I’ve seen it time and time again when I’m planning out the timeline with my brides.
“Where are your groomsmen getting ready?”
Oh!! We haven’t thought about that yet!
There are so many things to plan for and book for your wedding day so it’s not really a surprise that sometimes the guys get left out or forgotten. The last thing we want is your groom and his best men to end up getting ready in a chair closet and not have anywhere to hang out before the ceremony.
When thinking about accommodations for your groomsmen, they don’t have to be extravagant. Most brides will book a hotel room that the guys will stay in overnight or even an AirBnb so they have a kitchen to eat and drink in with plenty of room for getting dressed.
You’ll want something that’s big enough for them and also close to the venue, if you want photos of them getting ready in that space (plus in case someone forgets something they aren’t far behind!).
If you don’t care about getting photos in the space, we’ll have the guys come early to the venue for photos so you’ll need to make sure there is a place for them to hang out.
It’s easy for the groomsmen to be overlooked because your groom may not know how long all of the pre-ceremony “getting ready” events actually take. They’re always shocked when I say they need to be ready by 2pm for a 6pm wedding ceremony, haha!
Talk with your groom to see what would make his day special and easy to prepare for the big moment. Guys don’t have a lot to do to get ready but we still want them to look nice and have a good time!
I love when I see my brides and grooms treat their groomsmen to something special since the girls get to spend all morning drinking mimosas and getting hair and make up done! This can look like planning a tee time in the morning or some morning skeet shooting (like at Rose Hill Plantation).
You could also see if there are any local breweries near your venue for them to hang out at before the ceremony!
I’m Dakota, a Wilmington, NC-based photographer Helping engaged couples feel comfortable in front of the camera and creative businesses grow with purposeful brand imagery.
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