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If you think the men in your wedding party would never misbehave, think again. There's the nervous groomsman who, dreading a toast, drinks too much during the reception and the groomsman who gets too crazy on the dance floor. And who could forget the groomsman who had a little too much fun the night before and shows up late to the big day? "I've seen this often," admits Melissa Samek, senior event consultant at Clementine Custom Events.
The key to keeping your guys in check, of course, is picking a responsible lot from the get-go. "The selection of the groomsmen is key," says Jesse Tombs, senior event producer for Alison Events. "You don't want to select a person that has a past of acting out or getting too carried away. Stick to safe choices you know you can trust and those who will behave."
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It's also important to limit their access to alcohol before the big event starts. "Lots of grooms want copious amounts of alcohol available prior to the wedding," says Tombs. And that can be bad news for men with a proclivity to let loose when they're tipsy. "My recommendation is to have the ceremony in the late afternoon, and allow the wedding parties to take part in a healthy physical activity such jogging, yoga, biking, or fly fishing, to help them blow off steam."
If the worst happens and a groomsman goes rogue on the wedding day, "always have someone other than the bride and groom intervene," advises Samek. "If you don't have a planner, look to a close family member or friend to handle situation. It is important to remind them it's an honor to be a groomsman and that it's disrespectful to the bride and groom to take part in any shenanigans on the wedding day."