While planning a wedding can leave one harrowed by ?the big day,? there are some strategies both brides and grooms can use to make events go as smoothly as possible. Common sense needs to rule the day no matter what goes wrong; and rest assured, all won?t go exactly as planned. If both brides and grooms are on board with making the wedding day go as smoothly as possible, even the mishaps can be seen as favorite memories in the days and years to come.

In most situations, brides have planned most of the wedding. This fact does not mean, however, that the groom can just sit back and watch while the bride works herself into a frenzy by the wedding day.

If you as a groom do not know what to do to help, just ask! Ask your bride for a list of things that you can do to help her. If she says she?ll handle it all herself, it may be time to put in a call to her mother. Those extra brownie points never hurt, anyway. If you are the recipient of a to-do list, just do it! Even if the items don?t seem important to you, complete the list in its entirety, on time.

If we look at the traditional role for the groom in planning a wedding, we?ll see that the groom is usually responsible for planning the honeymoon. If this is the case for you, make sure to confirm every single reservation you have made for the trip. For more tips on honeymoon planning, be sure to check out www.travelblogger.info.

The day before the wedding, make sure to pack everything you need for the ceremony, reception, and honeymoon. If you don?t know what you need, ask for help. If the bride is too busy, ask a female friend or your own mother. Everything needs to be done before the day of the wedding. If nothing else, it will start you marriage out on the right foot!

An important responsibility for the groom before the wedding is purchasing a gift for your bride. Make sure this gift, along with the ring and all honeymoon documents, is packed in a secure place. Write the location down on your hand if you have to, just don?t forget where you put these necessities.

During the rehearsal dinner, make sure you give a toast to your future in-laws. Again, the brownie points! Tell them how wonderful they must be in order to raise such a wonderful daughter, etc. Don?t forget your own parents in the toast either. Be sure to thank them for all they?ve done for you.

A key point of advice is to severely limit, if not curtail all together, consuming alcoholic beverages the day before and the day of the wedding. Being respectful to your bride, family, and guests is extremely important. You don?t want your guests feeling sorry for your bride for marrying an inconsiderate lush!

On the day of the wedding, be to the church exactly as scheduled. Photographers usually start taking pictures two hours before the ceremony. The photographer will photograph the bride for about 45 minutes and the groom for about 30 minutes. Even if you think you?ll just be sitting around (which may happen), be there on time anyway. Now would be a good time to get in a last game of poker with your buddies before getting married if you find yourself with nothing to do.

Truly, the groom?s responsibilities for the week of the wedding can be summed up in one word: courtesy. Show courtesy to your bride by being available to assist her any way you can. Show courtesy to your family by remembering them in toasts. Show courtesy to your guests by being on your best behavior. Finally, show courtesy to yourself. You will have to live with every decision you make during the week and day of your wedding. Be the kind of person you would want your daughter to marry some day.

Pepper Montero