More and more grooms are becoming involved in the planning of their special day. Some even insist on being involved in assisting the bride choose her dress! Typical groom responsibilities in the past might have been hiring entertainment, selecting a wedding car and setting up the attire for the men in his party. Now they want to do more and make it a wedding truly planned by both bride & groom.
Recently, we had the chance to speak with Briana Dixon, owner and wedding planner of Nouvelle Weddings & Events to get her perspective on the rising number of grooms becoming intimately involved in their special day. Briana has had a passion for design and directing since she was young. With an eye for details and excellent organizational skills, event planning seemed like the perfect career choice!
As a successful Wedding Coordinator, Briana’s experience and expertise have shown her that it is her responsibility to ensure that each bride and groom gets what they need and still compromise where there may be a difference of opinion. Compromise, of course, will be something that the bride and groom will learn a lot more about after the marriage!
How important is it for the groom to be part of the planning process from the beginning?
Ideally, the groom should be involved in the planning process. I definitely want to meet with the couple so that we can get an idea of their style and personality. I want to get to know both the bride and the groom so that I can really get a sense of who they are as individuals and as a couple. The wedding design should showcase the personalities and relationships of both, so we definitely want to meet them together to get a sense of who they are as a couple. If the groom isn’t involved, then we’re missing half of the puzzle and that makes it more difficult to create a really personal feel to their wedding.
What would you say is the percentage of grooms that come to the consultation?
I would say that approximately 50% of my brides bring their fiancés to our initial consultation. Of that 50%, approximately 80% of the grooms continue to stay involved throughout the planning process.
Why do you think grooms are becoming more involved?
I think grooms get involved because they are interested in the wedding. A lot of grooms consider the wedding day to be “their day“ as well. It’s not only about the bride anymore; it’s about the couple. There are a lot of guys that see this day as one of the most important days of their lives and they want to play a role in the planning process just as much as the brides do! So given that new focus, the grooms now see a place for their opinions in the wedding planning process.
Do you believe that brides want an involved groom?
I do think that many brides want their fiancés to be involved… The wedding day is just one day, but it’s the start of a married life together. Brides want to have a partner in life, and a partner in wedding planning. They want to know that the groom understands and feels the importance of this day, just as she does.
How do you feel about vendors that cater to the groom specifically?
I loved the idea… I think the grooms should have somewhere to go to be pampered. As I’ve been saying, the wedding day should be about the couple, not just about the bride. There are so many stores and vendors that place attention on the bride, but very few on the groom. I also think this could be beneficial for wedding coordinators. In partnering with vendors that cater to the groom, coordinators can get an insight into the grooms that they may not otherwise get. With the groom having a special place all to himself, he may be more likely to open up and talk about things that are really most important to him, or about concerns he may have, or other things that he doesn’t want to discuss in front of the bride. With this insight, coordinators can now have an easier time assisting the groom and making sure that he is just as happy and comfortable with the planning as the bride is. It’s about time these grooms have something special all for themselvesǃ
