Make Room for the Groom

Although most couples today pay for the majority of the wedding themselves, much of the planning is still the bride’s responsibility. You may both decide on the budget, place and date, but after that, it’s all systems go…for you. You’ll have your wedding checklist at the ready and schedule appointments to dress shop and meet with all your vendors. More than likely, you’ll be the one who decides on the wedding colors, invitations, decor, favors and flowers, and you’ll spend hours online researching all these details. Your guy is probably happy to let you handle this to-do list solo (be sure to include him on registering, taste-testings, wine sampling and the DJ/band selection!) but that doesn’t mean he should take a backseat thinking his only job is to show up at the wedding. Nope, those days are over! To the rescue: A Gentleman Walks Down the Aisle: A Complete Guide to the Perfect Wedding Day (Thomas Nelson) by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis.
  

a gentleman walks down the aisle book

This nifty tome came across my desk recently, and I loved how the authors insist that a wedding is just as much the groom’s as it is the bride’s. He, too, should be involved and know what’s expected. From basic etiquette tips— “A gentleman always writes his share of the thank-you notes”—to who pays for what to dressing for the big day, this handy guide will help steer your man through the convoluted planning path to marriage. There are recommendations for toasts, as well as tips for the other men in the wedding (fathers, best men, groomsmen). So, if your honey is walking around looking a bit dejected while you spend hours doing online research or feels neglected whenever you chat with mom and your gal pals about the big day, gift him with this helpful handbook (a steal at $16.99!). He may do an eye roll or claim he doesn’t need to read a book to get married, but I bet he’ll pop it open every now and then just to make sure he’s on the right track. Oh, and you can tell him to skip page 200 …”what to do if the bride gets cold feet”…because that, after all, would never happen to you!

 

 

Courtesy of Thomas Nelson

—Diane Forden