Man-Planning | Wedding Planning for the Dudes

Wedding planning for the dudes?  This one is for the underprivileged sex when it comes to wedding planning…the men!

Occasionally (very rarely) I get this weird feeling when i’m meeting with a couple where I actually have some sort of sympathy from the groom–weird, yeah?  Ladies, admit it, when you come to a meeting with your fiance (albeit many of you don’t even bring them) you usually bring your mother and/or a few friends….and he doesn’t really get a word in edgewise.  Some guys actually don’t want a say in anything, they just want you to get what you want–LOCK IT UP LADIES, they are pretty rare.  Then there are some guys who turn into Groom-Zilla…I can’t take them seriously.  Finally, there’s the man who likes to play it safe–he wants a little chunk of the responsibility, but only in the areas he knows won’t cause his fiance to crumble into a weeping pile of crinoline when she sees the final outcome of his decisions on their big day.

Wedding planning items that are great for the groom to take care of…

1. Food.  If a couple has made the decision to get married, I am willing to bet they’ve shared a few meals in their time.  Let the guy do research on catering companies.  Let him set up the tastings.  Let him get quotes and finalize the contract.  The bride can still come to tastings and have a say in the menu, but him doing the grunt work will save a lot of stress!

2. Alcohol.  If you’re having alcohol at the wedding, it’s safe to say the groom drinks.  It’s also safe to say that he knows what you like to drink.  He is the perfect person to select the alcohol (quantities should be confirmed with the caterer and types should be checked with the bride and bride’s parents before finalizing). He’s the perfect person to purchase and deliver these heavy cases.  Finally, let’s face it, he and his buddies will probably be the ones who consume most of it.

man-drinking-beer

3. Transportation.  It’s as simple as this:  Guys like cars.  This part of the planning process is seriously so boring–one of my least favorites.  Get something that will transport the wedding party and maybe some guests, and a cool way to leave the venue at the end of the night.  It’s hard to screw up (virtually impossible with a wedding planner creating the timelines and double-checking with vendors…).

TrueCar-Steals-on-Wheels-120229-0308-man-hugging-car1

4. His Attire.  Now, this one gets a little fuzzy.  The bride typically wants a say in how the men will look…after all, they will be in all of the pictures, standing beside her at the altar, and paired with a bridesmaid for the night.  A great way to handle this situation is to give him some inspiration–colors, styles, etc.–and THEN send him to a few different stores to do the leg work.  Final decision should be a joint venture, but there’s a lot of work involved before you get to that point!

jasmine-wedding-06

(If your wedding party looks like this…I need an invitation.  Thanks.)

Now that you know the “safe” areas for grooms to handle, here are some websites geared toward the men that will help them and guide them along the way!!  They offer advice from the actual proposal, to the bachelor parties, to traditions, to the honeymoon and beyond.  I seriously wish my husband had read a few of these…….. ;)

There’s a surprisingly large number of sites, but i’ve culled through them…here are the best of the best!

The Plunge

The Well-Groomed Groom

The Outspoken Groom

The Man Registry (sounds like a male escort service…but hey, it’s a good one)

The Groom’s List

 

XOXO

amy stanley signature