Find a Helping Hand
“Having someone take me to the wedding was really nice. One of my friends helped me in the last hours [before the ceremony]. We made sure we got our tuxes right.”
Ken Pinkerton, 26, mechanical engineer, married October 2008
Enjoy Your Photo Shoot
“We had an evening wedding, and we were trying to decide how we’d do pictures because we didn’t want to see each other beforehand. We got together with our bridal party and did pictures for a couple of hours. That was a great, relaxing time to be with everybody. Now the pictures are online so we can look back on that. Make sure there is time to be with the wedding party, to hang out and relax as much as possible.”
Tom Hare, 26, program officer, American Bar Association, married October 2008
Keep Family Nearby
“I was glad my dad was here. He and I have a rough history, and we recently reconciled, so it would have been disappointing if he hadn’t been there.”
Steven Paul, 30, vehicle inspection manager, married July 2007
Lean on Your Wedding Party
“Choosing a wedding party is one of the hardest things to do. We decided to have whoever we wanted in our wedding party, regardless of how big it was. We each had nine or 10 people in our wedding party. That ended up being mine and my wife’s best decision. The wedding party is the glue that will hold everything together if they’re willing to take some responsibility and invest themselves in the whole atmosphere and feeling of the day. Grooms should definitely choose a wedding party that’s willing to do that.”
Vijoy Rao, 33, PR executive, married April 2008
Plan for the Worst
“Give yourself enough time to encounter problems, because it definitely happens. Working with a planner that’s organized and knows what’s going on is crucial. It can get out of hand pretty quick. We didn’t hire a planner because my wife is exquisitely organized. It’s what she was born to do. But for the guys who don’t have a lot of time and have busy work lives, a planner would be a good thing to have.”
Brian Fluchel, 31, logistics manager, married May 2008
Be Willing to Make Sacrifices
“We had the wedding in Pennsylvania. That’s where my wife is from. The church we got married in was the church where she was baptized. It made sense to have everything out there where her family is. That day is all about the bride. It’s your job to be there, not do anything crazy and to make the day special for her.”
Dave Maxwell, 37, surveyor, married March 2006
Get Lost
“Talk your wives into a destination wedding. We had ours on St. Lucia and skipped all the rigmarole. We had a wedding planner down there. Pretty much all I had to do was show up. It eliminated the stress, especially on the bride. We had about 14 people there. It was very casual. I got to get married barefoot on the beach. It was pretty much the perfect day. I was at the age where all my friends were getting married, and I saw the stress involved with planning. I saw bridezillas in action. The allure was to skip all that—to combine a vacation and a wedding. Two hours before the wedding, my wife and I got massages out on a pier.”
Jim Ruebsam, 29, insurance sales, married March 2006
The Honeymoon Can Wait
“Leave yourself a day for your body and mind to unwind. There’s nothing worse than having to go to the airport for an international flight the morning after.”
Patrick Wittenbrink, 30, attorney, married June 2007
Tell Dad to Chill
“Don’t let your dad shave you. I had already shaved, but my dad thought I didn’t do a good enough job, so he got some disposable razors and decided he would do a better job of shaving my face, and he cut me all over.”
Ryan McClure, 28, PR consultant, married June 2007
