Styling tips for Dapper Grooms
Grooms matter too, which is why it’s important to think about your personal grooming regime before your wedding day.
Grooms… this personal grooming blog is all about YOU. So grab a cuppa, beer, Champagne, whatever floats your boat, take a seat and read up on how you can make sure you’re looking your best on your wedding day.
Similarly, if you are two Grooms, sit down together and enjoy this blog which is focused all on you and your personal grooming, making sure you look dapper on your big day!
Generally, you will fall into 1 of 3 categories.
1) You already look after yourself, manicures and facials are no stranger to you and your skin looks as fresh as a daisy
2) Your hair is always neat and tidy but you don’t faff about with all that ‘skin care’ stuff. However, you’re not adverse to trying new things and if it makes you look 10 years younger? Winning!
3) You are a full-on caveman, mans-man! The only moisturiser to have gone near you is sunscreen, you brush your teeth twice a day and that’s it. No ‘girly’ products are going anywhere near you! Noooo sir!
Now, if you’ve read this far you fall into this category:
‘I want to know how to look the best I can on my wedding day’
Gentlemen, the first place to start is with your hair… are you thinking about a restyle? If so, get some inspo from Pinterest. Then visit a reputable hairdressers, one that doesn’t simply cut your hair but someone who understands what cut you are hoping to achieve on your wedding day. You ideally want to do this 3 months before your wedding day unless you are going for a full restyle, you may need longer.
Then invest in some decent hair care products, shampoo, conditioner, gels, wax etc. Don’t use the same products just because you’ve used them for years! A different product can do wonders for your hair, speak to your hairdresser about this as they will know what works best for you.
One thing a lot of men forget about is the Beard! Don’t forget to look after this, beard oil is the way forward and for the love for your Fiancé, keep it clean!
Next you need to think about your nails… don’t forget, these are going to be on show in a lot of your pictures and you don’t want hands that look like Gollums! Moisturise them before bed EVERY night and treat yourself to a MAN-icure every now and again.
Eyebrows - there is nothing wrong with having your brows waxed or threaded. You would be amazed in the difference it can do and also shape your face. Don’t worry, a professional will make sure they are not overplucked like a teen from the 90’s (hands up if you’re in the same club as me!)
Sleep - The experts don’t say you need 8 hours sleep a night for their health (well, technically they do I guess) but do your best to get 8 hours sleep every night. If you struggle with sleeping, there are a number of personal recommendations I can make… sleep gummies and sleep moisturiser from LUSH. They’ve worked wonders for my partner.
Water - drink at least 2 - 3 litres every single day. Now, if you don’t drink a lot of water, this task feels like being asked to cycle Lands End to John O Groats on zero training however, buy yourself a water bottle and keep it with you. I have a Brita filter one which I love as I feel icky drinking tap water. My skin has improved so much since drinking more, so, give it a try!
Fake Tan - If you are wanting to try fake tan for the first time, please don’t do this on the week of your wedding (disaster pending!). It’s quite a procedure to get it right so DO YOUR RESEARCH first. Your skin needs to be prepped properly and the right shade needs to be used so you don’t end up looking like an oompa loompa.
Teeth - There are a huge amount of products out there on the market so again, do your research and don’t jump into the first thing you find. If you have the budget, speak to your Dentist who will be able to whiten your teeth for you but in the meantime, buy a whitening toothpaste and floss daily (not the dance!)
Massage - Get those knots out of your back from all of the wedding stress with a massage 24-48 hrs before the big day. If you are not used to them, do not go in for a deep tissue massage or you’ll regret it! Trust me.
Diet - No I’m not talking Atkins, Paleo or Weight Watchers but simply changing what you put in your body can make you feel like a million dollars. Introduce more fruit and veg into your meals and your gut will thank you for it. It’ll also have a positive impact on your mood and mental health in case that’s been affected by wedding planning.
Suit - You need to feel like an absolute King in your suit so make sure you are 100% comfortable, not just standing, but sitting also. Oh and don’t forget a second shirt that you can change into if you dirty yours or get a bit sweaty.
So there you have it, some simple changes you can make to look after your personal appearance on your big day. Men you are just as big a part of this day as your Fiancé so make sure you take some time for yourself too.
Main picture by Sharon Cudworth
Contact Award winning wedding planner Hayley, here
Hayley
Grooms matter too
What importance does a Groom have on a wedding day?
Men. Let’s face it, like it or not, Brides tend to get the spotlight when it comes to the big day, and if you ask me, I don’t think it’s fair (sorry ladies). If a marriage is seen as an equal partnership, then so should your journey be in the lead up to it and on the day itself (and of course afterwards).
Now I totally get it, some men are happy to not get involved and are satisfied with whatever the Bride wants, I’ve heard it a million times ‘as long as she is happy, then I am happy’.
Believe it or not, there is an increase in the number of Grooms taking the steering wheel when it comes to the planning and plenty of brides’s taking the back seat. But, what if you are in a same sex relationship where you’re both a groom, or the Groom of a Bride who does actually want to get involved with the planning?…
To get a couples opinion on the matter, I spoke to the wonderful couple Jay and Liam who got engaged on Christmas day, and I’ve loved following their wedding planning journey. Whilst their Instagram page is no longer active, their old blogs are so funny to read so make sure you check them out here, they’ve also featured on the ultimate wedding guide for LGBTQ+ couples G Wedding Directory…
“On Christmas morning, I said yes to my new Fiance, Liam, and now we are two grooms planning our wedding together. We’ve found that the wedding industry is geared towards the bride, and the grooms are very often secondary. That’s obviously in response to the fact that it is usually the bride attending the wedding fairs and doing the planning - but we don’t have a bride. So we’re sharing the planning reigns... and thankfully we have very similar preferences and ideas! I enjoy the wedding fairs and the brochures, so Liam leaves it to me to collate the ideas and gather the options. Then we work through and decide what we like best. We’ll both be viewing our venue choices and making all of the decisions together, though Liam is in charge of the ceremony and the music and I’m in charge of the decorations and the finer details. So that’s our plan; two grooms sharing the responsibilities and decision making. In our case, only the grooms matter!”
So Grooms, do you want to be involved in the Wedding Planning process?
Grab a pen and paper (or iPad if you’re not old school like me!)
Take an interest - sit down with a bottle (or glass if you don’t drink as much as I do!) of wine one night, no social media, no radio, no TV… go through the plans and ideas so far, don’t fake being interested, your Fiancé will be able to tell!
Get involved - express an interest in whatever element of the day that you would like to manage, it could be you want the responsibility of sourcing the entertainment, flowers or building something for the day (drinks station, welcome signs etc)
Take initiative - if your Fiancé comes across like he has it all in hand, I can assure you it will still be stressful at times for them and they would appreciate some help, especially from you. Do some research and offer to gather some quotes.
Compromise - You are not going to agree on every detail for the big day but it’s important you both compromise, the day is about you BOTH.
Be happy - if you don’t want to get involved but your Fiancé wants your assistance, just put a smile on your face, nothing ruins the happy engagement bubble like a groom-to-be with a face like a slapped fish!.
On the flip side, if you really don’t want to be involved and are sincerely, genuinely happy for your Fiancé to plan everything, just make sure you’re ready for whatever turns up on the wedding day, like a pink Unicorn dressed horse and a ‘Cinderella’ carriage to drive you around in whilst blasting out Celine Dion’s My Heart will Go On (unless you’re into that sort of thing…)
Let me know how you get on with your planning!
Contact Hayley