11 common mistakes that grooms should avoid on their wedding day

JOE

Brought to you by Dermot Culhane Photography.

Simple tips to keep in mind on the big day.

So your other half has said yes, you have a date and you’ve roped in three of your best friends/brothers to ensure that you don’t mess it up. It’s really happening.

You’re now ready to stand up in front of your nearest and dearest and profess your undying love for this person. It’s a beautiful thing but it can be just a bit daunting. This is going to be one of those days that you always remember so what should you avoid to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible?

1. Staying out all night

It’s tempting to stay at the bar with all your mates and family on the eve of the wedding. Just remember that you’ll feel every pint on what can be a pretty long day. The last thing you want is to be dying. And even the most skilled photographer will struggle to make you look good if you were on the tear until 6am.

2. Wearing your wedding shoes for the first time

Yeah, those shiny new shoes looked nice when you took them out of the box on the morning of the wedding. Nine hours later, your feet are bleeding, your face is a mask of pain and you never want to wear shoes again. The moral of the story is break your shoes in before the big day.

3. Being late

One of the simplest but most important jobs for the groom is to get to the ceremony on time. It’s OK for the bride to be late but the groom doesn’t get that luxury. You don’t want your other half doing laps of the town because they’re waiting for you to arrive.

4. Not trying when it comes to photographs

There’s nothing worse than getting the wedding album back and being disappointed. So work with the photographer on the day if you want to get the best results. Of course, booking a great photographer helps! Dermot Culhane is an award-winning photographer who specialises in naturalistic photos and capturing the defining moments on the day.

5. Getting your friends to fill in for professionals

So your mate Paul cooks up a mean pasta. That doesn’t mean he can cater for 100 people at a wedding. Likewise, your friend Marion may have a DSLR but that doesn’t mean she’s a photographer or that she can even shoot in focus. It may be more expensive but hiring professionals to do important roles ensures that you’ll have a day to remember.

6. Doing edgy jokes at the speech

Hold! Don’t be tempted to do that controversial joke about your new mother-in-law. It’s not big, it’s not clever and it’s unlikely to go down well. Plus, you’ll have to remember that cringey moment at every awkward family occasion for the next 40 years.

7. Getting stressed out

Deep breaths. Find a happy place. It’s just one day and there’s no point being stressed out. All you really have to master is saying “I do.” The best man’s there to handle all the stressful bits so use him as a buffer zone between you and any madness.

8. Winging the speech

Even Oscar Wilde would have thought twice about ad-libbing a wedding speech. The chances are that you’re no Oscar Wilde. It doesn’t have to be long, or even funny, but sketch down everything you want to say to relieve the nerves on the day. It’s a simple way to achieve some quality control.

9. Getting hammered

Everyone wants to buy you a drink and you’ll want to relax once the ceremony and the pics and the speeches are all over. You deserve a drink to celebrate! Just don’t be the drunken groom who gets carried up to bed while the entire wedding party shakes their heads.

10. Trying to be all things to all men (and women)

You want all your guests to be happy and to enjoy themselves. Still, that doesn’t mean you can do everything for everyone. If Uncle Seamus loses his car keys, someone other than the groom is better placed to help.

11. Abandoning your bride

The happy couple will always try to get around to everyone on the day. It’s a tricky balance but don’t lose sight of the fact that this is all about the two of you. Your new spouse won’t thank you if you abandon her to your crazy cousins while you spend hours at the bar with your mates. Make sure you touch base every so often and take the time to share the day together.

Getting the right photographer is one of the most important things you can do when planning your wedding. Dermot Culhane is an award-winning photographer who specialises in wedding photography. He captures authentic wedding images that tell the real story of the day.

In 2016, Dermot received the Irish Professional Photographers Association’s National Wedding Photographer of the Year. He has also been awarded the IPPA Best Contemporary Wedding Image of the year, Wedding Portfolio of the year and Wedding Reportage Photographer of the year. For more information, see his website.