Groom's

Quick Reference Checklist

To Do - 1 Year to 6 Weeks Before Wedding:

• Select a date for the wedding with your fiance
• Prepare a wedding, reception, and honeymoon budget with your fiance
• Discuss honeymoon options and costs with your travel agent and/or begin surfing the net to discover special packages at the times/places you prefer
• Choose a reception site with your fiance
• Set up filing systems for wedding vendor contracts and receipts (including stationer, caterer, rental hall, florist, musicians, photographer, videographer, men's formalwear store, limousine company, rental services for chairs, tables, linens, etc.)
• Pick out bride's wedding band (unless her engagement ring came as a set)
• Select best man, groomsmen, and ushers
• Write guest list for yourself, your mother and father including complete addresses, and give to the bride
• Go with your bride to register your gift preferences
• Determine what funds you need to give your fiance for: bride's bouquet, corsages for the mothers, and grandmothers and ushers' boutonneires
• Purchase airline tickets, etc. for honeymoon; confirm any inoculations, visa or passport needs
• Purchase gifts for the best man, bridesmaid, and ushers; buy wedding ring and have it sized
• Select and meet with clergy
• Discuss lodging needs for out of town family with bride and block rooms at nearby hotel
• Prepare for rehearsal dinner
• Set up time to order: tuxedo trousers, shirt, coat/jacket, vest, cummerbun, suspenders, neckwear for the groom, best man, father of the groom and bride and ushers.
• Secure your wedding license. Make arrangements for blood tests if necessary.

To Do - 2 Weeks Before the Wedding:

• Assist bride in writing thank you notes for early gifts
• With you bride, select what music will be used for: the first dance with the bride, mother-son dance, and last dance
• Bachelor's party
• Rehearsal dinner
• Call all honeymoon-related sites/services to confirm reservations
• Mail out maps (if needed) to ushers and best man detailing site and schedule for rehearsal dinner
• Inform your ushers regarding any special instructions as to who will sit where
• Pick up tuxedo items 2-3 days before wedding and check to see all items are clean and sized appropriately.  Call ushers to do the same.
• Pack honeymoon suitcase
• Pick up travelers' checks
• Shop for Bride's wedding day gift

To Do - The Wedding Day:

• Wrap and pack Bride's wedding day gift
• Wrap and pack best man and usher's gifts
• Pack a small sewing kit and at least two extra buttons that match your tuxedo and dress shirt
• Wedding license
• Pack a small cooler with a bottle of champagne for limo ride from reception to hotel or, if its short ride, for your hotel and/or rental cars
• Bride's wedding ring
• Tip funds and cash for: limo driver, valet services at hotel, clery, DJ. or musicians (when appropriate)
• Make arrangements with best man to return all tuxedos the day after the wedding
• Secure boutonnieres and give to ushers. (Best man often assists retrieving boutonnieres from florist delivery.)