Groom’s Wedding Checklist

Preparing your big day can be a stressful task. Use this checklist to help you with your organization and planning.
At Least One Year in Advance
- Choose wedding date
- Decide type of wedding desired (traditional, big/small, etc.)
- Determine what religion the service will be performed in, if any
- Decide time of wedding and reception
- Choose desired location for wedding ceremony
- Choose desired location for reception
- Set wedding budget and decide how wedding will be financed
Ten to Twelve Months in Advance
- Ensure home/renter’s insurance covers engagement ring or buy additional jewelry insurance
- Decide if all/part of vows will be written by bride/groom
- Set honeymoon budget
- Announce engagement to friends and family
- Put engagement announcement in local paper
Six to Ten Months in Advance
- First meeting with minister/officiant
- Begin writing vows
- Choose your best man and ushers and ask if they’ll accept the position
- Pick out tuxes for groom and groomsmen/ushers/fathers from national tuxedo rentals
- Choose/book desired location for rehearsal dinner
- Make first draft of invite list
- Plan honeymoon and book all lodgings/transportation/event tickets
- Check passports/visas
Four to Six Months in Advance
- Hire limo driver or make other arrangements for transportation after reception
- Pick out/order wedding bands
- Decide if groom’s cake is desired; if so, choose flavor and style and inform baker
- Make 2nd draft of invite list
- Get measurements from groom/ushers/fathers/groomsmen for tuxedos
Three to Four Months in Advance
- Decide on living arrangement once married
- Two to Four Months in Advance
- Determine wedding band inscriptions
- Determine seating arrangement at rehearsal dinner with groom’s mother if desired
- Choose song for mother/groom dance
- Finalize vows and memorize (if necessary)
- Buy gifts for groomsmen, parents, fiance, ushers
- Finalize guest list
- Get addresses of all people on invite list
- Ask mom if she wants rehearsal dinner invitations and/or place cards matching invitations
- Set date with fiance to get marriage license (check restrictions on how long it’s valid prior to wedding)
- Get blood tests/physicals for marriage certificate if required
- Get any immunizations you will need for the honeymoon
Two Months in Advance
- Schedule hair appointment
- Book rooms for out-of-town attendants at hotel
- Choose one person to whom the groomsmen can return their tuxes, and have that person return the tuxes to the rental place if desired
- Determine who will take the groom’s tuxedo back to the rental place
- Buy honeymoon clothes and going away outfit if necessary
- Buy/decide on rehearsal/rehearsal dinner outfit
- Get wedding band inscribed
- Call to inform all people who need to be at rehearsal
- Obtain marriage certificate
- Last meeting with minister/officiant
- Determine where groom and attendants will get dressed (at hotel or ceremony site?)
- Buy wrapping paper for attendant, etc. gifts
- Ensure formal-wear shop has all tuxedo measurements
One Month
- Box and wrap all gifts for bride/groomsmen/ushers/etc.
- Ensure groom’s mom has addressed/mailed rehearsal dinner invitations if his parents are hosting it
- Order flower arrangements for rehearsal dinner tables if desired
- Pick up wedding band
- Ensure home/renter’s insurance covers wedding bands or buy additional jewelry insurance
- Confirm honeymoon reservations
- Open joint checking and savings accounts
- Change beneficiary to fiance for will and life insurance policy
- Inform car/home/renter’s insurance of marriage (discounted rates may apply)
Two Weeks in Advance
- Meet with rehearsal dinner caterers for final details
- Confirm hotel reservations for wedding night
- Confirm hotel reservations for attendants
- Determine personal wedding morning itinerary (time to wake up, … time to leave for to church, etc.)
- Hair appointment
- Move belongings to new home
- Receive tuxedos from nationaltuxedorentals.com and try them on.
One week in Advance
- Pack for honeymoon
- Get traveler’s checks for honeymoon; exchange money to foreign currency now if desired
- Remind attendants about rehearsal time
- Give best man clergyman’s fee (if to be payed day of ceremony, otherwise pay this week)
- Ensure delivery of flower arrangements for wedding rehearsal dinner have been made
Day Before Wedding
- Rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
Morning of Wedding
- Give groom’s wedding band to Maid of Honor and bride’s wedding band to Best Man prior to ceremony
- Relax and let it all sink in!!