We’ve seen this several times, after hearing your future spouse say ‘Yes’ when you pop the question, many grooms assume that their work is essentially done. All that’s left is to pick out a tuxedo for the big day and go to Vegas with the boys and have a bachelor party. Well, that might be sufficient for a movie, but in real life, it takes a little bit more than that. Today, we’re going to go over some of the most common mistakes grooms and their dearly beloved groomsmen make before and during the wedding, so you can skip out on those and become so amazing that your partner will think ‘Oh, wow, I should’ve done this sooner’.
1. Decide on your budget and stick to it
Once you’ve settled on a date and you start planning your wedding, both of you might be tempted to agree to anything and you could think the money shouldn’t be considered for such a joyous occasion. To be honest, that is neither true nor smart. Stick to your budget and plan accordingly. You wouldn’t want to spend all your money on a celebration and enter your life pennilessly, right?
2. Announce your engagement!
It’s incredible how girls will call their whole family and bunch of friends to let them know you’ve proposed, and you’ll forget to tell your mom. Sure, they’ll see the pictures online, but wouldn’t you rather just call close family and friends right away and not explain to them later how you thought that seeing an Instagram story would be enough?
3. Inviting people to your wedding during a casual conversation
We get it, you’re excited. But, saying to someone that you’ll see them at your wedding might not be the smartest thing to do. Keep in mind you’re going to go over the guest list at least a dozen times, so, you could misinform someone.
4. Focusing more on a bachelor party than the actual wedding
While we understand how peer pressure works and that the sacred bro bond might be at stake here (not at all, but for the sake of argument), keep in mind that you might want to be more focused on a finding a venue and a caterer for a wedding rather than deciding on a nightclub for a bachelor party. It’s the best man’s and groomsmen’ job anyway.
5. Consult with the groom about the bachelor party
Don’t go way too crazy without talking to the groom. You might want to go to Vegas to get really drunk and lose some money, but the groom might have something else in mind. Find a common ground and have fun, even though it might seem like it’s the last boys’ night out, it really isn’t. Don’t go overboard, you’ll still hang out
6. Not getting your groomsmen gifts
Sure, you’re all tough and you don’t need to follow every tradition to show your friends you love and appreciate them, they know it already. Well, they do, that’s why they’re committing to being your groomsmen and it’s exactly why you should thank them. Don’t need to go all crazy, just get them a simple gift box with some bourbon, a cigar and a cool pair of socks from nocoldfeet.co.
7. Not meeting your vendors
If you think that this is boring, well, then it really isn’t that fun for your spouse-to-be either. However, it’s important to do these things if you want the wedding day to be great. These things cost money, a lot of it actually, so it’s best to know what kinds of flowers you’ll be getting and if the DJ you’re hiring knows what he’s doing.
8. Not getting involved with the gift registry
These are the things that are going to help you start your new life, so be present for this. If there’s something that you would like to get, register for it, don’t leave it up to chance. With that being said, registering for a lake house might not be appropriate.
9. Not being involved with the planning
Even though you might’ve heard a dozen times that the wedding has been a lifelong dream of your partner and that they’ve pictured it in a certain way for their whole life, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help at all. It’s your day too, you know? Chances are, you’re going to see something interesting that none of you has thought of before and pleasantly surprise your other half.
10. Saying ‘I don’t care.’
This is a very common phrase during the planning process and it really shouldn’t be. Yes, you’re allowed not to be interested in some detail you consider minor, but your lover might be stressing over it. The least you could do is show some compassion and listen. It goes a long way in showing what kind of person you are.
11. Getting drunk the night before
In some cultures, the bachelor party of sorts is done the day before the wedding. This is just a bad idea. Do you really want to risk sounding hoarse the day you’re supposed to say ‘I do’ loud and clear? And let’s not even talk about a hangover. You’ll look and feel tired on your wedding day, that’s just wrong. If you have to get out the day before, keep your drinking moderate.
12. Scheduling things for the wedding day
It’s not uncommon for a groom to schedule a visit to the barber on the day of the wedding. We understand that you want to look good, but those things could’ve been done yesterday. The wedding day should be only about the wedding.
13. Not writing your vows
You might think you’re going to do just fine improvising your vows, but factor in the nerves. Be prepared, write and memorize your vows.
14. Forgetting what this is all about
Don’t forget to pull your partner to the side at one point, just to take a break and take it all in. This has been a long and important day in your life, you deserve to appreciate it for what it is, a celebration of your love.
If you are a groom to be, keep these things in mind. These are just some examples of where you might go wrong. Hopefully, now that you’ve read this, you’ll know what to do when the time comes.