Photography by Ash Imagery

Wedding planning is a huge task force operation, and many grooms aren’t totally sure what their rank entails amidst the assault of flowers, photographers, invitations and rehearsals. So here’s a briefing of what every groom needs to know to help you get ready for the attack. With these tips in mind, you and your new bride will be able to navigate and conquer that fire breathing beast known as the wedding.

Inviting Guests

First things first. A tragic number of grooms buy into the stereotype that their bride wants to handle everything without their suggestions or interference. But in an overwhelming majority of cases, this probably isn’t the case. Instead, the wedding planning stage offers a great chance for you to support and guide your fiancé through an exciting but potentially stressful time.

A great place to start putting your skills to work is with the invite list. The groom has a role to play in providing a list of friends and relatives from his side that should be invited to the big shindig. But you can also help with the entire process by discussing with your lady when she isn’t sure who to keep and who to cut. If you are handy with Excel or drawing charts, you can also start a spreadsheet to help keep track of names, addresses and RSVPs. (And this master list might be something that saves the day when it comes to writing thank you notes post honeymoon.)

Getting the Suit

Another important task that bride and groom will want to do together is finding his suit and picking out a wardrobe for the groomsmen. There are lots of different style options, and choosing the suit allows the groom to find a look that he enjoys. But it is important that the bride be involved so as to provide input on what will complement her dress and the overall feel of the wedding.

There are numerous options for grooms to consider. Some of these trends include:

• Classic tuxedo

• Just the vest with dress slacks for a less formal look

• Linen suit for a light beach venue

• Tailored suit

An understated and classy way to set the groom apart is with his own vest and tie colors that coordinate but stand out from the rest of the guys in the wedding.

The First Dance

A fun way to get involved is in planning the first dance. This is a fun time for you and your fiancé’s personalities to shine through. You can surprise here by taking lessons secretly. Or you can learn together. Another fun trend is to choreograph a whole dance sequence to perform for your guests at the reception.

Groomsmen’s Presents

As you are preparing a couple of short thank you toasts for the rehearsal dinner, don’t forget to find some cool groomsmen gifts to show your best man and all your guys how important they are to you and your big day. Keeping this in mind ahead of time will help you discover creative and original gift ideas.

Planning the Honeymoon

Stereotypically, the groom plans the honeymoon while the bride works on the ceremony preparations. But usually they both work on travel plans. However, there are still some fun surprises, like traditional champagne and roses, that the groom can set up for the wedding night and the trip.

With these tips in mind, you can survive the entire process of planning, rehearsal, ceremony, reception and honeymoon. And through the craziness, you and your bride can grow closer and enjoy the special memories.

Ms Gingham says: Turns out there’s HEAPS for the groom to get involved in.

About Jessica Socheski: I am a freelance writer who loves creative wedding ideas. When I’m not pinning reception ideas, dresses and photography poses on my Pinterest page, I’m writing about them.