GROOMS Shaving Rooms

Amanda Hinton - Tue 13 May 2008

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Getting groomed up and perfectly shaved is not necessarily a run to the local barber, but could be more a case of visiting a spa near you! Why settle for a short back and sides when you could be in for an excecutive manicure or a four palm massage?

Check out the treatments on offer at your local spa and you'll be surprised to see plenty of men-only experiences - just right for getting you perfectly groomed for the day. At The Refinery, a slick spa based in London's Brook Street as well as at ooh-la-la Harrods, you can go for a regular spring clean with Deep Cleansing Back Treatments (£60 for 45 minutes), a Salt Scrub (£45 for 30 minutes) and an Executive Pedicure (£65 for 60 minutes).

Alternatively, you could opt for a Four Palm Massage (£140 for 60 minutes), guaranteed to leave you feeling deeply relaxed and revitalised.

For The Refinery experience in your own home, a range of gunk-free products has been created with essential oils and cutting-edge technology. For squeaky clean skin, use Face Scrub (£18), a purifying Chinese white kaolin clay. And get into a pampered-man shaving routine with Shave Oil (£21) or Shave Foam Gel (£12) both with great skin enhancing ingredients. The products are available by Mail Order (08452 305605) or on the high street at your local Boots.

Their advice to you? Try not to shave the day before the wedding as it gives skin a well-needed rest. On the day, get showered and shaved just before you are ready for the big day finery.

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GROOMS Get Shirty

Amanda Hinton - Tue 06 May 2008

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Your groom will be worth the shirt on his back with Eton's fabulous dress shirts. Nordic origin, the shirts are beautifully designed, but best of all they are wrinkle-free.

Get your man to dress for the occasion with a dinner shirt (£110) and bow tie (£35) from Eton Shirts (020 7430 1433 etonshirts.co.uk) - Beckham, Redford and Schwimmer all wear them.

Perfect for a wedding abroad or gun-shot nuptials, the shirt comes out of its package ready to wear. And to wash? In the washing machine and hang to dry. When dry, you might think the shirt still requires a quick dash with a light iron (are you a domestic god/godess?). Do not bother! After twenty minutes of wearing, the shirt will be wrinkle free and will stay that way all day.

So what are these uber-shirts made of? Forget drip-dry and the seventies. Eton shirts are made from pure Swiss cotton. The magic bit is an organic, non-iron finish. It sounds too good to be true, but the finish lasts as long as the shirt and not ironing a shirt prolongs its lifetime. Not ironing a shirt might also prolong your marriage. I must have a rummage in the drawers, I am sure I have some marriage-lengthening drip-dry clothes somewhere!

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GROOMS Groom-zilla!

Amanda Hinton - Tue 29 Apr 2008

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Worrying about wedding flowers? Not the bride - it's 'Groomzilla'. A recent survey by stress-busting chewing team, Wrigley Extra, reveals men are just as stressed as women over their weddings!

 

Forget the typical picture of 'bride-zilla' obsessing over colour schemes and caterers, research carried out on behalf of Wrigley Extra reveals a new breed of 'groom-zillas' getting involved in every aspect of the big day! Gone is the laid back British groom who just shows up. The survey found that 8% of today's grooms admit to fretting over the wedding invitation and 3% found picking the bridesmaid outfits caused them to pull their hair out.

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to

The toll of organising a wedding made one in ten grooms, (10%), feel extremely stressed - 1% even confessed to crying. Panic over the finer details, left one in five (19%) grooms having problems sleeping and 11% suffering from headaches. Over one in 10 (12%) even confessed they argued with their future wife and family because they felt so overwhelmed. Managing feuding families also causes problems for grooms, almost half (41%) said this was their biggest stress trigger.

Bride-zilla v. groom-zilla

Issues that traditionally cause brides to panic are affecting their other halves, 4% of grooms got in a flap over the wedding cake and table accessories and one in ten, (11%), were worried about where everyone should be seated. It was the guest list that really caused most men to panic, over a third (39%) grooms said this was their main concern compared to 36% of brides.

Wedding stress - tradition or trend?

The survey found grooms are getting stressed because they have more responsibility. One in five, (20%), men who were married three years ago did not have a role in any of the wedding planning, compared to 7% of grooms getting married in the next year.

"It's no longer just the bride who is fixated on the minute detail of her special day. Increasingly we find grooms becoming just as closely involved in wedding planning - even in organising the flowers and the catering – and as a result suffering from “wedding stress” as much as their brides to be.” says Sarah Auerbach, Managing Director of society wedding planners Fresh Attitude.

Boys will be Boys

It is not just the flowers and table cloths that get men flustered. The best man dishing the dirt in his speech caused one in ten, (10%) men to feel agitated and booking the honeymoon filled 13% of grooms with dread.

Welsh Worriers

The survey found that it's the Welsh crumbling under wedding pressure, over one in ten (12%), felt extremely anxious on the lead up to their wedding and a quarter said it kept them awake at night. Scottish grooms are the most laid back, 35% said they did not feel stressed at all and let other people do the worrying!

And in the Wedding Talk Forum?

'Debs': We have made all the big decisions together i normally do the research and give him choices!

'Mrstrott': Most things we decide on as a couple but he has agreed on everything i've picked so far

'Hollie' My H2B has been completely involved in everything!! Apart form my dress and the bridesmaids, he has played a major part in all of and he is finding it equally enjoyable!

'Joannemm' My man has been great about everything - he hasn't been overly involved but he has helped me make some decisions (ie. colour schemes & themes). I think he would be perfectly happy to turn up on the day and go with whatever I had planned, but I felt I wanted him to be involved, after all it is OUR day not just mine.

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GROOMS Drink Matters

Amanda Hinton - Tue 22 Apr 2008

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Do some homework and impress her by taking on board some expert advice on selecting wine for the wedding from Peter Stewart, Glasgow Director of Inverarity One to One.

Research! Taste as many wines as possible in your preferred price range. You are looking for "crowd pleasers", fruity wines that most people will be happy quaffing. Merlot, especially from the New World is a banker.

Keep it simple. You can't possibly please everyone, and it's madness to go down the route of getting in a single bottle of Puligny because it's all that Aunt Millie drinks. Ideally one white and one red, possibly with something special for the top table.

How much is enough? You get 5 decent glasses of fizz to a bottle...so take the number of guests, multiply by two (if you want them to have a glass on arrival and one for the toasts) and divide by five to give you the number of bottles required. I would also round it up a wee bit as a safety net...you don't want to run out and most wine merchants do sale or return. So for 80 guests having two glasses each, you would need 32 bottles, which I would round up to 36. For the table wine, roughly half a bottle per head is a decent estimate.

Champagne or sparkling? There are some excellent sparkling wines on the market, so you don't have to go crazy...although some people prefer to do both, starting with champagne and moving on to fizz. Again, try as many as possible beforehand, and pick one that you enjoy.

Food matching. Worth thinking about as the right wine with the menu will increase everyone's enjoyment of the day. The dominant flavours in the dish are the important ones, don't worry about the garnishes. Ask your wine merchant what he or she would recommend.

Money. Pick a price range and stick to it, whatever you are happy spending. Remember to factor in any corkage charges.

To find out about Inverarity's wine-selecting service contact 0141 221 5121 or go to www.inverarity121.com

Photo ©Freeman Photographics, iStockphoto

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GROOMS - Speech Please!

Amanda Hinton - Tue 15 Apr 2008

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I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY...
If the thought of making a speech is weighing heavy on your groom2be, get a helping hand - don't let it spoil all the fun! Being centre stage is not everyone's cup of tea! You can choose a best man who you know is going to make a good speech. But you are not marrying your man for his public-speaking skills. Well, probably not...

Jamie Graham has recently set up a business, called Unique Speeches. Ideal for the groom that would feel happier if the words were 'put in his mouth'. Jamie offers a speech writing service. Fees start at £100 for a full 10 minute speech, including research and getting to know you!

To find out more, go to Jamie's website at www.uniquespeeches.com.

If your man has all the makings of a great speech-maker but is needing a push in the right direction, there are plenty of books that deal with making the groom's speech. One to look out for this summer (out July) is Perfect Wedding Speeches and Toasts by George Davidson (Random House, £5.99). The handy paperback is packed with practical advice to help master nerves, keep everyone entertained and get all the etiquette straight at the same time!.

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GROOMS Get Booking

Amanda Hinton - Tue 08 Apr 2008

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We’ve noticed that most grooms are set the task of finding the ideal venue for your wedding! Although our posting in the forum 'grooms - do they help' reveals that quite a few of the men 'do nothing' - bless them! Some are picking up where duty calls. Jamesanddiane comments, ‘he sorted out our venue for the reception’ and ClaireReed2Be had her man 'ring around places' while Angel444 says 'when we had trouble with the venue...he sorted out the change of hotel and compensation'.

So, what to ask a wedding venue? To make sure you find the right venue, give your groom2be this handy checklist.

1. Are the dates we want available?
This is possibly the most important question and should always come first!

2. Is more than one wedding held on the same day?
You’ll get a better idea of what sort of venue it is and the chances of someone else stealing the limelight.

3. Does the venue have overnight accommodation?
This is especially useful for guests that have to travel a long way and is another key question!

4. Is it licensed for ceremonies?
This is essential as if your venue doesn’t have a license then you cannot get married there!

5. How many guests can the venue hold?
Venues all have restrictions and it will give you an idea of the number of guests you can invite!

6. Can the venue provide catering and recommend suppliers?
This is useful to know so that you can book outside caterers if needs be, plenty in advance!

By asking these six questions you will have a good idea of what the venue is like but also the essential information for booking your venue! So, get on the phone and get booking!

For more articles on the groom's duties click below.

Girl in a White Dress 6 - All Change Please?
Boytime - Stag Nights
Girl in a White Dress 5 - The Bride Expects

©Moss Bros Hire

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GROOMS Black Tie

Amanda Hinton - Tue 25 Mar 2008

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What is black tie? Chris Moodoo, Head Buyer of London's oldest tailor gives us the low down on what the guys are expected to wear if you have a black tie dress code on the wedding invitations.

• As the name implies, wear a black bow tie, a proper one that you tie yourself. Do not wear a long black tie.
• If you are looking to buy a dinner suit, choose a single-breasted, one button style with no vents.
• Trousers should not have belt-loops and be either cut for braces or have side-adjusters
• The shirt should be white.
• An evening dress shirt needs professional laundering between wears to keep it pristine.
• If you like to wear dress studs, request that your shirt is starched as it will make them “sit” better.
• Unlike with white tie, it is acceptable to wear a wristwatch with black tie. Make sure your watch does not clash with your cufflinks.
• Always wear braces to make sure your evening dress trousers slightly break onto the front of the shoe.
• Wear button braces and not of the elasticated, clip-on type.
• The Edwardian fashion for wearing a white pique vest to match the shirt is making a return to black tie.
• The breast pocket can display a touch of colour with a silk pochette in purple or dark red, although a neatly folded white linen square is smarter.
• Shoes do not have to be patent leather but must be polished to a mirror shine. They should have a plain toe and closed fronts.
• A white/ivory silk dress scarf should only be worn with a topcoat.
• A dark navy or black coat with a velvet top collar always looks smart.

© Ede&Ravenscroft

NEXT TUESDAY...Summer after-shaves

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GROOMS Boytime

Amanda Hinton - Tue 18 Mar 2008

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Hit the town in the best possible way by inviting the boys out for afternoon tea at Mandeville Hotel in Mayfair. Whisky Afternoon Tea (£30) includes a range of whiskies as well as a Champagne option with a selection of games available at the bar. Go for an 'old school' round of backgammon or celebrate the last night of freedom with a hand of poker.

What's your guy got planned for the stag night? Email amanda@weddingpath.com

NEXT TUESDAY'S GROOM'S NEWS...tips on formal dressing

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GROOMS Have Groom, Will Travel

Cheryl I'Anson - Tue 11 Mar 2008

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As we all know, containers holding more than 100ml of liquids must be checked-in before departure at any UK airport. If you breach this, scary-looking security people will remove said liquids and toss them gleefully in one of those clear plastic bins as a warning to others.

But not any more! Those clever people at EasyJet have come up with a solution to liquid regulations.

This brilliant new three-day travel pack called, rather predictably, easy4men, includes three small sachets each of hair and body wash, shaving cream and aftershave balm, which is small enough to slip into hand luggage, meaning he’ll have more space in his suitcase for your shoes!

The three-day pack costs £4.50 and is available to order from easy4men.com.

NEXT TUESDAY'S GROOM'S NEWS...SWANKY STAG IDEAS

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GROOMS Perfect Man

Amanda Hinton - Tue 04 Mar 2008

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For a summer wedding, get your man into light suiting whether it's fine wool or sleek cotton.

Burton’s (0845 121 4514) new Black Label lightweight cotton satin and light wool suits add a touch of luxury without breaking the wedding day budget with jackets for hire from £100, trousers £50 and waistcoats £45. Traditional wedding hire starts at £48 for a tailcoat suit. Where do you get it? One of the 250 Burton stores nationwide.

So what’s your man wearing on the big day?
Email amanda@weddingpath.com

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