12 tips for the Groom on wedding day. As a wedding photographer, I have seen a lot of wedding days go wrong due to unpreparedness. I’ve also seen many resources aimed at the Bride. Who is going to help the groom? I gotchu.
This blog post is dedicated to all the helpful little tips I’ve learned as a destination wedding photographer to help you, as a Groom on wedding day. If you’re a Bride reading this, send it to your man!
Lets start with some Don’ts. Sometimes, this will be the Grooms first wedding day even just attending, and therefore might not be familiar with the right expectations. I’m your local Bend wedding photographer here to help. Obviously each wedding day will have slight variances but this will mostly apply across all wedding and even elopement days. Okay lets get into these tips for the Groom on wedding day!
- Don’t Be Late. It goes without saying that being late is tacky, and generally just causes a lot of delays for the rest of the day. Make sure you have what you need gathered up beforehand so you can grab it all in one swoop on the morning of the wedding. Don’t make other people wait around on you. Punctuality shows respect for your partner, guests, and vendors.
- Don’t Wait To Learn. If you’re not confident tying a tie, or a bowtie, then don’t wait til the morning of to figure it out! Practice beforehand to make sure you have it dialed. Learning something like this can waste up to 40 minutes of time on the morning of your wedding day. (I know from experience unfortunately lol.)
- Don’t Overindulge. Now for some reason, ya’ll bachelors decide the night before the wedding is the best night to have your bachelor party. I do not understand this, but if you must do it the night before the wedding, at least hydrate and take some electrolytes so you’re not miserable and puking the entire next morning.
- Don’t Stress The Small Stuff. I know its easy to get stressed about all the little stuff and trying to make it perfect but just try to take some deep breaths and realize some things might go awry and thats okay. It’s still your wedding day and it will be amazing anyway.
- Don’t Disappear. Avoid disappearing on wedding day without communicating to your Bride where you’re going and for how long. There may be something important you are needed for! Even if you think the majority of your responsibilities are over after the group photos and ceremony, there is still lots your presence is wanted for.
Now that you know what NOT to do, lets focus on what you should do! I know you’re probably not as involved as your Bride in the planning, but theres a few things you can do to prep for the big day.
- Do Be Present. Take a minute and soak it in! This is your ONE wedding day, don’t forget to notice all the little details.
- Do stay near your Bride. I don’t mean stick next to her like a piece of tape for every single minute, but in general make an effort to be near her. Its a huge day for both of you, so take it in together.
- Do Communicate. Your point of contact for the day is likely your Bride and the wedding coordinator. Make sure you’re up to speed on where you are needed throughout the day. This will make things run smoothly.
- Do Get Your Suit Steamed. This is one that SO many Grooms just are not aware of, but your suit is likely wrinkled and needs some sprucing up. Many Bridal shops will offer a steaming service if you are not wanting to do this yourself! If you’re in Bend, checkout Bella Brides in downtown. Get this done before the wedding day.
- Do Practice Your Bowtie. Again, if you are not a competent guy with a bowtie, practice it before the wedding day! You will be so much less stressed, the photographer won’t be waiting around on you, and the whole day can run as scheduled. Thank me laterr
- Do Thank Your Guests. While this party is for you, you’re also kind of hosting it. Thank your guests for coming and supporting you and your spouse. A welcome toast is sufficient for this!
- Do Have Fun. Its your wedding day!!! Go have a blast.
I hope that was helpful! If you want more wedding tips, head to my Instagram.
I’m a Destination wedding and elopement photographer based in Bend, Oregon, and I love helping couples photo dreams come true. If you love my work lets chat! I can’t wait to hear from youu
