

Top 5 do’s and don’ts for the groom

The do’s

1. Focus on the trees, not seeing the forest.
A wedding is made up of thousands of decisions. If you stop and think about this for too long, you might panic. Or shutdown. Carve out a niche in your checklist and worry about just a few details, not the whole wedding.

2. It’s all about her, not you.
Yes, both of you are getting married, but your fiancée has been thinking about the wedding much, much longer than you. As such, you should step up and take care of her needs. Your opinion still counts, but pick your battles. And once in a while, take her out on a surprise date. You’ll be rewarded handsomely for your (even feeble) efforts.

3. Start smelling the roses.
This is a once in a lifetime event (don’t listen to the statistics). Enjoy the ride. Enjoy a second bite of wedding cake samples. Spin your fiancée listening to prospective bands. And, yes, smell the roses that will adorn your tabletops for the big day.

4. Think a few moves ahead, even if you aren’t a chess master.
While you might not realize it, every decision, suggestion and opinion can have far-reaching consequences. From serious religious concessions to frivolous seating charts, think before you speak. It’s not that you should feel paralyzed or afraid to speak up. It’s just that tensions are high and you don’t make things worse.

5. Practice makes perfect–or at least not disaster.
Yes, you might have been to tons of weddings. But that’s not going to fully prepare you to be the groom. There are certain moments during your engagement and wedding that you should practice. Some obvious ones include your toast (no matter what you think, you are not a funny drunk), your tuxedo (make sure you have all the pieces), your first dance (try not to always wear sneakers during your lessons) and wedding night “activities” (ok, I threw that one in as a bonus).

The don’ts

1. Don’t try to avoid wedding responsibilities with really lame excuses, like:
They’re replaying Super Bowl XII. And you know how much I love the Cowboys.
The wedding planner made a pass at me the last time.
I got into a fist-fight. It hurts, but you should see your dad.

2. Don’t let stress get to you, much less your fiancée.
Go for a run. Walk the dog. Get a dog, then walk the dog. Visit someone with an Xbox. Google ex-girlfriends. It doesn’t matter, you have to let out the steam.

3. Don’t forget about after the wedding.
Yes, you’re both thinking how the heck are you going to get the wedding off without a hitch, but there’s life after the I do’s. Take time to think about and discuss things like housing, finances, family and even where you’ll be spending holidays.

4. Don’t play the family feud.
Be patient, supportive and diplomatic with your future in-laws. As for your own family, be a good son, get them involved and make sure opinions are shared. Especially if they’re kicking in some money.

5. Don’t bury your head in the sand.
Be prepared to defend your fiancée from her family, your family, the caterer, wedding planner, photographer and just about anyone else you have to write a check to.

I enjoyed sharing my ideas with you this week. Please go to my website for a lot more information and resources to help the groom navigate through the wedding planning process.

Craig
Groom411.com