So while it has been said time and time again, that weddings are all about the bride, we mustn’t forget that she is a bride that day because she is marrying her GROOM. Much is made about the decisions the bride makes (dress, bouquet, garter, shoes, and the list goes on and on) but very little attention is paid to the groom’s. While most grooms can just take a trip down to men’s warehouse or their local tux store and find a rental that fits fairly well for a great price (that’s what my hubby did) others aren’t so lucky. For those in this position, purchasing a custom tailored tuxedo or suit is probably your best option. Another problem is that grooms and salespeople often don’t pay much attention in the store to the fit of the tuxedo shirt, mostly concentrating on the fit of the jacket and the pants. Unless you are having your wedding in the dead of winter, you will likely take your jacket off for most of the reception. An ill fitting shirt can make for some unflattering reception shots of the groom. So my suggestion is for grooms to rent a tuxedo and get a custom tailored tuxedo shirt or dress shirt from a group like J. Hilburn that they can keep and use again in the future any time they need to wear a tux. It only takes about 3 weeks for the shirts to be created and delivered and they are fairly affordable. Not to mention it makes a great memento for him from your special day. These custom shirts as well as cufflinks also make for wonderful groomsmen presents. If you are interested in getting a custom tailored shirt, email Laura Devlin, a style consultant for J Hilburn, to set up a time to get fitted. I’ve seen how well these shirts fit guys. It really is amazing!
Another important thing to remember is to discuss in advance with each other, as well as with your photographer, the types of photos you want to take. Many grooms dread this portion of their wedding day. Ask him how long he would be comfortable posing in front of the camera. Ask him if there are any poses he specifically wants to get or ones he absolutely doesn’t want to take. For example, I recently had a groom that expressed that in no way shape or form does he want any jumping shots of the wedding party. This is great information to know in advance so that the day of the groom doesn’t feel pressured to take a shot he really doesn’t want to take. Talking about these types of things in advance will make him more comfortable the day of, and that will read on his face, leading to much better pictures.