Photo: Vue Photography
Every week, we give our readers a glimpse inside the mindset of a guy's brain on weddings with the help of the hilarious and smart editors at The Plunge.
And now for something completely different: a post for the guys. Our list of things we figure you ladies want to make sure he doesn't forget to do the morning of the wedding. All you have to do is send him the link or post it on Facebook. But give it a read first, just to let us — and him — know if we missed anything. For now, men, grab a beer and listen.
1. Kill the hangover.
It's not just one day of celebrating; it's a weekend event. By all means, enjoy the toasts in your honor the night before at the rehearsal dinner, but if you're going to spend one last all-nighter bro-ing out, you have an obligation to your future wife to show no ill effects the next morning. So rise and shine, pop some Advil, drink plenty of water, down a cup of coffee or two, and brush your teeth.
2. Eat breakfast.
You'll quickly be swept into the manic pace and craziness of the wedding day. You're likely to miss out on a lot of the reception food, and without the proper fuel you could pass out before you've made the rounds to Nana's bridge club at Table 12. On the biggest day of your life, breakfast truly is the most important meal.
3. Shave. Carefully.
As the groom, all eyes will be on your face as you gaze lovingly at your beautiful bride. Make sure it's perfectly shaven. If you can't trust your own nervously shaking hand, pay someone to do this for you. (Your barber, we mean. Not just, like, someone.)
4. Wear clean underwear.
And socks. And undershirt. All clean everything, for what should be obvious reasons (nerves = sweat, sweat = a bad look ... and smell). Better yet, get yourself some new designer jockeys. Your wife is doing her best to look sexy on the wedding night; you should return the favor. Bonus, you now have a new lucky pair for every big meeting, job interview, and playoff game. Congratulations, we've survived by far the least manly portion of this post.
See More: From a Beer Bar to a Cigar Bar: 5 Cool Reception Ideas to Impress Your Groom
5. Corral the crew.
Make sure your boys also remember to do all of the above (well, maybe keep the underwear bit to yourself) and that they know the day's schedule. You and your bride didn't spend months carefully planning to have Alan and the Wolfpack screw it up now.
6. Send your bride a gift.
Or a letter. Or both. Send both. She's your best friend and soon to be life partner. After all the planning, stress, and probably a few tears, this morning is your first and best opportunity to remind her that's what matters most.
7. Know where the rings are.
Check on this situation and then check it again. Your groomsmen have the easiest job of anyone at the wedding, but one of them is likely in charge of the only task with any real significance. Make sure your ring bearer comes bearing rings.
So we're feeling good, looking good, letting our bride know we care, keeping our boys in check, and have secured the precious cargo. Seems like we've covered it all, but like we said before, let us know if anything's missing from this list. We're men — we forget things.
Even if they don't seem super involved in the wedding-planning process, grooms are going through the same life-changing experience as their brides-to-be. Enter: The Plunge. The site helps the engaged guy navigate his wedding from a man's point of view.