How to Ease Wedding Day Nerves – Groom Edition
Traditionally, wedding planning and the stresses that can come with it usually falls on the Bride. However, recently, we have seen more Groom’s take on their share of the wedding planning to take some of the load off their Brides to be. While it is lovely to see couples going through their wedding journey together, we often see that the wedding planning can take a toll on our Groom’s as well which can often get forgotten about. In honour of International Men’s Day on Tuesday 19th November, we have been thinking of the areas that may bring extra pressure or nerves for a Groom on their wedding day and what can be done to help ease this.
A wedding morning timeline can often revolve around the Bride getting ready. Giving her enough time for hair and make up to be done and get into her dress with plenty of time for photos. It’s often joked that this time is easy for the Groom, he can have a lie in and that the only thing he has to worry about is his breakfast and how to tie his tie properly. When in fact, the morning of the wedding can often be a hugely nerve-wracking time for the Groom. Nerves the night before might lead to a restless sleep and extra spare time on the morning could lead to overthinking ahead of “the biggest day of their lives”. To reduce their nerves, Grooms could try some of the following tips;
Getting an early night the evening before the wedding can be beneficial, particularly if staying away from home and out of normal routine. Read a book or watch a film to distract yourself and calm the nerves. If that doesn’t work, talking with your groomsmen, friends or family can help as they know you and usually your Bride to be the most. They will be able to help give your overworking mind a break.
On the morning of the wedding, fresh air or light exercise can help distil any nerves. A light walk or run can be an excellent remedy. Followed by a good breakfast. Your wedding day will go fast, and you might not necessarily be eating much until later in the day. Making sure you’ve got some food in your stomach will help keep you calm.
Knowing when you need to be ready by. Unfortunately, a Bride and Groom go from being able to lean on each other in the run up to the wedding, to having to be solely in the know of what’s going on the morning of the wedding if they have decided to stay apart the night before/morning of the wedding. Your coordinator will help to keep you right so make sure to lean on them for help if needed. However, there’s a strong chance as the Groom, your groomsmen, friends and family will have a million questions for you while you’re getting ready. Not particularly helpful if you’re already feeling nervous. Understanding what time you need to be ready, when your buttonholes are arriving, and who is meant to be wearing them, where you need to be for your morning photos can all help. A little organisation amongst the chaos can reduce any last minute panic or stress and make the wedding morning go smoother. Having an organised groomsman to delegate tasks to and keep you and the rest of the bridal party and your family right will also be beneficial. Pick your Bridal Party carefully. Choose the people who will have your back and help you on that wedding morning, not cause you more stress by losing their shirt or being the one to ask you the million questions. Remember, your wedding morning can be one of the best parts of the day whether you’re the Bride or Groom, putting some of these things in place can help make sure this happens for you.
Once you’re ready and you’ve had your photos looking your best, it will be time to head over to the ceremony. This is where you’ll get chance to see all your family and friends as they arrive before the ceremony. This can be overwhelming, especially if you’re having a larger wedding with more guests as they’ll all want to see you and congratulate you. However, try and embrace this part of the day as best you can. All of your guests are there to celebrate the two of you and as the Groom you get to enjoy part of the celebration that the Bride misses out on. That first initial excitement before she walks down the aisle can be a really special moment so enjoy it and know that all of your planning has come together to make it all worth it – even the nerves!
The moments before your Bride walks down the aisle can be the most nerve wracking for the Groom. A rehearsal before the ceremony can help reduce this. In your rehearsal, the bridal and her Bridal party can practice walking down the aisle so everyone knows the timings for music etc can even help the Groom. You will know when it’s your Bride’s turn to walk down the aisle so you can work out when you want to look round and see her for the first time. This can be something that often gets forgotten about without a conversation or the rehearsal. Do you want to wait and turn to see her as she’s just got to the end of the aisle or do you want to see her and all the Bridal Party walk down the aisle. If you’re feeling nervous, seeing your Bride will hopefully help ease your nerves so it might be worth turning round to see her straight away? In the rehearsal, you’ll also get to know where you need to stand and what you need to do at all points of the ceremony so it can be a huge help to reduce any concerns!
One of the biggest moments that Groom’s worry about is giving a Speech. You may decide that you don’t want to give a speech and there is nothing wrong with that! However, if you do wish to give a speech, there are certain things you can do that can help you. One of the most effective things that can help is giving your speech before your meal. This helps get it out the way so you can enjoy the rest of the day. Writing your speech early so you’re not leaving it till the night before or worse, the morning of the wedding will always help. This will give you time to read through it, practice it or go through it with a friend or family member if you want someone to check it over. Find a structure that works for you when writing it so that it’s clear and easy to read aloud when you’re giving it. This will help prevent you from stumbling over your words if you’re already feeling nervous. Keep your speech to ten minutes or under so you’re not having to stand up in front of people for too long. If you’re still feeling nervous, just think everyone in that room are your biggest cheerleaders and only want you to do well!
Finally one of the last things that can make any Groom nervous is the First Dance. Not many Grooms are natural dancers so it is more than understandable why dancing in front of a room full of people can be nerve-wracking! Obviously, you don’t have to have a First Dance if you don’t want one. However, if you do, then you can always ask your band or DJ to invite people on to join you both fairly quickly so it’s not just the two of you up there for long. Ask your Bridal party and immediate family to be ready in the wings with their partners to make sure you have people there ready to join you quickly. After the First Dance, the nerves really can be over and you can enjoy the party completely care free!
Ultimately, our biggest tip is to talk to each other throughout your wedding planning. Have conversations between the two of you if you’re feeling nervous and what might be causing any concerns. Discussing any issues together will help ease any nerves. Remember you’re in this together and are the best people to help each other through any stresses or nerves you might face. Whatever happens, all the stress, anxieties that comes with the planning is always worth it in the end!
