Your bride is going to want you to have a “good hair day” on your wedding day. Do you know how to do that… because I sure as hell don’t. Lucky for both of us, we’ve got friends at Lock & Mane.

Hi grooms, hubbies-to-be, best men and all you other guys heading to weddings in the next year. We’re here to talk about something very important. Your hair. A wedding isn’t just one of the most important days of someone’s life, it is a day forever recorded in infamy. Over 5,000 pictures are taken at the average wedding. That’s five thousand chances for your hair to look wonky until the end of days. And that picture will be on the Internet so that your future children can mock you even if all that crazy hair has already fallen out.

We know you’re scared now. But it’s OK. Lock & Mane is offering 20% off all products on our site now through March 10 with the code ISW2010. This discount includes our new partnership with The Grooming Lounge purveyors of fine men’s products that focus on functionality and awesomeness.

Their Beard Master Shave Oil (so small it can travel on the plane with you!) eliminates razor burn and rashes without causing the kind of build up most shave creams leave behind causing future acne.  Their Hair Goop (which contains magic fairy dust to help you look your absolute best)  provides strong hold and low shine and fits in your pocket for a touch up during the party. For all you guys who think you don’t need product. You’re wrong. End of story. Guys are always asking us, “Do I need conditioner?” Yes you do. Thankfully Grooming Lounge created a product to make things very easy called, You Need Conditioner conditioner.

Stock up now while the getting is good and make sure you put some time and effort into looking good on the big day (whether it is yours, mine or ours).

Today, we’re pumped to welcome our first eco-friendly wedding blogger to the GroomsAdvice blog. Katie Martin is one of the world’s leading eco-friendly wedding experts. Since 1998, she has designed over 1,000 eco-friendly events and has been honored in the US and internationally.

Read more about Katie here

Herban Lifestyle Etsy

Getting ready for the big day is not only all about getting the suit and the rings – you have to look your best and maybe change your routine a little if you are wanting to green you wedding day.  You are not only marrying the love of your life, but you will have a stupid amount of photos taken of you that will be on your mantel for the next 40 + years!  You also need to smell good and start prepping your face for the shave of your life.

Weddings are, for some, the first time a man will start looking seriously into new shaving products and cologne.  While cologne is a whole different post – organic and eco-friendly shaving creams and products are essential to greening your grooming routine for your wedding day (and beyond).

The above photo is one of my favorite companies, Herban Lifestyle, that I have found using organic ingredients.  It is incredibly important to look at the chemicals that you are putting on your face and the packaging that your products come in. Herban Lifestyle does a great job of taking care of both issues.

Dr. Bronner Shaving Gel

Another amazing company that has longevity and committed followers is Dr. Bronner’s. This company is widely known for its castille liquid soaps, but they have an amazing line of other products including organic fair trade shaving gel.  The gel comes in a few different scents.  The peppermint seems to be the most popular for men.  If you have sensitive skin, go with the organic baby shaving gel (who cares if it says “baby” – if you have sensitive skin – deal with it).  They also have organic tea tree, lavender and lemongrass – in which case you might not need to get cologne and you will need to base it on what your fiance likes!  The less products you use, the more eco-friendly you are!

Organic Grooming by Herban Cowboy

Organic Grooming by Herban Cowboy has some of the best looking packaging I have seen for organic grooming products.  Their shave cream is made of organic aloe, lavender and peppermint.  It has no dyes, alcohol, soaps or synthetics.  Their packaging is also recyclable.  Their products have been used on movie sets like All Good Things and Milk as well as TV shows such as American Gladiators and Medium.

DOVO Gold Etched Steel Blade

Now, on to the tools.  If you are a classic shaving kinda guy, a DOVO gold etched steel blade is the mother of all razors.  It is eco-friendly simply due to the fact that you never really need to throw it away!  If you maintain the blade – this baby will last for generations!!  Of course, you will have to learn the real art of shaving and be incredibly careful if you have never used one of these blades before.  This one is the top of the line and retails at $300.  In the end – you are probably paying that much in disposable razors over a 2 year period if you shave every day or every other day.  Never mind the fact the amount of trash that you are reducing by not using disposable razors!

Razor Saver

If you are married to disposable razors..then extend their lives by getting the Razor saver.  The razor saver is made from recycled razors and can extend a razor’s life to 75-130 more shaves! An amazing gadget for $15!  I recommend Recycline’s Preserve® razors that are made from 100% recycled plastics (and 65% of that coming from Stoneyfield Farm’s old yogurt cups).

You don’t have to make huge changes to green your grooming routine, you just have to made educated choices.

Green it out!

~Katie Martin
CEO & Editor-in-Chief
Elegance & Simplicity, Inc. (www.eleganceandsimplicity.com)
Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine (www.eco-beautifulweddings.com)

Take it from a guy that’s been through this wedding thing already: it’s probably not going to be the most comfortable day of your life. Now I’m not talking about battling nerves or stage fight at the altar, I’m talking about sweat…and not the kind coming from your pits. Think about it – you’re stuck out in the heat posing for photos, sitting on leather seats in the limo or even sprinting away from the church (like your friends will tell you to). You’re going to need something to keep your crotch dry. Gentlemen, I give you Fresh Balls.

Mr. Frank Brooks and his team over at Fresh Balls invented this new antiperspirant to help fight an ongoing problem facing men: the uncomfortable sweating that goes on south of the border. Hell, it even fights odor (which should help you out on the wedding night).

Fresh Balls was designed with today’s nut-sweating man in mind. It doesn’t clump on your skin or leave a power like most deodorants. And better yet, it’s aluminum, paraben and talc-free.  In English: it won’t irritate your skin. Like most of you surely are, I definitely laughed when I first heard the concept. However, after trying it out, there’s no going back.

Check out FreshBalls.com and be sure to watch the video of Frank explaining his struggle with under-the-belt sweat issues.

Guest Blogger Profile: Simon Daykin

We all have our love for facial hair and sideburns.  I myself used to sport a long ass goatee that I had dyed bright red.  Yup, seemed like a good idea at the time.  We’ve all seen the photos of Dad’s wedding, groomsmen with huge mustaches, mutton chop sideburns and oh dear Lord, The Mullet!  My Dad gave me some advice on my wedding day, he said “Son, shave that crap off your face, don’t date your photos.”  Having thought about this I think that was some of the best advice I could have received.  You want your wedding photos to be timeless.

Some grooms may want to consider a different "look" for the wedding

Sure, Wolverine is cool and all…but…

Ah the mutton chop sideburn.  They look great on Wolverine and Elvis, but do you want them in your wedding photos.  When you pull out your photos in the coming years will your kids get a good laugh at Dad’s ridiculous facial hair?  This goes for beards (Do you really want to put your bride through that on the wedding night?) goatees, soul patches, cool 80’s stubble and the “pornstache” that Brad Pitt is now sporting.  Keep in mind he has his for a film role.  Having facial hair that was cool in a certain era will date your photos, it will let people know exactly when you got married and how “cool” you thought you were at that time.  You want your photos to be timeless!

Ha, Ha, Daddy had a mullet!

It doesn’t stop at facial hair fellas, oh no.  Remember the Faux Hawk, the Vanilla Ice lines and the dreaded Hockey Hair or Mullet!  Entire web pages have been dedicated to the Mullet, do you want your wedding photos on such a site!?!  I thought not!  It may have been all business in the front and a party in the back, the best of both worlds you say?  HELL NO!!!  I loved the re-make of Miami Vice, so I grew out my hair and grew a wee moustache, I found out I was NOT as cool as Colin Farrell and my wife and friends still make fun of me. I will be eternally thankful that this phase came after my wedding.  Sure your personality should come through in all aspects for the wedding, but let’s keep is classy shall we.

We Can Help, We Have The Technology

So, how does one tackle one’s facial and head hair then?  For the facial hair I suggest getting yourself a little pampered.  On the morning of your wedding, after you’ve had a nice breakfast.  Head out to a pre determined barber shop and get yourself a nice warm towel facial and straight razor shave.  This will ensure the baby-ass smoothness of your face for your wedding and all the kissing associated there in.  Even better, have the barber come up to your hotel room.

As for your glorious head hair.  I suggest getting your hair cut in the style you want for the wedding  a few weeks before hand.  This ensures it will look good and you will like the style.  Just before the wedding, pop back into the same guy and just get a trim.  Sounds simple right?  Well I got my hair cut right before the wedding, it was way too short and I look like I had a day pass from the Marines in my photos.  Even worse, at the right angle of the sun, it looks like I’m pretty much bald.

Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice

So just a few things to recap here.  Shave that crap off your face, take some time to pamper yourself and don’t cut your hair before the wedding, just have it trimmed.  Oh and one more thing, if you decide to color your hair, give it time to look natural.  If your wedding is on Saturday DON’T dye your mop on Friday night.  It will look fake and you may have some runaway dye on your scalp as well.  No one wants that.

You can make the shave an outing for all your groomsmen if you like.  The bridal party gets their hair and make up done, why can’t you and your guys get a hot towel facial and a shave?  That way you know none of your groomsmen will show up with any crazy facial hair.  Maybe speak to them when you ask them to be in the groom party as some people have a great bond with their facial hair and may not want to give it up.

You want your pictures to be timeless, yes I have said this before but I can’t say it enough.  You don’t want your kids to pull out your wedding photo album to have a good laugh with their friends, you want them to pull that album out and tell their friends how hot their parents were and especially, how great their “Pops” looked.

Guest Blogger Profile: Jennifer Napier of OneWed.com

We’ve already suggested that you consider getting a professional shave the day of your wedding, but now we’re going to go one metro step further and suggest… a manicure. Why? Because it feels and looks good and when else are you going to do it?

You can't spell manicure without MAN.

Here’s the rundown on what happens: You soak your hands in some nice smelling warm liquid. You get a relaxing hand massage, again, with something that smells really good. A nice lady trims your nails and cuticles, then buffs them so that they look clean and shiny, not girly.

You come out feeling strangely relaxed and manly, in a Don Draper sort of way. Hell, you can even drink your Old Fashioned while you’re getting the manicure.

Our new friends at Lock and Mane want all grooms to know that their hair care and style is just as important as the bride’s on the wedding day!

There isn’t a more perfect moment during a wedding than when the groom catches the first glimpse of his bride walking down the aisle. The face, the dress, the hair…everything is just picture perfect. Ok buddy you may be looking at the bride, but everyone else is lookin’ at you lookin’ at her. And it is your responsibility to look great, because you aren’t getting a team of pros to make you look pretty. The bridal party always gets their own personal grooming team of hair and makeup stylists. The groom and his boys are lucky just to get a place to wash their hair before the ceremony.

Don’t despair. Lock & Mane is here to help. Here are a few products you can have on hand for you and your menfolk to get picture perfect before the ceremony.

The key to great hair (and many of you don’t know this because, well, you aren’t chicks) is a great shampoo. So start the day with Jonathan Detox Dirt Clarifying Shampoo. It’s worth it because it strips the hair of the residue left over from years of over-using gels, mousse and getting your head dunked in the toilet during pledge-week.

Dudes don’t condition. We get that. But conditioning your hair makes it softer and more manageable and helps prevent nasty fly-aways that will most definitely ruin your wedding photos and piss off your mother-in-law. We recommend John Allen’s Mint Conditioner for the big day,  not only because it stimulates and refreshes your scalp, but also because it smells fantastic and will guarantee your groomsmen will bag some bridesmaids.

Top the hair off with product that doesn’t screw around like Billy Jealousy’s Lunatic Fringe Hair Pomade.

The cherry on top of your look is the perfect shave. While most guys don’t want to shell out the big bucks for John Allan’s 63R Series Razor, it is worth it to get his Slick Water Pre-Shave Solution. It lubricates the skin for increased glide and ensures you won’t end up with a nasty razor burn on your wedding day.

Drumroll….

Congrats to @careyhart who won her fiance Dan a grooming kit in our To Groom (or not to groom) Twitter contest. Bride entrants had to tell us in 140 characters or less why their fiance needed this grooming kit. Carey’s winning tweet was:

careyhart: @themanregistry Dan looks good, but he needs your grooming kit…so he can stop using my stuff. Shhh!

Tweets were judged by our groom style expert Simon Daykin. He even was generous enough to throw a few groom wedding planning Cd’s into the prize pack. Here’s why he thought Carey’s fiance needed this kit the most:

I love a guy who tries!  Even if he’s using his girls stuff it’s a step in the right direction.  I hope with his own kit of stuff he’ll keep going.  Taking care of your appearance and skin really makes a difference in the way you feel about yourself and how you carry yourself and also how people look at you.  Plus with having good skin and a well groomed appearance will make the weddings pictures so much better, because lets face it..unless you’re a famous person, your wedding day will be the day when you’ll be photographed the most in one day for your entire life.

Congratulations Dan, I hope The Man Registry grooming kit and the Firefly Occasions‘ groom Cd’s keep you on the path of looking and feeling great.

Guest Blogger Profile: Jennifer Napier of OneWed.com

Careful with that razor..

So, you do know that on your wedding day your bride is going to look a little different, right? Most likely, she’s getting her hair and make-up done by a professional. Now, I’m not suggesting you go all metro-sexual and put on guy-liner, but what about treating yourself to a hot lather shave at your favorite barber shop? It’ll be a nice relaxing treat, and it’ll avoid the need for little pieces of toilet paper stuck all over your face on your wedding day.

The Man Registry is giving away a killer grooming kit (valued at $50) to a lucky tweeting bride who can tell us in 140 characters or less why their hubby-to-be needs some grooming help.  Whether it’s because he chews his toenails, needs a serious nose-hair pluck, or hasn’t been to the dentist in three years, let us know. The funnier the better.  Just tag your tweet with @themanregistry by July 5th to be eligible. The winner will be chosen by our groom style expert Simon Daykin (and his partner in crime/wife Ciara). Decision will be based on what groom is in most need of grooming help.

Wedding planners, you’re welcome to enter on behalf of a client!

If you don’t have Twitter, you can enter by posting a comment at the bottom of this post.

Brides, send us a tweet telling us why your groom needs this kit!

Let’s be honest, us men love to lay around, drink beer, watch sports, and not give a damn about what we look like while doing it. Don’t believe what you see in those Axe Body Spray commercials, we can actually make it through life being scruffy and stinky… until the wedding day. Enter Anthony Logistics for Men. They’ve created a great gift package called ‘Here Comes the Groomed.’ This kit has everything a groom will need to look his best for the big day.

The kit includes: glycolic facial cleanser, facial scrub, pre-shave oil, shave cream, after shave balm, sea salt body scratch, glycerin hand/body lotion, and comes in a nifty travel case.

In our ongoing effort to provide the best content and advice for grooms, The Man Registry has invited Simon Daykin to join our efforts as our groom wedding planning & coordinating expert.

Simon and his wife Ciara Daykin are co-founders of Firefly Occasions. Simon also has founded GutsyGroom.com where he gives wedding and style advice to groom’s from a male perspective. He’s a natural fit for The Man Registry’s panel of groom experts.

Simon Daykin joins The Man Registry's panel of experts

Here’s an example of the type of Q/A advice Simon will be sharing with our readers:

Question- Who do we invite to the rehearsal dinner?

Simon: Traditionally you invite the families, ushers, groomsmen and bridesmaids.  I’m finding that these days that guest list is much, much larger.  Invite only the necessary people to the ceremony rehearsal but think about inviting all your guests to the dinner, you don’t have to pick up their tabs or buy their booze.  I suggest picking up the tabs for the people who attend the ceremony rehearsal but not the rest of the guests.  This will give the guests a chance to meet each other before the reception.  This will take away any awkward moments at the dinner table the next day because they have a chance to meet, chat and share a cocktail or two.  I have heard from numerous guests that they love a pre party before the reception on the big day.

Be sure to visit The Man Registry’s Ask the Wedding Expert section today and read great content from all of our expert partners.

Cheers!