The Groom's Wedding Guide | Wedding, Months, Day, Now, Ndash |

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Sherwani New Arrivals

The Groom's Wedding Guide

Before you can get off you to your new life with your Bride, there’s something enormous to get over. It’s called a wedding.

Day 1
You’re deliriously happy in a weird kind of “What on earth have I done?” kind of way. There was no hysterical laughter, just a blubbed “yes”Do nothing. Enjoy and absorb the enormity of what you’ve committed to. Call your friends and family.

Day 2
You’ve done the big Who. Now discuss the big When Not the exact date – but this year? Or next year? Everyone loves a summer wedding. But if its after March now you’re probably too late for this year. Give yourself six to eight months. If that takes you to November, think about next year. Autumnal drizzle is literally a dampener. A winter wedding can be romantic, but cold

Day 10
By now the need to show off a sparkly diamond ring has reached intolerable levels in even the least materialistic of ladies. Customs says an engagement ring should cost at least your monthly salary. But don’t be tempted to overdo it here – there’ll be plenty of other things to drop cash on in the next few months

Day 15-30
Buying the ring

Eight months to go
This is the start of a war of attrition. The most casual modern weddings are not simply the expression of live between two people: weddings are the coming together of two families. You are in it together so what kind if a wedding do you BOTH want? Traditional? Exotic? You may shrink from any major fuss. But is that what she wants? Ask her. Decide the style of your wedding early and everything else from invites to flowers will flow easier Where? The traditional location is the bride’s home town. What about the beach in Bali? How will guests get there?

Seven months to go
Book and pay the deposits for the ceremony and reception venues. Look at a number of venues, weighing up attractiveness against facilities and proximity to accommodation for guests. Find out about catering, numbers of guests and entertainment. If your venue can accommodate all on the above, grab it. The moment you have a set date, tell everyone

By now you’ll have an idea of your budget. Double it. The days when the father of the bride took on the whole cash haemorrhaging expense are gone. Today it’s a joint effort. And you won’t have thought of all the expenses yet – flowers, invites, transport, gifts for the bridesmaids, rings, drink, cake, corsages, and, oh yes, a honeymoon

Six months to go
Choose your best man. Don’t choose the funniest, craziest reprobate you know – making a funny speech is just one of his responsibilities. Choose a best friend, but one that can rise to the enormous challenge of being your aide-de-camp for the next six months. He should be a cert to be more grown up on the big day than you. It’s a tremendous duty. Bestow it with care Decide on the honeymoon

Five months to go
Discuss what you’ll both wear. Does she expect morning coats, black tie or chic suits from you and the ushers? Assure her (with fingers crossed) that they all scrub up well.

Chances are you won’t know what she’s wearing until the day, but she’ll want to have a clear idea about you and the ushers. Choose now, enlisting the help of the best man to ensure they toe the line. Research your preferred outfits. Do not encourage them to go freestyle

Start on the wedding guest list. Work out the number your venue can realistically accommodate. Divide your list into three groups: a) who you must invite (family), b) who you should invite (family friends) and c) who you’d like to invite (your own friends). If your wedding ceremony is in a small venue, consider inviting some of the b and c choices to the reception only

Four months to go
Make sure the best man is up to speed and thinking about ushers, your stag weekend, dates. Discuss what kind of stag you’d like. A weekend away? A big night out? Make sure it’s at least a week before the wedding – it’s his job to ensure you look like a god on the big day. Photographers and wedding cake-makers should now be sorted, as all can be booked solid long in advance

Three months to go
Choose your wedding outfit and pre-book it for your chosen date. Take your time to make sure everything fits – an ill-fitting suit is a no-no. Research printers and order your invites, checking proofs meticulously. Tell people what the mood is: if you prefer black tie, say so on the invite

Two months to go
Send out the invites. Everyone should have the date marked already, so the invite is just a formality. Confirm on-the-day arrangements like catering, drink and flowers. Pay anything you can early. There’ll plenty of other bills to come. Do the lottery

One months to go
Double check the best man is actually doing his job. Get updates. Wake him from his sense of denial. Slap him. Slap him again! Ensure the honeymoon is sorted, including where you’ll be on your wedding night. Many couples now spend at lest one night near the venue before jetting off. A midnight dash to the airport might be depressing

Two weeks
Double and triple-check everything is in place including the guests’ accommodation.Take delivery of airline tickets. Put them somewhere really clever (i.e. with passports).Arrange your honeymoon cash and travellers’ cheques
Clear off the balance from your credit cards for the honeymoon. As if…

One week to go
Enjoy your stag night. After this don’t arrange anything except a haircut and manicure – there’s going to be a lot of photos so stay off the booze. Think about packing for the night after the wedding and the honeymoon. Start writing your speech early. Practice. Rewrite it. Practice again.

Three days to go
Pick up your wedding outfit. Do try it on so any last-minute issues can be sorted. Pack for the big day

The Wedding Day
Now all you have to deal with is the ceremony, reception, speeches, weird relatives, your blubbing best man and drunken friends. This is the easy bit. Which is just as it should be. Enjoy!

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