Calling all recently engaged grooms, yes you! You may have heard that the wedding is all about the bride and her ladies, but it’s your day too! Don’t get lost in how to plan your perfect wedding day, with these easy steps!
Alright gentlemen, the first step, one you are probably already aware of, is popping the question!! You have been with your honey for sometime now, and you have realized you want to spend forever with your person. Chances are, they have probably thought about how they’d liked to be asked and have dropped hints.
Listen to those hints! They can be as simple as,
- Asking for the parents permission
- For them to have their nails done
- For the proposal to happen around family
- For the proposal to be photographed or videotaped
You are probably only going to have one chance to propose, so make sure as many of their hints are accounted for!
And for yourself, tidy up a bit. You are getting ready to ask your person to marry you. Why not get a fresh haircut, maybe trim up the beard if you’ve got one and hey, throw on an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and confident. You got this!! 👍🏻
Now that you have proposed, and you have had a minute to be a newly engaged couple, we are going to break down your timeline into a year timeframe.
One year out
Take a little time to enjoy the perks of being newly engaged. You are going to get a lot of attention and it is fun to revel in that while you can!
A couple months after your proposal, it’s time to think about venues or where you want to get married. Start researching places that fit your vibe and personality. Typically you and your soon to be, do this together!
Nine months out
It’s now time to tackle some smaller wedding planning tasks. With nine to 11 months to go, now is a good time to start putting together a wedding registry. These days anything goes, but it is typically nice to put a list together as a way to provide guidance for your wedding guests.
If you aren’t in the market for new material items, a popular way to still receive a little gift from a guest is to set up a honeymoon fund where they can put a little cash gift in to celebrate your wedding!
The next task is to ask your groomsmen! You want your best buds to stand up next to you when you marry the love of your life so you will want to put the time and energy into picking those special guys. When picking your groomsmen or best man, think about the tasks that come with the role and who will be the best guy for the job.
A best man will typically be in charge of holding onto the rings, so he will need to be responsible enough to carry out that task. Your groomsmen will be there for moral support and maybe a speech or two.
6 months to go
Now is the time to be thinking about your wedding attire. You will want to be familiar with your wedding day vision and how you want to look on your big day. Are you going to rent a tux or a suit? Or are you going to purchase one?
A popular place to purchase or rent is Mens Wearhouse. They have a large assortment of styles and colors to chose from and can work with you to customize your wedding day look. Another place to look is the Black Tux. They are growing in popularity and are a little bit more modern in their practices.
This is also the time for your groomsmen to be looking around for what they will be wearing as well.
4 months to go
It may seem early, but now is the time to start planning and setting up the rehearsal dinner. This is traditionally a pre-wedding event thrown by the grooms family, so you will want plenty of time to plan the perfect dinner.
3 months to go
We’re getting close now! With 3 months to go, this is the time to get all your ducks in a row when it comes to your honeymoon. Make sure tickets are accounted for, hotel rooms are booked and plans are set in stone. You don’t want to be stressing about getting everything ready to go when it’s too late.
Now is also the time to start writing your vows because writers block is real. Do not, I repeat, do not wait until the last minute to write your vows. These are the words you are going to be speaking to the love of your life for all your friends and family to hear. You want to put the time and effort into it.
If you are both reciting religious vows during your ceremony, this is the time to start practicing so that you aren’t fumbling over your words on your wedding day. And even if you aren’t reading out personal vows, having something written for your soon to be spouse is a special little moment the two of you can share at some point during your big day.
2 months left
Now it’s time to send out your invitations. Chances are, you have tediously gone through and picked out those friends and family members that you want to share your wedding day with, and now is the time to send out their invitation. You will want to have an RSVP date so that you can give your venue and catering service the correct guest count before it comes down to the wire.
One month
Where has the time gone?! Give yourself a nice pat on the back for making it this far, you are almost to your wedding day! With one month to go, this is a good time to buy your groomsmen gifts. This is a nice gesture, an act of appreciation for being their for you through thick and thin. Put some thought into what sort of gift or thank you card you will want to pass out on the day of your wedding.
A week before your wedding
Let’s get you ready to walk down the aisle! A week before your wedding is a time for preparing yourself, which includes trying on your tux or suit. If you have bought your suit, this is the time to check how the final alterations are fitting you. If little things need to be adjusted, you still have time. If you have rented a suit, trying it on a week before gives you time to get a new size if need be.
You will also want to get a nice haircut or trim, nothing drastic, but a nice clean up for your big day. You want to look your best!
This week is a time to relax with your honey, so plan some time for quality one on one time before the big day. It’s going to go by in the blink of an eye and you want to be as rested as possible in order to enjoy every minute.
Get Hitched
You’ve done it! You’ve planned your wedding and now comes your wedding day. Everything has been planned and tasked out, so enjoy your day!!
After the wedding
After you have said your I do’s, sealed it all with a kiss and enjoyed your kick ass wedding day with everyone, now it’s time to do a couple more wedding related tasks.
If you’ve rented your suit or tux, send it back!
Head off on your honeymoon! Throughout it all, you have stressed and planned for months and months, now it’s time to relax as a newly married couple! Gather up all your documents and paperwork and enjoy!
This is the most important post wedding task, send out thank you notes. This is something that should not be forgotten about! All of your guests came out to see you marry the love of your life, sent you gifts and they now you can appreciate them by saying thank you. Write up a personal card for each guest and include a special memory or moment that you shared with them at your wedding, they will be thankful and happy, as will you!
And now you’ve done it! You’re married!! Congratulations! 🙌🏼
