The Groom’s Page
Man-gagement Rings Still a Hot Topic
We talked about Man-gagement rings on the Engaged blog way back in November 2009, but apparently the idea is still newsworthy. The fact that singer Michael Buble was seen wearing one recently made the celebrity wedding news at CelebrityWeddingBuzz.com. Here’s their scoop:
We’ve seen this before, but now it looks like even the celebrities are starting to catch on. Canadian crooner Michael Buble was recently snapped outside of his Ontario tour bus sporting an engagement ring – or shall we say, a “man-gagement ring.” The ring may not have been the sparkly solitaire kind (it was just a simple white-gold band) but it still caught everyone’s attention.
It looks like the interest in these rings is still about the same as last year – the CelebrityWeddingBuzz.com poll showed about the same number of brides considering asking their fiance to wear one as was shown in last year’s poll by Brides.com – about an even split, with slightly less than half of brides showing interest.
For the Groom: Understanding Your Role in the Wedding
There are some great books at Engaged specifically for the Groom. The Groom’s Instruction Manual promises “How to survive and possibly even enjoy the most bewildering ceremony known to man”. Here is a bit from this book that may help the groom-to-be put things in perspective.
Understanding Your Role in the Wedding
from The Groom’s Instruction Manual
You Are a Minority Stakeholder in the Wedding
Planning a wedding is a bit like starting a new company – albeit one with an outrageous marketing and refreshment budget and no chance of ever turning a profit. In this parlance, your fiance is the majority stakeholder, especially if her family is covering the majority of the costs… That makes you a minority stakeholder, which means that your opinion will be heard, but you can’t always expect it to matter.
Your Fiance is Always Right
Your engagement will be a time of many questions, and on all of them your fiance will be right. Even when she’s patently wrong, even when her aura has turned fiery red and reason has escaped her… She’s right when she tells you that you can leave the wedding to her. And she’ll be right when she tells you you’re lazy and pathetic and you’d better start helping her out or else… You’ll need to adjust your expectations of what you know about the Woman You Love (more on this in another chapter) and make adjustments to your own behavior to account for your fiance’s changes. Fancy footwork has gotten you this far in the relationship, so don’t let it fail you now.
The Groom’s To Do List
Help set your fiance’s mind at ease by passing along this list of what the groom is expected to handle for the wedding plans, according to the most popular groom’s book at Engaged, “Don’t Screw Up Your Bride’s Wedding: A Groom’s Guide to Surviving the Most Important Day of Your Wife’s Life”. Then show him YOUR to do list, and he’ll be thankful his list is so short!
Of course, this list may be a bit different for your own planning, so edit as desired!
Responsibilities of the Groom
- Saving for a diamond engagement ring
- Learning about diamond engagement rings and buying one
- Choosing your wedding party
- Selecting attire for the men in the wedding party
- Arranging transportation to the ceremony for the bride, the father of the bride, the bridal party, the best man, the groomsmen, and yourself
- Arranging transportation for the entire wedding party from the ceremony to the reception (hint: you’ll be arriving separately from your wife, but leaving as a couple)
- Arranging accommodations for out-of-town guests
- Purchasing a gift for your bride-to-be
- Purchasing gifts for your groomsmen
- Obtaining a marriage license
- Planning the rehearsal dinner
- Preparing a toast for the rehearsal dinner
- Preparing a speech for the reception
- Planning the honeymoon
Note to the groom
If you only had one job throughout this entire process it would be this: No matter how crazy the planning gets, never forget the mantra that this wedding is about celebrating the love between you and your fiance. Get involved, have your say on the floral arrangements if you can bear it, and get your marriage started in the most positive light possible.
BLADE – the men’s barber and spa for Sacramento area grooms!
Grooms want to look and feel their best for their wedding too, and BLADE Barber and Spa in Sacramento has the coolest place in town for grooms and their groomsmen to get lookin’ good for the Big Day and have some fun with the guys at the same time!
BLADE has a Bachelor Bash package that can be reserved for a week or two before the wedding. It’s a great way for the groom to get together with the groomsmen to go over wedding logistics, get cleaned up and have some fun. Guys can get a haircut, shave, man-icure, pedicure, or massage. They can also just hang out and play a game of pool! Complimentary continental breakfast, snacks, beer or other beverages are also included with this 2-hour private party. And get this… limousine service to and from BLADE is also included for the groom if you are within 30 miles (and only $25 to have the limo if you are 30 – 60 miles away)!
Ladies are always welcome at BLADE, and they also offer on-site hair and makeup services for the bride and bridesmaids for your wedding, and their makeup artist is accredited by Chanel and Bobbi Brown.
For more information on BLADE, visit their web site: bladebarberandspa.com, or give them a call at 916-447-1772. You can also view their portfolio at Engaged Wedding Library.
The Art of Manliness
Okay grooms… here’s your antidote to all that wedding lace and frills! With every manly topic imaginable, you’ll want to put this one at the top of your bookmarks (The Art of Manliness). For starters, if you haven’t already bought the engagement ring, read this first: “The Ultimate Guide to Buying the Perfect Engagement Ring”. If the ring’s already on her finger, then start here: “Don’t Miss Your Own Wedding, Man”.
The Art of Manliness
“Man-gagement” rings!?
ABCNews.com
According to ABC News, the so-called “man-gagement†ring trend is spreading. “All the girls want everyone to know that their guy is taken, and there’s no better way than to see a ring on his finger,” said Diane Frassanito at Frassanito Jewelers in Huntington, N.Y.
One of the more famous trendsetters is Jennifer Hudson, who slipped a $15,000 Neil Lane ring on then-boyfriend David Otunga.
A recent study on Brides.com revealed that 45% of women would consider buying their main squeeze a man-gagement ring. The 55% opposed to the rings said their partners would not likely be interested in the idea.