The groom wedding planning checklist is one that helps grooms actively participate in their weddings. It lifts a burden off the bride and makes planning your wedding faster and easier. It’s also a great opportunity for a couple to bond.
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From choosing venues to giving toasts, here’s our comprehensive groom’s guide to wedding planning.
You can also check this FREE Download: Groom’s Checklist
Groom Wedding Planning Checklist
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Handle the guest list with your bride-to-be
Top on the groom’s wedding planning checklist is the guest list. It’s as important to you as it’s important to her the guests who attend your wedding. So one of your duties during wedding planning is to join her in selecting guests.
Request from your parents who they wish to invite from your side of the family. Run it by her and sieve everyone’s list until it comes down to only guests you can truly cater for.
Groom advice:
“A wedding, just like a marriage demands compromise. At the end of the day, focus on making your bride happy.” — Frederick
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Take care of yourself
Wedding planning for grooms is as real as it gets. The bride already has a lot on her plate and cannot take on more tasks. So you have a responsibility to sort yourself out to the best of your ability.
Have a full grasp of the wedding theme and hunt down your attire to match. Do this as soon as possible so that you have ample time for fittings. Get your shoes and other matching accessories. Relieve your bride of stress.
Groom advice:
“Don’t leave the entire responsibility to your soon to be wife, because wedding planning is hard.” — Jason
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Sort out your groomsmen
Vital on the wedding checklist for the groom is sorting of the groomsmen. You can leave this job to the best man, but if you want something done right, do it yourself. First of all, you must have a groomsmen proposal where you ask them to be part of your wedding.
Then you have to always touch base with them and keep them privy to wedding proceedings. As the wedding draws near, you’re in charge of making sure they order for their tux and get fitted.
Groom advice:
“Be fully involved, help where you can and learn some dance.” — Hunter
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Deliberate on the kind of music for wedding
One of the pillars of a wedding is the kind of music played. The music can either make or mar a wedding, that’s why couples give lists of what to play. It can also be very unfortunate if the band or DJ plays songs that you don’t like as a couple.
So this stage needs both your input because everyone must be put into consideration. Be present and help in the song selection process. You’ll help make your day memorable.
Groom advice:
“I advise having a live band with a wide range of songs with the energy you can’t recreate.” – Murphy
Write out your vows and practice
One of the basic rules for thorough wedding planning harps on the importance of cohesion. You may have to get a wedding planner book to document your groom’s wedding checklist because this is very important. Your vows aren’t something to be forgotten.
Discuss with your bride about your vows, if you’re writing original vows or adapting. Choose a tone and structure to foster cohesion, then write and practice vows on time. Never leave it for the last minute, because you’ll be disappointing her.
Groom advice:
“Remember to have fun at every stage and enjoy each moment as it’s fleeting.” — Brian
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Buy your partner’s wedding gift
Source out gifts that will mean something to her. It doesn’t have to cost plenty. Anything beautiful and heartfelt will do.
Wrap it nicely and have it delivered to her a night before the wedding. You can make it more romantic by getting it to her while she’s getting ready on the wedding day. Or better still, start your wedding night by exchanging gifts.
Groom advice:
“Make it a duty that your wife feels as loved and as special as you can. You truly want your wedding day to be the first page of the best book ever written.” — Mauricio
Get your haircut
Make sure to groom your hair before the wedding if you aren’t sporting a low cut. But if you want to get a haircut, make it dapper and befitting for your day.
Avoid doing it a day before the wedding because there won’t be time for it to adjust to your face. Get the haircut a week or 5 days before the wedding or a trim.
Groom advice:
“Always be there for your partner throughout the whole process. This is because, on the wedding day, you will realize that what matters most is the girl standing across from you.” — Ryne
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Handle the groomsmen gifts
For your groomsmen, take full responsibility. It’s an honor that they left their lives to be part of your day, making it memorable.
So gifts are like thank you tokens to the groomsmen for not just being part of your day. You’re also thanking them for being true parts of your life for as long as you’ve known them. Cigar boxes, shaving sets, whiskey, and many others are perfect gifts.
Groom advice:
“Always remember to stop through the whole preparation haze, look around and appreciate what’s going on. Also, don’t forget to thank the people that made it happen.” — Shane
Take charge of the rehearsal dinner
This is one task you can take off the hands of your partner, and you’d be groom of the year. Tell your partner to forget about it while you handle it. Communicate with the officiant and your parents update them on the rehearsal dinner itinerary.
Be responsible for getting everyone to the venue at the right time. Enjoy a pre-wedding dance with the bride.
Groom advice:
“Be present and patient with your partner. Don’t forget that all of the planning leads up to a party that is over in about six hours. Make sure to take a breath and enjoy it.” – Robert
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Track down your RSVP
After sending out invites to guests, it’s your duty to track all RSVP from your side of the family. Make it a groom wedding checklist priority to tick off confirmed guests from your side. Trail them and confirm their contacts, accommodation arrangements, and transport logistics.
Also note the food preferences, allergies, and needs as concerns your wedding. Collate and hand it to her so that she’d get the list to the appropriate vendors. Make your bride’s workload easier.
Groom advice:
“During the week of the wedding is when your help is most needed. It can get very stressful.” — Walker
Plan honeymoon
The groom is quite known to plan the honeymoon traditionally. The destination often comes as a surprise to the bride. But these days’ couples take an active part in choosing their honeymoon destinations together.
Whichever choice you and your partner make, be very involved in choosing your destination. Make sure all the legalities are well sorted out. Book flights and arrange accommodation for your stay. Pack your bags and help her pack the basic things she’ll need for the trip.
Groom advice:
“Decide on the things that are most important to you and sort them out. Avoid trying to micromanage the process.” — Andrew
Choose a wedding venue together
The wedding day is for you and your chosen partner. So the venue must be one that’s to both of your likings. This means you and your partner must deliberate on the kind of venue you want to Wed in. Outdoors, indoors, at the park, mountain, beach, museum or destination wedding.
This also means that you will check all venues together and make a choice in unison.
Groom advice:
“Make it a priority to have a venue with a wonderful event coordinator and hire an outstanding wedding planner. Allow your partner to run the show and only add input when asked.” – Jeremy
Keep your family in check
If your side of the family is causing problems during wedding preparations, it’s your duty to put them in check. Instances like your sister complaining about dress colors or your aunts giving the bride grief. It may even be your mom trying to have her way on your big day. All these will combine to stress the bride and dampen her joy. So be proactive about protecting her.
Groom advice:
“Don’t allow anyone to tear you two apart, and refuse to get soaked in the messiness from family and friends. No one else matters except your bride and she’s the priority.” — Sahar
Give wedding toast
As the groom, it’s one of your duties to give a wedding toast. Toast to your wife, the guests, and everything good. Remember to keep an alert stance, thank everyone and don’t get drunk.
Groom advice:
“Have loaves of fun with it and don’t let anything get in the way of that. Even with all of the details that get planned, at the end of the day, it’s just about you and your fiancée getting to start the next chapter of your lives together. Most importantly, make sure the bride is happy and stress-free.” – Scott
Show your partner unwavering affection
Wedding planning stress has a way of making anyone irate, overwhelmed, tired, and frustrated. As the groom, be her pillar in these times. Get her to relax and have fun without thinking about the wedding. Take time out with her to have a massage, watch a movie, and have great sex.
Drop random notes of how much you love your partner where they can see it. Under their pillows, on the refrigerator, between their laptops, on doors, etc. This is enough to keep them going.
Groom advice:
“Spend as much time as you can with your wife as possible.” — Neil
Groom wedding planning is fun and lots of couples are embracing it. This will go a long way to ease the burden of wedding planning on the bride. If you don’t know where to start, you’ll find the most important groom tasks for wedding planning in this post.
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