Image by Jackson Grant via Naomi & Todd’s Modern Mulwala Wedding

Being a groomsman is an honour that most men cherish. It’s a salute to the strength of (often enduring) friendship and support amongst blokes. It is also a time for men to say “I love ya mate” and show genuine affection for one another, a particularly important institution given the West’s masculine ideals that seem to slam genuine, man-to-man displays of love and respect. Folks on the wedding party get to share a different experience of the big day than the regular guests and, in my experience, get to talk about it and bond over it for years to come.

However, having said that, being on the wedding party can also be nerve-wracking. Whether one has to give a speech, carry a ring, organise the bucks, help out on the day or with planning, manage the groom’s flip outs or simply be in the spotlight alongside the happy couple being a groomsman carries with it a burden of responsibility. This means the man of the hour’s best mates can’t just sit back and enjoy the day (the exception to this is the one groomsman at every wedding whose only responsibility is to feed the groom beers before and during the festivities). Despite this, the lads will do all that is required with a twinkle in their eye and a joke always firmly on the tip of their tongue. They do it, because they’re mates. More than that, they’re necessarily your BEST mates who’ve been through a lot and shared a whole lot of laughs.

A great way to show one’s appreciation for your groomsmen – friends who you love and respect – is a thoughtful groomsmen gift. Below is a list of a few that we think your boys will thoroughly dig:

Vinyl

Australia’s largest importer of vinyl records, Vinyl Destination, offers everything from Prince to The Clash, Norah Jones to Amy Winehouse and hundreds of other genres through their online store. Present your groomsmen with something unique by finding an album that you both used to listen to when you were younger. A cool gift from a cool groom.

Photo by Crew on Unsplash

Personalised cufflinks

For the classic groom. Buying your groomsmen their wedding cufflinks and having them engraved is something they can keep forever and a traditional keepsake of the wedding day experience.

Photo by Jonathan Francisca on Unsplash

Group grooming session

Taking your guys out for a traditional barber experience is a great way to kill two birds with one stone – getting your hair did and drinking a beer or a nice glass of something stronger with your mates. Here are some of the coolest barbers in Melbourne and Sydney.

Photo by Hai Phung on Unsplash

Whiskey Set

Nothing better than having a nice bottle of Whiskey and some glasses on the shelf at home. Some winners are: Talisker, Ardberg, Oban, Caol Ila. For those who like a “craft-ernoon”, fancy whiskey bottles make good fancy soap dispensers.

Photo by Angelina Litvin on Unsplash

Monogramed suit shirt 

Look at positioning the monogram on the cuff on the watch side, go for something subtle in terms of size – dressmakers and embroiderers are easy to come by if you take a wander through Google. Monogramed shirts are also great for deterring younger brothers or room mates from suit thievery.

Photo by Alvin Mahmudov on Unsplash

Ms Zigzag says: With so much to think about in the lead up to the wedding, we are thankful that Caz has done the research on the gift giving. Spot on ideas Caz! 

About the author Caz Pringle: Caz has been in the Event Management industry for the last decade, producing events for the likes of Rolex, Revlon, New Balance, Jeep, The Australian Open, Peroni and Alfa Romeo. After running her own events company for three years, she now lives in Antalya, Turkey with her husband Louis – where they remotely work as a copywriters and digital content producers. Caz also writes the blog www.shecanpunch.com about boxing and women’s empowerment, you can follow it on Insta @SheCanPunch.