Must know? I can imagine what you’re thinking. How can anything be ‘must know’? Well wonder no more; read these top wedding tips for grooms and find out!
I’ve been doing some reflection recently on 2017’s weddings, and if we concentrate on only the gents for a moment, there has been a handful of things that have become apparent throughout the calendar year. I’ve spoken to a few brides about this too, and there seems to be some common themes. Most of the time, lads on a wedding day have a limited list of things they need to accomplish, bless them, so if the only hitch you’re expecting on your wedding day is the act of getting married, then you may want to be mindful of the following 3 things:
1. Buttonholes
Bridal party men perpetually don’t realise a) what a buttonhole is, b) that they should be wearing buttonholes and c) how to put on a buttonhole. This isn’t unusual, but let’s try to avoid the menfolk making a hash of the lovely little ornate lapel decoration by hacking at it / roughly shoving it through the little hole in the lapel (this is actually called a buttonhole but more on that shortly) in complete confusion. This has led to mad dashes and panic stations to get buttonholes on before the bride starts her aisle walk, and we don’t want that do we? You may want to remind your groom, the best man, and anyone remotely sensible within the group, that the buttonholes you lovingly curated via your florist need putting on before gametime. This leads to one of my favourite bits: “Does anyone know how to put this on?”
Answer: on the left lapel of a suit jacket or waistcoat (on the right if you are looking at them), slightly above the breast pocket, around near the buttonhole. Now, a buttonhole in a suit is not for sticking flowers in, but it’s a traditional element of a suit where, in the olden days, gentlemen could have a button sewn to the opposite lapel and, if they chose, they could fasten their suit up across their chest using said button and buttonhole. History lesson over, back to buttonholes.
Each buttonhole is usually supplied with a pin, and the idea is the pin should hold it in place but not be visible, so start pinning underneath the lapel, a quick in and out (oo-er) through the stalk, and voila.
If you’re still unsure, make your hubby-to-be watch this informative (if somewhat retro) YouTube video: How to put on a buttonhole
2. Ties and pocket squares
Who doesn’t know how to tie a tie properly, eh? Well it seems just about every groom or usher, I’m sorry to say. You’ll be amazed how many chaps struggle to get a decent tie on a wedding day. Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh; I appreciate not everyone works in a job which necessitates wearing a tie on a regular basis, but much like the buttonhole debacle, I’d always advise your menfolk to practice tying their ties before the morning of a wedding. This might be a neck tie, a cravat, maybe even a bow tie. But for neck ties, did you want a Windsor knot? Half or full Windsor? Arghhh!
And ties are sometimes accompanied by a pocket square. You know, the little matching hanky that sits in the breast pocket of their jacket. My 2017 bride Lucy found this wasn’t as simple a process as she’d hoped:
“From a guide, Hubby-to-be selected a style which involves folding the pocket square 3 times. On the morning, I passed the directions on to my mum and she did my dads for him, no problem. However I heard that it took the guys about 40 minutes to do four pocket squares, and when they arrived one of their girlfriends took one look at them and had to re-do them all so that they looked the same! The lesson is, practice before the big day! I wish I’d folded them in to the suit jacket pockets the day before.”
There’s loads of tie and pocket square styles on Pinterest etc, but here’s some help on both fronts if you need it:
Ways to wear a necktie | How to tie a Windsor knot | Pocket square styles
3. Mobile phones
Increasingly we carry our smartphones with us wherever we go, sometimes to make phonecalls (imagine!) but they’re also really handy to document moments at the drop of a hat, by swiftly pressing a button and taking a photo. Do grooms need their mobiles with them on their wedding day? It’s hard to say really; they may be organising/coordinating arrival times for people, perhaps they’ve lost an usher and need to track him down, or they need it for emergencies. But guys, you really don’t need your phone on you during the important times, like the ceremony, or during photographs. There’s nothing more off-putting than taking a photograph of a groom or groomsmen and there’s a large bulge in their trouser pocket; I am of course referring to the outline of their mobile phone. Add a set of house keys to the mix, and it’s all going crazy down there. Eyes are immediately drawn to that area and it makes for bizarre photos.
So chaps, leave your phone behind, or give it to someone you can trust to look after it, and you’ll avoid the questionable mobile phone lump in your slim-fit pantaloons. And who knows, you might find it liberating to be uncontactable on your wedding day – after all, you’re likely to be surrounded by everyone you care about.
On a serious note, it really makes a difference for photos, so chaps, please take note!
If you found this blog interesting, amusing, useful or something equally as good, please share amongst your friends! And for the ladies, take a look at my Top Tips for Better Getting Ready Photos!
