Boss Groomsman Tips
Some years ago I was involved in 5 weddings in 10 weekends. This list of rules came out of that experience.
Most of these are easy.
* It's easier to be the boss when you're local, or at least driving.
Tougher to be the go-to guy if you don't have a car or know your way around.
General Tips:
1. Be early, everything with a wedding takes longer than expected. Always.
2. Let the couple know that you're there to help, getting married is super stressful. There's always something they've forgotten to do. Maybe you can handle it. Forgotten flowers for mothers, check for the church, there's always something
3. Do you own a nice umbrella? Or several? Bring them, at least in the car, to all events. Golf umbrella probably best.
4. Travel with a basic medicine cabinet. Advil, Pepto Bismol.
5. A package of bottled water might make you a hero (a legend if cold).
6. Wrinkle releaser spray
Ahead of the wedding:
1. Get contact info for all the groomsmen, and all the rented tuxedos. Call 'em TeamTuxedo in a group text or something.
2. Volunteer to get folks at the airport. Particularly TeamTuxedo.
3. When you get setup with your tuxedo, make sure you now how it all goes together. This preps you to look smooth and be helpful later when others are struggling.
4. Volunteer to help return tuxedos post wedding. There's always drama with this. Always. People flying in, somebody's cousin is a lazy dumbass, whatever.
5. Travel with cash, small bills, singles. Bartenders, valets need tips. Look like you've been there. Some weddings do things with cash, I've seen it thrown at the couple while dancing. I've seen it pinned to the bride's veil. You never know what tradition you might get surprised by.
Rehearsal Dinner Night:
1. Don't be on-time to the rehearsal. Be early, assist in picking up other members of TeamTuxedo and get them there. When the wedding planner is looking around, you want them to see the full groomsmen crew ready to rock.
2. Have a flask, fill it with something easy going. Think Basil Hayden, not Wild Turkey. If you're local, maybe have a traveler for refills.
3. Carry a change of clothes (or several) to be prepped for whatever happens after rehearsal dinner. Pub, hot tub, chilling in a room, club?
4. If you live near rehearsal dinner location, offer to host informal gathering after.
Wedding Day:
1. Most weddings do photos while the groomsmen are dressing and such these days. Be early, if they aren't going to provide food and drink, pick something up. Donuts, sandwiches, something. Maybe not alcohol.
2. Have your phone charger with you, maybe even have a cord for other types of phones. If you have one of those battery things, bring it.
3. I don't know why the ushering is so hard. Be friendly, make small talk. If someone is by themselves (particularly women) introduce them to someone friendly that you know and have already seated.
4. Carry a comb with you (a clean one, not that nasty one).
5. Consider carrying some extra pins in case someone has trouble with a boutonniere.
6. Black electrical tape might solve a small tuxedo problem such that it isn't obvious in the pictures.
7. Have a needle and black thread (maybe a couple black buttons) and know how to sew on a button. This shit can make you a GD HERO.
8. Consider getting a hotel room if you can afford it. Especially if you don't live nearby. Time is always short on wedding days.
9. During the reception, for some reason they always plan dinner for the bride and groom. They never plan drinks. Bride and groom are always busy talking to someone and they never get to have a drink. Get drinks for them. Check-in every 20 minutes or so.
10. Consider having a small appropriate towel (or two) if there's to be a lot of dancing, bride and groom will be sweating.
11. Tip the bartenders, if you can, even if it's an open bar. You want the bartender to remember you. (you'll be getting drinks for bride and groom too)
12. *THIS ONE IS A BITCH* at the end of the night, collect the rented tuxedos. It's a complete pain in the ass, but if possible go through them before you go to bed. Some dumbass will have left his bowtie in the bathroom or his vest on a chair. You have their numbers from the group text earlier. Track that shit down.
13. Carry with you a change of clothes for whatever might come after reception. Pub, hot tub, chilling in a room, clubbing?
14. Pack in your car or bag, steamer or iron or both for dealing with wrinkles in ties and shirts.
15. Roll with a nice lint roller.
16. A small tube of super glue can save the day. Shoe repairs, broken ties and so on.
17. Women wearing fancy dresses and heels need help getting out of cars and dealing with stairs. Be there.
