Here Comes the Groom: 5 Creative ways to incorporate your groom on your wedding day

Here Comes the Groom: 5 Creative ways to incorporate your groom on your wedding day
Article By | Hannah Holbrook
Photos By | Jerrell TruLove Photography and Portraits by Caroline

Let’s face it: bridal marketing is often geared towards the bride. Sorry dudes, but culturally, we live in a nation where the wedding day (and the wedding planning) is largely focused on the bride. While I believe that is starting to shift, with everything from bridal magazines to bridal boutiques, often the groom can be forgotten. Brides, when planning your wedding, it is important to take into consideration the taste and unique style of your husband-to-be. While some grooms will not care about the theme or aesthetic of the wedding, some will love seeing their preferences manifested throughout the day! A common question we see brides asking on forums and to wedding coordinators is how to practically incorporate their grooms. Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate the special guy in your life on what is one of the biggest days of his life too!

1. MASCULINE FONTS – while we all love the flowy, scripty fonts that are quintessentially used at weddings, opting for bolder typography and darker colors in place of feminine calligraphy can make a groom feel like he is well represented. This simple way to include your groom can go a long way, especially with things like invitations that have his name printed on them. You want to make sure you’re sending out something that he is proud of too. Print out several fonts you like and ask which one he feels is the most representative of his style and artistic preferences.

   

   Remember that you can incorporate multiple fonts on your wedding stationery and signage. Your chosen fonts can be woven into the design of your brochures, invitations, place cards, signs, favors, and thank you notes.

2. COLORS AND TEXTURES – there is an obtuse stereotype that men are terrible at interior design. While the decor choices that your male partner makes might not always be your first choice, as a bride, you don’t want to discount his eye for design. Invite your groom into the process of choosing your wedding colors and textures. When it comes to textures, your groom might love the feel of velvet table cloths or appreciate the masculinity of wooden chargers. You might find that he thinks gold or brass accents are more aesthetically pleasing than silver ones. He might suggest textures and colors you never considered such as leather, bronze, a variety of earth tones, complementary neutrals hues, tree bark, woven elements, etc.
3. PERSONAL TOUCHES – does your groom have a favorite sports team? Does he love fishing, hiking, reading, or gaming? Find ways to incorporate you

   

   and your groom’s unique personalities and hobbies into your wedding. This is a fun way to bond and ensure that your wedding day feels like two lives are becoming one. A friend of mine bonded with her husband in their early dating days over quirky TV shows and video games. At their wedding, each table was named after a specific game they loved. She walked down the aisle to the Office theme song. Her groom did a special performance at the reception where he sang to her in front of their guests. These simple things might not have been understood by every guest, but to them as a couple, every choice they made was representative of their unique bond and relationship. Their wedding was about the two of them as a couple, and guests could see that throughout the entire day.

4. 

   FOOD & DRINK– If your groom doesn’t care about the style and design of your wedding, I can guarantee that he will care about the food! Tastings are so fun, and it’s extremely likely that he will want to be a part of the food and drink selection. From barbecue with all the fixins, to a buffet of delicious treats, to a fajita bar – there are plenty of options for you and your groom to explore. My sister and her husband worked together for weeks to create a signature cocktail recipe that would be served at their reception. They had fun testing out new recipes and finding a flavor they wanted to share with all of their guests. Many couples have chosen to create two signature cocktails – a bride’s drink and a groom’s drink. Allowing your groom the freedom to choose his own custom cocktail for guests to try will give him an extra opportunity to have his tastes represented at your wedding.

5. GROOM’S CAKE – one wedding trend we’ve seen explode over the last decade has been unique and personalized groom’s cakes. Grooms aren’t expected to have the white, tiered cake that is traditionally

   

   anticipated for many brides. Grooms have the opportunity to get wildly creative with their cake selection. We’ve seen everything from superhero cakes and football helmet shaped cakes, to cakes that look like beer cans, tool boxes, and violins! Some grooms opt to skip the cake entirely and present guests with cake alternatives. A friend of mine had a milk and cookie station at his wedding. Another groom I know served churros as his wedding treat. The options are limitless. By giving your groom the creative freedom to choose such a fun element of your big day, you ensure that he feels included and well represented.