Bridal Club Magazine

How to Get Your Groom Involved in the Planning!

• Is he creative? Ask him to design an engagement announcement card online to be sent out to family and friends.
• If he never failed a math test, managing the wedding budget is the perfect task for him. "Simply put, the man likes to be in charge of the money," says Samantha Goldberg, owner of Gold Events, in Bridgewater, NJ. Software programs, like Quicken, and wedding-planning programs that include a budget tool might make this task even more appealing to him.
• Does he have negotiating skills? Ask him to work out the prices with vendors, and see what kinds of "extras" he can manage to get included in your packages.  
• In wedding planning, no task is unimportant. Have him take charge of tipping the vendors. Suggest that he create the tip envelopes to hand out at the reception.  
• Nowadays many couples write their own wedding vows. Bring out his romantic side by asking him to express his thoughts. Collaborate on writing the vows, or ask him to research any special readings that the two of you would like to include.  
• If carpentry is one of his skills, put him to work (and save money!). Goldberg worked with a groom who built a plywood canopy for his ceremony, which was then covered with orange-and-fuchsia organza fabric.  
• Remember those exciting nights out on the town when you first started dating? Have him research bands and DJs, and arrange for the two of you to go out on "dates" to take notes and compare. Once you choose your musicians, he should take charge of providing them with a list of the tunes you both want to hear (and don't want to hear).  
• If you've decided to set up your iPod and speakers at the reception, have him create the playlist and enlist a willing tech-savvy guest to help out with the process.
• Ask him to work with your photographer and videographer. "Men want to make sure they won't have to pose for too many photos, and they don't want the photographer to be invasive of their space," says Goldberg. Your groom can lay out your mutually agreed-upon rules with your professional.
• "The wine and bar menu for the wedding reception is a very big deal for a lot of grooms," says Sharon Naylor, author of 1000 Best Secrets for Your Perfect Wedding (Sourcebooks). Suggest he throw a wine-tasting party for a group of friends to test out different wines. "Grooms also love getting behind the bar and making up their own drinks," adds Goldberg.