The Grooms to-do list

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Men aren’t usually as good at multi-tasking as women and many have a habit of leaving things until the last moment.

So, to stop the stress factor rocketing, we’ve created a last-minute checklist for your new hubby-to-be so he can see at a glance what he has to do and when – and you get the peace of mind of knowing that he’s on the case, hopefully.

A ring is an everlasting symbol of your love and commitment for one another and it’s the groom’s job to get the rings organised. No pressure there then!

Your husband to-be needs to buy wedding rings for both of you and check that they are the correct sizes. If you’re having something bespoke created then you need to be sure that the rings are going to be ready in time, and the pair will need to be cleaned and tucked away somewhere safe until the big day. Your rings are a main event when you tie the knot so it’s essential that they fit correctly and that he has them ready.

Losing the rings may be something that happens in sit-coms but it has been known to happen in real life, too! It’s traditionally the best man’s job to take care of them in the church and hand them over to the groom in time for the ceremony.

Most grooms rise to the occasion of their wedding and dress smartly, even if they don’t go the traditional morning coat and tails look.

Whatever type of wedding suit your fiancé wears, it needs to fit him perfectly and should be cleaned and brushed. He needs to have every aspect of his outfit in place and organised well in advance and absolutely not go shopping the day before.

Take his suit out of its bag and hang it up the night before to air and allow any creases time to fall out. It’s also a good idea for him to have a spare shirt handy, just in case something gets spilled down his front at the last minute.

Wedding accessories are also key to a groom’s look. Firstly, he needs to have some new socks on. They don’t have to be black, if he wants to rock a colour or stripes then let him. Just make sure his socks don’t have holes! Other accessories he’ll need to have are cufflinks for his shirt, his tie or cravat and any other option extra’s that he wants to wear with his outfit.

His shoes should be shiny and polished and if they’re new he needs to wear them in a bit before the big day – just as you have been wearing in your wedding shoes. He might want to wear a tie pin as a piece of jewellery and if you want to give him a gift of jewellery for your day, then this is something to consider.

Just like you, your groom needs to be thinking about his hair on your big day (just think of the photographs you’re going to have taken). He should have it cut no more than a week before the big day. If he wears it longer it needs to be shaped and if it’s short, then it needs to look sharp.

If you want to treat him, you could organise for him to have a cut and shave at a high end hair salon so he feels really special.

Your wedding photography checklist

You don’t want to forget anything. All those important moments need to be captured.

  • The Photos You Really Don’t Want to Forget on Your Wedding Day
  • Before the ceremony
  • Shots of the bride and bridesmaids getting ready
  • The bride and father in the wedding car
  • The groom preparing
  • Wedding dress hanging on a beautiful hanger
  • Wedding Shoes
  • Groom waiting (nervously!) outside venue
  • Shot of the bridesmaids
  • During the ceremony
  • The bride’s grand entrance
  • The guests’ faces on seeing the bride
  • The groom waiting at the altar
  • The ring exchange
  • The kiss
  • Register signing
  • Bride and groom leaving
  • A confetti shot
  • It’s traditional to have photographs of:
  • Bride, groom, best man and ushers
  • Bride, groom, and both sets of parents
  • Bride and groom as new couple
  • Bride and groom with bridesmaids
  • Bride and groom with brothers and sisters
  • Bride and groom with grandparents
  • Bride and her mother
  • Groom and his father
  • Bride and groom with friends
  • Whole bridal party and guests

 

Reception

  • The decorated room and table plan before the guests arrive
  • Bride and groom entering
  • Speeches
  • Cake cutting
  • First dance of the bride and groom

Of course, you can add to and amend this wedding photography checklist however you want. But these are the classic images to build around. Enjoy your big day!

Tips to get your first kiss picture perfect

Your first kiss as husband and wife is a momentous occasion and one that your wedding photographer is sure to capture! But what’s the best way to do it? A small peck with lips closed or a full-on smooch?

Your first kiss as husband and wife at the altar should be romantic and full of love, so here are some things to remember.

As well as closing your eyes (an essential ingredient to a good first kiss) and not bumping foreheads as you approach each other too quickly, you should also keep the following things in mind.

Sloppiness

Don’t make your first kiss too sloppy or you will make your wedding guests feel uncomfortable. This is especially true if you are kissing in a church.

Intention

The best part of any kiss is its intention, so do it from a place of love and tenderness and this will come shining through and be reflected in your wedding photographs.

Avoid a quick peck

A quick peck on the lips can be seen as a bit cold and empty, especially when it’s your first kiss as a married couple, so linger a little longer to make sure your wedding photographer can capture that special moment.

Enjoy

Don’t be embarrassed, remember, it’s your special moment, so don’t feel awkward and if you remember the first 3 tips above your love will come shining through in the photos which will be a photo that you will cherish forever.

The usual things people complain about at a Wedding

Sometimes certain things won’t impress everyone, and we’ve put together some of the most common complaints from wedding guests, just so you know what to expect, or what to avoid…

The invitation

From the inconvenient date at the top of the invite, to the lack of mention about a plus one or the ‘No children, please’ at the bottom – the wedding save the dates and invitations can be a source of great irritation to those receiving them. But at the end of the day, your wedding is YOUR day – if you don’t want children there, you don’t want children there. And that is that.

The waiting around

You’ve had the big day planned out for a while now – every hour, every minute, every second almost, but have you thought about the guests? There are lots of times during a wedding day that guests can be left waiting around, whether due to disorganisation in the wedding planning or the vendors. Think about it though: whilst you’re off with your groom and the photographer taking amazing shots for your wedding album, will your guests be happy? Will your guests be okay with you pushing back the three-course meal because you want a pianist to perform at the reception?

The seating arrangement

No matter how hard you try to do a seating plan that will suit everyone, often it doesn’t quite work out. Even your last resort of placing those two certain people on opposite ends of the table could lead to a complaint! And the same goes for when you haven’t put them with someone they want to be with. Don’t stress too much about this though, after all, it’s only for the meal time – they can pick and choose who they do and don’t hang around with for every other part of the day!

The wallet

Forking out extra cash is never seen as a good thing, even to the richest of people! Ensure your wedding day has no unexpected or hidden costs that they’ll have to empty their wallets and purses for, otherwise you might find your reception tables filled with grumpy guests. They’ve paid for your wedding gift, they’ve paid to get here, and they’ve most likely paid for a brand new outfit (not that we’d complain about that!). If you’re worried about how people will react, let people know about things with a little note in the invitations or similar.

The food

Isn’t it strange that once you seat certain people in front of a fancy three-course meal that they suddenly turn all ‘foodie’ on you? Complaints about the food almost always happen, but sometimes it can’t be helped – one person can have very different tastes to another person! The best you can do is make sure you satisfy everyone’s dietary requirements. Those vegetarians won’t be happy if a plate of roasted lamb and gravy is presented to them

The music

Let it be known that, as much as people pretend that dancing isn’t their thing, wedding guests love a bit of dancefloor action. Even the essential dad dancing involved in every wedding is a treat! Make sure you’ve got a playlist, band or DJ that will get people going, and end the evening with a bang!

The lack of appreciation

Whether those you’ve invited have travelled far or not, they will expect to have a little conversation with you at least. Only getting a glance of you as you walk down the aisle just won’t cut it! Plus, a thank-you card after the big day through the post will avoid any complaints about you and your groom being ungrateful about them attending your big day.