Getting married is – hopefully – something you’re only going to do once. Leading up to the event there is so much to plan. But once you’re there, on the big day itself? It’s hard to know exactly how things are going to feel. Because getting married isn’t something you’ve ever done before (again hopefully). You have nothing with which to compare it.
Recently we had the chance to ask a bunch of married guys all the things they’d wish they’d known on their wedding day. Some of the answers were funny, others heartfelt, sometimes things even got a little tragic. But below is some collective knowledge about wedding days from people who have been there. We hope you’re able to get at least a little bit out of it before walking down the aisle yourself.
Bring Fresh Socks
“It sounds stupid but buy a new pair of socks. You spend thousands of dollars making sure your whole day comes together, you dress up to look the best that you’ve ever looked, but you scrimp out on your feet? Standing at the altar I should have been looking at Rebecca walking towards me and the whole time I just felt this little fucking hole near my pinky. It didn’t ruin the moment, but it certainly didn’t help it.” – Dave Wheeler, lawyer
Take Care Of Your Body
“Use a fresh pair of contact lenses, you animal. Maybe those ones from two weeks ago felt fine this morning, but now someone’s gonna have to Photoshop your one bloodshot eye out of every wedding picture. For fuck’s sake, if you aren’t going to listen to your mother and break in those new dress shoes before the big day, at the very least put some band-aids on the backs of your ankles so they don’t get grotesquely sliced up under your socks. And REFUSE any shots of tequila well-meaning friends may attempt to offer. These are all tips to help take care of your body, because it will not be possible to prepare you for your emotions!” – Johnnie Walker , playwright
Exercise Inherent Selfishness
“It’s a day where you and your partner can – and should – be absolutely selfish. There are going to be a lot of friends and family there. They are all going to have opinions about what you should and shouldn’t be doing but guess what? It’s your wedding day! If anyone else is trying to make it about them they’re being selfish. All of this is to say: make the playlist that you want to hear and make stuff you’d like to dance to. I know your aunt might be disappointed not to hear the YMCA, but she can just deal.” – Dylan Chambers, marketer
Beware of Booze
“You can drink. But don’t get wasted. You want to remember what happened the next day.” – Alex Peters, bartender
Consider The Expense
“My dad isn’t big on advice giving, but he did drop a humorous and totally in character bit of advice on my wedding day: “Remember, it’s a lot more expensive to get out of than to get into.” My parents are divorced, as you might imagine.” – Matt McGeachy, comedian
No Grooman, No Cry
“Don’t start crying. That might seem like some machismo talking, but honestly, once you start crying it is really difficult to stop. You don’t want to be up there as a blubbering mess so it’s better just to hold it in.” – Jack Simons, nurse
Phones Away
“Make sure you hire good photographers and video people (if that’s your thing). Then ask people to use their phones as little as possible. You’ve got the pros to take care of the good shots and you don’t need another fifty blurry pictures of the ceremony.” – Steven Petrov, photographer
Write Your Speech Wisely (or not at all)
“Unless you’re a professional writer get somebody else to help with your speech. Any Speech. Best man. Vows. Whatever. It’s important to speak as truthfully as you can about your feelings, but if you’re not a person who does this on the regular why would you automatically think you’ll be good at it? No shame in getting an assist.” – Peter Kim
Don’t Find Religion
“Don’t have a religious ceremony if you’re not religious.” – Daniel Brown, producer
Embrace Certainty
“There is absolutely nothing that I wish I had known on my wedding day. There were very few things that I was as sure about as the fact that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Nicki. I knew that it was going to be an adventure, and have been completely happy and satisfied to simply allow that adventure to unfold. No foreshadowing required. It has turned out to be everything I hoped for, and more.” – Tom Lyall, sales manager
