Why a groom should listen to his bride (within reason)

Get Organised

Whether you’re hiring a kilt or you’ve got one that’s been sitting in your wardrobe for years, your wedding outfit is not something you should leave to the last minute, as your bride-to-be has probably already told you. You do not want to be one of those grooms who discovers his jacket’s too tight the night before the wedding. The longer you leave it the more limited your options will be, so get it sorted now and then you can relax. Try the whole outfit on as soon as you can, and then look after it properly – store it in a safe place to avoid any nasty Meet The Parents moments.

Make a Special Effort

Many grooms* enjoy giving the impression that they’re really not bothered about such trivial things as how they look or what they wear. Real men concern themselves with much more important issues, like the Champions League, car engines and the Nintendo Wii, don’t they? It’s almost as if the time spent feigning bewilderment with her footwear obsession is somehow directly proportionate to the testosterone racing round your body. But whatever manly façade you like to portray in front of your mates, we know that somewhere very deep down you do care about making her proud on the day. And that includes a pride in your appearance. Wanting to look your best is nothing to be ashamed of, even if you can’t admit it out loud. So take a deep breath and go for a shave at the barber’s to avoid stubble rash; go on, be brave, use conditioner just this once. It is as special an occasion as there’s ever likely to be, so book yourself in for a manicure – honestly, lots of men do it these days!

* If you’re a ‘modern man’ (ie you belong to the new generation of men who openly moisturise, think nothing of getting chest hair waxed and are probably not much older than 25) please ignore this paragraph as we’d be preaching to the converted.

Put Yourself in the Bride’s Shoes (not literally)

Some grooms object to being told, rather than asked, what to wear on the wedding day. Now we do understand that this behaviour by your beloved may come as a bit of a shock to you. In every other area of life you’re very much your own man, but when it comes to this wedding malarkey it seems that suddenly, she’s the boss. Before you start writing up that prenup, consider it from her perspective. She’s probably been planning the day for several months (at least) and can actually imagine the celebration in her head. If she closes her eyes she can see the flowers in the church, the bouquets the bridesmaids are carrying, she can see how the reception venue looks and how everything – tables, cakes, mothers and more – matches beautifully. She wants it not only to be a perfect day but to look just right too. It doesn’t mean she’s bossy or anally retentive (necessarily), she’s just spent a hell of a lot longer thinking about the details than you have. And you must admit that, generally, women do tend to have a better eye for these things.

Follow Her Lead

Your fianceé may have naively assumed that as you’ve never really cared about what you wore in the past, you would be happy to follow her lead in this department. This is where you decide to trust her; you accept that a chocolate brown and diamond blue colour scheme will look stunning, and if that means you have to wear a blue tie even though you’re a lifelong Celtic fan, so be it. Obviously, if she wants you to wear something that you just wouldn’t feel comfortable in, you should talk to her. We’re not saying you should bite your tongue if she’s just about to order a baby pink kilt with a polka dot jacket, but don’t object just to make a point.

In one practical sense, you do have to trust her judgement on this one. Not because married men do what they’re told but because she has the added bonus of knowing what she’s wearing – whereas tradition dictates that you don’t. And understandably she wants the two of you to look good together, so that people say, ‘Aww, don’t they make a lovely couple…’ and suchlike. And let’s face it, unless you are one of those rare male specimens who is both straight and in touch with his aesthetic side, she’s probably much more well-equipped than you are to be project manager on this task.

Be Yourself

Now we’re all for grooms making an effort so that they look great on the wedding day, but don’t go mad will you? A manicure ensures your hands don’t spoil many a wedding pic, a facial (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it) is one of the best ways to dispel wedding nerves and leaves your skin looking great. Some grooms will even try out a fake tan to give themselves a healthy glow on the day. But you don’t want to give her a shock at the altar, so maybe a radical new hair colour or coloured contacts is best discussed in advance. At the end of the day all she wants to see is you looking your best, so if you’ve made it into the shower and smell nice, she’ll be happy. As long as you wear that luminous pink tie that is...