Guest Blogger Profile: Simon Daykin of GutsyGroom.com

All the planning is done, the guests have arrived, the menu is chosen, the DJ is booked and it’s the big day.  A lot of planning has gone into this day, but it’s not over yet.  On the wedding day the bride gets hair and make up done and is gushed over by the photographer and all her bridesmaids.

But the groom always seems to get left out…when was the last time you saw photos of the groom and groomsmen getting ready???  This doesn’t have to be the case, you’ve been involved in the planning process and now you deserve all that other good stuff on your wedding day.

Simon wonders why it is you never see photos of the groom and groomsmen getting ready together

I’ve compiled a list of a few do’s and don’ts for you, some of these are common sense, but after doing as many weddings as I’ve done…Trust me, as straight forward as some of these seem there’s always that one guy.

Make A Timeline And Stick To It!!!

We always include an extremely detailed itinerary for our couples and we do all we can to stick to it.  That being said I have been standing at the groom’s hotel door banging on it because he missed breakfast.  Getting up on time is key.  For more than the obvious reason, if you start the day on time you’re not playing catch up all day and your stress level will be lower.  I suggest not only setting the alarm clock, but get a minimum of TWO wake up calls and then make sure you have a friend come to the room and bang on the door until you answer it.

Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal Of The Day

Once you’re up and about it’s time to get some food in ya.  Make time for breakfast, I say this because you’ll be very busy all day and may not have time to eat another real meal until you sit down to dinner.  And that is a long way off.  BUT…Don’t order room service.  Have breakfast with your parents, or your groomsmen, if you eat breakfast with your groomsmen you know they are up as well, and that they haven’t overslept.

Treat Yourself To A Little Something

This may seem like a no-brainer, but no matter how nice it is outside and how your buddy says you have plenty of time…don’t try to squeeze in 18 holes before the ceremony.  From experience, please trust me on this one.  Not to say you can’t do anything but sit around the room.  Book a massage, get a facial, warm towel treatment and straight razor shave.  The photographer is gonna want pictures of the rings, so maybe get a manicure the morning of the wedding, that way the nails will be in top form for the photos and all that hand shaking you’ll be doing later.

Don’t Forget Your Bride

While you’re having your massage and getting shaved, don’t forget about your bride.  Make a plan with your best man for him to take over the wedding day gift you got for her.  Have him take it directly to her room, but make sure she’s awake and dressed etc.  I found a good time to do this is when you know the photographer will be there, you know she’ll be up and have all her friends around, so it’s the perfect time to deliver the gift.

Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice

Don’t be afraid to indulge yourself on your wedding day.  You deserve it.  Do things that relax you (although I would steer clear of the bar) and make you feel good.  Don’t forget to eat whenever you get the chance, even if you think you’re not hungry.  If your groomsmen are coming to your room to get suited up, have the photographer there as well, most photogs bring a second shooter so grab that guy and have him take your pre-wedding shots.  But while doing all of this, don’t forget about your bride.  The great thing about hiring a planner is that you get to do all the good stuff on your wedding day and the planner makes sure it all runs smoothly…giving you the time to enjoy that massage you’ve booked for yourself.

Guest Blogger Profile: Jennifer Napier of OneWed.com

Pop culture may have you thinking of wedding planners as JLo or Martin Short barking orders and trying to seduce you.  But truthfully, a wedding planner can be a groom’s best friend.

If Frank isn't available for your wedding, OneWed has some great alternative options

Your girl has other things to do besides plan the wedding, which means you’ll get stuck doing everything she doesn’t want to do. This is where a wedding planner can come in handy. Let the planner do the things your fiancée doesn’t want to do. This leaves you free to do something fun, like watch SportsCenter or plan your honeymoon!

Another benefit of the wedding planner is that he or she provides a sounding board for your fiancée. Don’t feel like having a discussion about the difference between Robin’s Egg blue and Tiffany blue? Enter the wedding planner, someone whose job it is to not only listen, but to actually care, about these things.  On the other hand, if there is an issue you care about such as the importance of having a place where you and the guys can light a cigar at the reception, the wedding planner can become your advocate with your bride (and also your advocate with your parents or hers).

Need help finding a wedding planner? Come visit us at OneWed!

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!

Meet the Man-Bride. He’s sort of a company mascot here at TMR. His mission: inform grooms everywhere that there’s more to wedding planning than dresses, flowers, and registering for silverware. Of course, those activities are a huge part of the bride’s wedding experience.. However, at TheManRegistry.com we’re all about showing the groom ways that he can get more involved and leave his mark on the wedding.

Enjoy!

We go way back with Big Rob from @drinkinggames. We’ve convinced him to share some of his legendary drinking game advice with the grooms out there who want a memorable bachelor party. So without further ado…

This looks familiar..

So you’re celebrating the last moments of your freedom, you and your boys are up for a night on the town.   If the best man does it right, he’ll get the gang primed and ready to go even before you hit the bars or bus.  Asking from experience, who’s got the funds to hit the bar in high gear sober?

Pregame It:

Get your buzz going early with an hour of power, it’s one of the best ways to start off the night.  Unless you’re drinking alone or at a family reunion, then it’s just sad. Throw in some shoulders or thumper, because nothing beats seeing your friends make a fool of themselves.

If the bachelor pre-party starts to accumulate more people – bust out a cup, quarter, and ice tray and play some Moose. (Editor’s note – this is one of our favorite games for after hours at TMR) It’s the quintessential stand around the table and makes-your-friends drink game.  It’s ridiculously addictive and so easy to play even your future brother-in-law’s friend that is in his seventh semester of community college can follow along. All you need to play is an ice tray and a large bowl. It’s best if everyone playing is drinking something different.  Set up the pieces as shown below and have everyone pour a bit of their drink into the bowl. Take turns trying to bounce the quarter from the table into the ice tray. If the quarter lands in the right column of the ice tray, you give out drinks. If it lands in the left column.. you drink. If someone is unlucky enough to bounce the quarter into the bowl – everyone must yell “MOOSE!.” The last one to do so has to drink the bowl…and it’s mixed contents.

Ice tray and bowl. It doesn't get any easier.

Bar:

By the time you hit up the bar you should be feeling like George Clooney in Ocean’s Eleven; a confident cougar magnet hanging with your mob of friends.  Keep the dreamin’ alive by playing some more bar appropriate games avoiding the dice, quarters, and cards.  Make use of the sports playing on the TVs around the bar to aid in your intoxication and invent drinking rules for certain sports.  Use your friends as a source of your drinking pleasure by singling them out by their catch phrase or every time the text someone.  Involve the whole crew by making each other only refer to people by nicknames.

Hey look at me - it's my bachelor party!

As always tip your bartenders, and be aware of your surroundings; I’m sure you don’t want the bridegroom in a fight with a 300 pound biker named Curly.

The Aftermath:

Grab some Waffle House, regale each other on the night’s events, and make drunken promises to do it again.

For daily tweets on new drinking games and reminders of old favorites, follow @drinkinggames on Twitter. If you’re not using Twitter – start! And while you’re there, follow @themanregistry as well.

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