Once again, thank you to Rachel McLean of RS Exclusive … she is speaking from experience to the guys out there. I love this twist on an article for those grooms-to-be out there. Enjoy! 

Dear brides, as much as I love you, today’s topic is actually geared toward your man, so be sure to pass this along to your future hubby, as we want him to know he’s not alone if he’s been feeling a bit of the groom-to-be-blues.

(Ladies, before you panic, let me iterate that when I say “blues,” it has absolutely nothing to do with a lack of excitement on your fiancé’s part about making you his bride – of course he’s excited! — rather, it can be a teeny, tiny voice in his head that points out that his lack of experience in the realm of wedding planning renders him useless, and his opinions for the big day, obsolete. Guess what, this is not true!)

Long before there is even a ring, many future brides already have a pretty good idea of what their wedding should look like, and are ready to dive right in to the planning process with their event planner. Guys, not so much. The fact of the matter is that we’re just wired differently, and that’s okay. (Hey, us girls aren’t exactly dying to hit up Lowes for a new set of tools to tackle the leaking plumbing. And if you are, you’re my hero.)

So here’s the part I want to emphasize: while your future groom may not be chomping at the bit to start picking out flower arrangements, chances are deep down he really does want to be a part of this process – after all, it is going to be the biggest day of his life as well. It’s naturally easy as a bride (you’re on a mission!) to get caught up in making all of the decisions — unintentionally dismissing the groom from playing any important role – which can result in the groom feeling a little left out.

And guys, just because you put a lot of time and energy into your proposal doesn’t mean you can just “check out” and show up on the wedding day. This is such an exciting time in your lives, and we want you to enjoy it to the fullest. Sharing your ideas and plans – and most of all, your support – with each other can make this time even more meaningful to your relationship.

So here are a few suggestions and practical tips on how you as the groom-to-be can best support the love of your life and get involved (without feeling in over your head) in the wedding planning process:

1) Don’t be afraid to give your opinion.
Chances are you probably aren’t going to care whether the centerpieces have fruit or flowers, but you may really care about what food and beverages are on the menu, or what the evening entertainment will be like. While it can be easy to feel (unintentionally) left out as planning kicks into high gear, don’t assume your bride doesn’t care what you think. It’s important that your wedding day reflect who you both are as a couple. Write down your ideas as you have them and talk them over together. Your brilliant ideas may just be the ones to make your reception a smash hit.

2) Be an active listener
It pretty much goes without saying that a woman needs to talk, and as the main squeeze in her life, you are the first person she wants to go to when she has something on our heart, ideas to share, or just to let off some steam. Want to go the extra mile? Take some initiative: set your bride down and ask her how she’s doing, what’s on her mind, and how you can make things better. (Brownie points!)

3) Be available
You have no idea how much it means to your bride to just know that you’re there when she needs you – whether that means making phone calls to scope out the band for your reception, or simply there to offer a hug and an encouraging word when she’s feeling stressed. She needs you!

4) Be supportive
So your expertise may not be floral arrangements, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be involved. Express support and provide encouraging feedback to your bride on the choices she’s making. Tell her she’s doing a great job and that you’re proud of how beautiful things are coming together. Trust me on this: your uplifting words, and show of support, go a long way.

5) Don’t forget the romance!
Amidst the busyness of planning your wedding, don’t forget to take time out for some one-on-one, non-wedding-related, time together. (I.e. plan dates!) The whole reason you’re getting married is because you’re crazy about each other. Don’t let the wedding take over and lose sight of the importance of building your relationship during this time.

Thank you again, Rachel! Be sure to check out the website of RS Exclusive when you get a chance to see their amazing work … what a great team they have to make your wedding happen.

Speaking of weddings, tomorrow is your last day to vote for our I Dream of a Wedding couple … who is your favorite?? You have until midnight on Thursday the 1st to tell us!

While doing some searching on the “manly” aspects of weddings, I came across this posting on mydiyweddingday.com. They are such adorable shirts, and they seem easy enough to make. I can even see a plethora of them for flower girls, ring bearers, bridesmaids … etc. How fun! Special thanks goes out to mydiyweddingday.com … if you are a DIYer, be sure to check out their website for great ideas. Also, this idea was submitted by Lisa Tse of Inkbox Design … she has lovely t-shirts for sale on her website, too, if you are not a DIY bride. Have lots of fun!

Finding the perfect bridesmaids gift is easy — the biggest problem you’re likely to face is the agonizing decision between all the great options. Coming by a decent groomsmans gift, though, is a little trickier. Save yourself the shopping hassle with this cool project from from Lisa Tse of Inkbox Design Boutique. Her fun groomsman T-shirts are inexpensive and easy to make. Bonus: She also has a great technique for packaging the finished product.

Materials
Blank, light-colored T-shirts
Iron-on transfer paper and an iron (or a local copy store!)
3″ x 12″ clear, plastic mailing tubes
Festive paper (optional)
Ribbon

Step 1: Use the word-processing program on your computer to play around with fonts. Choose a style you like — simple, fancy, formal or fun. You can use the same font for all your shirts or mix them up.

Step 2: Size your graphics, measuring how wide across the chest you’d like the word to extend. A good maximum width for a single word is 8″. If you’re using the same font for all the shirts, size the longest word or phrase first (here, it’s best man) and use that size for all the shirts to keep things consistent.

Step 3: Reverse your graphic horizontally to make it a mirror image. Make the font whatever color you want it to be on your shirt. Save your files separately as PDFs, TIFFs or JPEGs.

Step 4: Print the files out onto iron-on transfer paper. Then, follow the instructions that come with the paper to iron the transfers onto the shirts. Place the graphic about 4 1/2″ to 6″ under the top of the neckline. You can also take the files and your blank T-shirts to your nearby Kinkos or local copy store, where they can make a transfer of your artwork and iron it on your shirt for about $10. Be sure to let them know exactly where you’d like the graphic placed.

Step 5: You can use the mailing tubes exactly as they come to package your T-shirts, or you can wrap them in cool paper. To measure the paper, lay a tube on top of it. Use a triangle to draw straight lines on the paper along each side of the tube. Cut along the lines, using a craft knife and a straight edge for precision.

Step 6: Once the paper is cut to the exact width of the tube, line one edge of it with double-sided tape and attach it to the tube. Roll the paper around the tube and tape the loose edge to the tube, overlapping about an inch.

Step 7: Roll the T-shirt, place it inside the tube, add the end caps and adorn with a ribbon.

For more ideas on wedding details, designs and gifts, check out Lisa Tse’s Inkbox Design Boutique website at www.inkboxdesign.com.

All unitalicized text and photos come from mydiyweddingday.com. Thank you, and be sure to visit them for more DIY projects for your big day.

Some photos just make me smile when I look at them, and this group of guys definitely does! If you have ever done anything with Stone Blue Productions, you may recognize some of them, such as the groom, Joel (cinematographer and graphic designer), and two of the groomsmen, Jeremiah (owner of Stone Blue) and Jonah (who is a second shooter). I’d say they clean up pretty well, wouldn’t you?

I also had the privilege of attending this fun wedding in Maryland, but I missed out on seeing any of the antics below. I hope that you enjoy these photos of that crazy crew over at Stone Blue, and congrats Joel (and Joy!).

And, what groom isn’t part superhero at least for a day …

Well, there you have it … the first ever groomsmen post. Cute, huh? If you want to check out more from Stone Blue Productions head on over to their website (and check out their new blog, too!) … they not only do photography, but they also do cinematography and design work. Tell them I said “hello”!