The Groom’s Duties in Wedding Planning - What You Need To Know - Soiree Wedding Blog: Best Blog about Wedding Planning, Wedding Day Ideas, and Wedding Management

Considering a Wedding Checklist for the Groom-to-be: Everything You Need To Know

Most weddings and wedding planners tend to focus on the bride, specializing in planning and managing everything the bride needs to have her dream day. How many times have you heard people call a wedding the best day of any bride’s life? But what about the groom?

Men are traditionally overlooked by wedding planners due to the outdated idea that grooms don’t care all that much about their big day. However, just the opposite is true.

More and more men are starting to take on big responsibilities (listen to what they have to say) when it comes to planning their weddings, so our wedding planners have put together a checklist of eleven important things every groom should remember in order to contribute to the perfect wedding!

In this post, you will get ideas on:

Top 17 Biggest THINGS To Keep IN MIND During Planning

Planning Phase - Helping: Months Before The Big Day

1. Set a Budget & Have the Money Talk

Money is one of the top areas of disagreement in a marriage . It is important that spouses-to-be have a candid discussion about money and bill payment before they walk down the aisle. This assures you’re both on the same page in the planning process and understand the role money plays in your marriage.

2. Creating the Invite List

Think about who you want to celebrate with. Don’t feel pressured to invite every relative or every single friend you’ve ever made. Focus on selecting your truly loved ones and those you know will celebrate you, your fiance, and your special day.
Related: Saving Tips: Where To Save and Where To Splurge

3. Lock in the Perfect Music

Whether you’re looking for a swing band or a hip DJ, most wedding performers book gigs months in advance. Locking down your choice for wedding artists and requesting them early will go a long way in reducing your stress in the pre-wedding countdown.

4. How, How, How!

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Curtis Hall Arboretum

Most people assume brides are in charge of the venue, but a recent survey found that grooms typically tend to care MORE about the wedding and reception venue than brides. Make sure your venue fits your needs and ideal aesthetic for both yourself and your fiance and get that deposit down early to ensure a good fit!
Related: Things to Consider Before Booking

5. Create the Registry

As much as the gift registry is meant to help the new couple, it also makes it easier for the wedding guests to know what gifts the couple would like and what they need. Buying a gift for someone can be very daunting if you do not know the person intimately, such as their favorite colors, scents, movies, etc. It’s as much meant or convenient as for need. Here are a few reasons why you should make one and when and how to go about setting one up. Read

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6. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Planning the menu is definitely something you and your fiance should handle together, but don’t be afraid to add your own flavor to the big day. If your fiance is hoping for a classy dinner service, add a fun beverage to the bar as your specialty drink. Going for a more casual reception? Have chilled containers of your favorite beer strategically placed around the dining hall or sneak your favorite childhood treat into the main menu. Who says nachos aren’t wedding food?
Related: Things to think about

What You Are Responsible For -

7. Picking Your Crew

Selecting your groomsmen is one of the most fun, but challenging, tasks awaiting a groom. Make sure you know how many couples you want to be in your bridal party before you start asking friends, so you can make sure there aren’t too many mismatched couples, then start your groomsmen’s list. Check out our post here on how to pick the perfect groom’s crew and make sure you feel happy and supported by everyone at your side!

8. Suits and Ties

You’ll want to select your wedding outfits early to make sure there’s plenty of time for fittings and alterations as needed.
Decide what you’re most comfortable wearing, whether it’s a suit, a tuxedo, or other traditional or religious gear, and coordinate that across your groomsmen.
Try to think of everything, from socks to tie to pocket squares, and check out our additional guide here for some classic style inspiration! You can sneak in fun references to your favorite movies or t.v. shows, add some funky patterns, or really anything at all! The sky’s the limit when it comes to designing your perfect wedding look.

9. Groomsmen’s Gifts

This is something many brides look forward to, but including a gift for your groomsmen is a groom’s tradition too!
This can be a fun and personalized way to thank them for being part of your special day. Ideas include customized beer glasses, memorial koozies, or fun socks to sport as part of your wedding attire.
The possibilities are endless, but we put together an article with a few of our best suggestions to get you on your way!

10. Rehearsal Dinner

The dinner on the night before the wedding is typically a monetary responsibility of the groom’s family. It generally takes place after the rehearsal , and guests include relatives, the wedding party, non-relatives involved in the wedding (officiant, musicians, etc.), and any others your families decide to invite. The size and location (I’ve seen everywhere from Hooters to picnics to nice Italian restaurants) will be a joint decision, but with your family taking the lead.

11. Honeymoon

While many couples still go the route of having the groom plan the honeymoon in its entirety as a surprise, in today’s modern world more brides than not want to be involved in the planning. No matter the case, you should take the lead on this one. This is a great chance for you to work on your negotiating skills — call up hotels and rental car companies, let them know you’re booking for your honeymoon, and you’re likely to get special discounts and/or upgrades.

12.The Bachelor Bash

Though this is usually more of a Best Man’s responsibility, it’s important to make sure your guys know what you’re expecting. Not communicating your expectations could lead to some unfortunate and unpleasant surprises, and personalizing every part of your wedding experience to fit your needs is key to having a wonderful wedding. Whether you’re looking for the traditional crazy limo bash or something more laid back, your groomsmen should be the first to know. Feel free to send them our article here on groomsmen etiquette to ensure they know what you’re expecting of them too, or our top tips on bachelor bash planning if you want to drop some helpful hints.

13. Transportation

You’ll be tasked with arranging transportation for the wedding party, primarily from the ceremony to the reception. This often takes the form of a party bus or limousine, of which there are a zillion companies to choose from. You’ll also want transportation for you and your bride from the reception to your home, hotel, or even the airport. This is often just your own vehicle, but some folks want something special.

14. Arranging the marriage license

The process for getting your marriage license is relatively simple but does, vary by state. Here is what you need for your wedding license in most cases birth certificate, parental consent if you are under the age of 18, photo ID, social security number, proof of citizenship, and documents if you are divorced or widowed.
The validity of the license will vary upon your location. In some states, it can be valid for only 30 days but can be valid for up to a year in others. So, depending on the day you want to get married, you will need to call or visit your courthouse to find out how quickly your license will expire. The fee for your license will also vary by state laws, but they can range between $10 and $115.
Related: Philadelphia Marriage Applications

The (Big) Wedding Day

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Photo Source: Canva

15. Speech, Speech!

I t’s more than likely that at some point people will be calling for a speech from the groom during your reception. You don’t need to have an hour-long address prepared, but have in mind a few things you’d like to say and remember to thank all your loved ones for the time and work they put into helping you celebrate your special day.
Related: Speech Tips - How to write an awesome Toast

16. A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

One of the best ways to remember your special day is through images, so make sure you’re taking lots of them! Hire a photographer or videographer to capture all the special moments at your wedding, but consider adding a photo booth or a Polaroid table to allow your guests to capture the wedding from their perspectives too!
You’ll end up treasuring every photo from that day, so get as many as you can!
Related: 13 Questions to Ask

17. Stay in the Moment

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Your wedding day is for you and your fiance to celebrate exactly how much you love each other, so one of the most important things to do is to stay in the moment.
Let someone else handle the caterers, the transport, and all the other little details. Your day is for you and your future partner, so stay focused on that and you’ll remember every moment for years to come.

Considering a Wedding Checklist for the Groom-to-be: Everything You Need To Know

Final Thoughts
When your wedding day finally arrives, you want to be able to focus on spending every precious moment with your loved ones. Following this checklist makes sure you’ve taken care of all the little things so that on your big day you can focus on the biggest thing of all: getting ready to spend forever with the love of your life.

Our wedding planners recognize how important those moments are, so we prepare checklists and help you handle every little detail so that on your big day you can focus on the biggest thing of all: getting ready to spend forever with the love of your life.

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