Once they’ve bought the ring and popped the question, many grooms feel that leaving the wedding planning to the bride is the best option. Perhaps they don’t feel they can conjure up enough enthusiasm for flower arrangements and place settings, or maybe they just want to avoid pre-wedding arguments.
There are, however, a few aspects of wedding planning that traditionally fall to the groom, so make sure your fiance is aware of the groom’s role in wedding planning:
The wedding car
Whether he has his heart set on a sports car or a classic, he should just be sure it fits with the overall theme of your wedding, and that you will be able to get into it in your wedding gown.
Wedding night accommodation
Reserving and paying for a hotel for your first night as a married couple is also the groom’s responsibility. This should be fairly simple if you are having your reception at a hotel that has a honeymoon suite. If this isn’t the case, make sure you and your fiance decide whether you want to leave your reception early to get to a swanky hotel, or whether you want to stay at the same place as your guests so you can carry on the party all night.
The honeymoon
Your fiance should book the honeymoon several months in advance. It is up to you how much of a surprise your honeymoon destination is. You might need to know the type of holiday so you can decide whether to pack a bikini or your skis, but otherwise, a surprise honeymoon destination can extend the excitement of the wedding day.
Initial planning
There are three key items that the groom needs to have an input into and these are the wedding budget, the guest list, and the gift list. The budget and the guest list need to be put together before the bride can begin to book anything. The gift list will probably be the most fun of the three, and can be your fiance’s reward for finalizing the first two!
The wedding suits
You might want some input into the style of the suits your groom and his best man and ushers will be wearing. However, the final decision is down to him and he is responsible for arranging hire, or for buying the suits. If he wants the men in the wedding party to wear matching suits he should be prepared to pay for them. If he is hiring suits the groom should arrange for someone to take them back after the wedding.
Thanking the wedding party
While the main speeches usually fall to the best man and bride’s father, the groom will have to make a speech and thank everybody involved in the wedding. He may want to distribute thank you gifts at the same time. Above all, the groom needs to thank his partner for allowing him the privilege of becoming their husband. A groom can never compliment his new spouse too much in his wedding speech.
