It seems like endless advice is offered to women on how to be a great bridesmaid; hundreds of magazine articles sharing detailed advice, fashion blogs offering style tips and popular film and TV show portrayals to imitate. There is substantially less advice out there for men on how to be a great groomsman. Read on for our advice on how to ace your role on your friends’ wedding day.
Help plan the bachelor party
While this task mainly falls on the shoulders of the best man, offering your advice and guidance on planning the best bachelor party for your friend can go a long way. Each groomsmen probably has a unique insight into the groom-to-be that will be an asset in helping to plan the bachelor party. For example, if the best man is an old school friend or you met the groom-to-be at university, then you may have a different take, or insight into his tastes and interests, that could be a big help in helping to organise the best stag-do for him.
As always, be sure to take note of what he wants to do and influence the bachelor party planning in that direction; if your friend is more relaxed and down to earth, then the standard night of clubbing and mayhem may not be his bag.
Look the part
One of the things that you have to get right as a groomsman is your wedding day attire. This may be relatively simple, if your groom-to-be has organised a fitting session and has a set dress code that all groomsmen should abide by. However, this isn’t always the case, so if no one has told you what to wear – what should you do? You can’t go far wrong with a nice suit in a neutral shade, such as black or grey – but do take the colour scheme into consideration before settling on a final outfit.
Planning ahead goes along way in helping you to look good and feel comfortable on the day. You may have an old suit from a couple of years back that you’ve set your mind on wearing, but don’t wait until the morning of the wedding to drag it out of the wardrobe. Your old suit may not fit so well, so it’s best to try it on at least a month before the wedding, so that you can make alterations, or buy a different suit if need be. In addition, your suit may have obvious signs of wear, such as rips or stains on it, so it’s best to inspect it in advance and send it off for a dry clean before the day.
In terms of accessories, hopefully your friend will have briefed you on the right shade of tie and the buttonhole fastening that you will need for the day. Make sure you keep them in a safe place, so you’re not stressing about where you put them on the morning of the wedding.
Offer your support
Getting married is a stressful time for everyone, so be sure to lend your support to your friend and let him know that you are around to talk about anything that may be stressing him out about planning the wedding.
As Huffington Post suggests, it can also help to be proactive in reaching out and offering your support, “Don’t just say “Call me when you need help”, but rather offer a helping hand on specific tasks like sending in the measurements to the tux rental shop, collecting the suits, or picking up family members from the airport. Your groom (and his bride) will surely appreciate your support.”
Easier than it looks
These simple tips should help you feel more prepared for your role as groomsmen on the day of the wedding; remember to have your suit prepared ahead of time and offer support in the run-up to the wedding and your friend will likely feel lucky to have you in his groomsman lineup.
