Home » Wedding Roles » Groom » Groom's List of Things To Do
Groom's List of Things To Do
There are some things the groom needs to consider regardless of how involved they are in the wedding organisation. The main things to think about are:
Buying the wedding rings
The groom is traditionally responsible for buying the wedding rings – although this is usually done with the bride. Don’t leave buying wedding rings until the last minute. Some rings can take up to 12 weeks to be ordered even from high street jewellers.
Booking the honeymoon
Traditionally the honeymoon was booked and paid for by the groom, but these days most couples like to plan their ‘trip of a lifetime’ together.
Everyone has different ideas as to the perfect honeymoon – whether it be a two week beach holiday, an African safari, activity based or cultural. Some couples often use their honeymoon as an excuse to go travelling before they settle down to have a family. Whatever you decide, make sure you’re both happy with the final choice – unless your bride wants to be surprised on the day.
If the honeymoon is to be a surprise, make sure you book something you will both enjoy. You will also need to tell her how much time to book off and what sort of clothes she will need to pack. Once booked, try not to tell anyone else – someone is bound to let the cat out of the bag by accident.
Check which vaccinations you might need before you book. You don’t want to book a honeymoon only to find out that you don’t have enough time to have your inoculations. The best advice is to book your honeymoon early. When you have your inoculations – make sure you tell the nurse that the destination is a surprise so she doesn’t mention it in front of your fiancée.
Finally, make sure you both have valid passports, adequate insurance and the appropriate visas if required.
Arranging your first night accommodation
Unless you’re going on honeymoon straight from the wedding, you’ll need to book somewhere to stay for your first night as newlyweds. If your guests are all staying at the venue or a nearby hotel – you may decide to stay with them. This can be a great way to spend more time with your guests unless you want to sneak away with your new wife for some peace and quiet.
Having a stag do
Traditionally, one of the groom’s jobs was to organise his stag do. These days it’s often the job of the best man – which is a good thing as you’ve got a wedding to plan. Hopefully you’ll pick a best man you can trust not to shave your eyebrows or tie you naked to a lamp post. If you have an idea as to what you want to do (or don’t) – let him know.
Buying gifts
A lot of people will have helped you to organise your wedding day. It’s important to acknowledge that fact and a gift is a nice way to say thanks – but don’t feel you need to spend a lot. The groom usually buys gifts for the best man and ushers. A gift to your parents is also a nice way to thank them for all their help and support.
You may also want to buy your bride a gift. Although this is purely optional, you’ll feel pretty bad if she gets you a gift but you haven’t got one for her!
Take a look at some of our ideas:
- For the men – cufflinks, wallet or funny socks
- For the parents – a picture frame for one of the wedding photos is a gift they will treasure. It is also nice to give a bunch of flowers to your mum
- For your bride – a piece of jewellery for her to wear on her wedding day. If this is a surprise, you can’t go too wrong with a timeless classic.