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!

Here’s the situation: your wedding day is coming up quickly and it’s up to you to figure out how you are going to leave your old world (late nights with the guys & waking up checking your outgoing texts) and enter your new one (when watching The Tonight Show is a real late night treat).  This may sound a little strong, but give it a year and you’ll see.  The good news is that you get the responsibility of figuring out how to make a memorable and stylish leap into marriage.  That’s right – we’re talking about wedding day transportation.  We’ve got the usual “how-to” article on TMR regarding limo and car rental, but I wanted to share my personal story..

I knew this was my one opportunity to put a spin on the day, and I wanted to make it fun while keeping it classy.  The Budweiser Clydesdales weren’t available, so I picked the next best thing – a vintage 1973 Corvette.  This car has been in my family for over 30 years and is in perfect condition.  In addition to that, it’s a great pearl orange, a rare color for today’s cars. This baby definitely makes a statement.

I had it all planned out… after we walked out of the church, everyone would gather in front (we got lucky that our church happened to sit on a major street).  We quickly went around the corner where our chariot was waiting.  The trickiest part of this was getting my bride’s dress in the car… once that catastrophe was diverted, it was time for my favorite part.  I hopped in,  turned the key, and the beast came to life (this car has some aftermarket exhaust that sounds like a million bucks).

The Beast

And away we go...

We started to pull out onto the street and I felt like this marriage thing wasn’t going to be so bad.  I may actually get my way from time to time.  The big question was, “Am I going to do a nice little burnout that this car is begging me for?”  As we approached the crowd of people and everyone started clapping, I felt the adrenaline really start to rush. Hundreds of horsepower were at my beck and call.  I looked at my new bride with speed in my eyes, as she looked back I slowly pulled my foot away from the gas pedal and we slowly drove on.  I had just realized my first lesson in marriage: it’s not just about you anymore, but compromise isn’t always a bad thing.

Cheers!

-Jimmy Horner (co-founder of TheManRegistry.com)