Grooming the Groom: A Guy's Guide for Getting Wedding Ready

Grooms, we all know that if it were left up to you, you’d take a hands-off approach to the wedding planning details, but there is one important wedding essential element that you should most certainly put on your big day to-do list: grooming. While most of the attention of the day—OK, all attention—will be lavished upon your lovely bride, that doesn’t give you a pass to neglect your own manly maintenance. Besides, your wife-to-be will want to see her guy standing there as handsome as ever, so a little manscaping is necessary for looking your best on the one day you’ll remember most. Here, we offer five easy suggestions for getting spiffy, and for showing guests just why she said "yes" in the first place!

A shave and a haircut . . .

It’s time to remove all shags, eye-covering bangs (unless it’s your personal style, of course) and other hairy disguises you sport day in and day out. In other words, get a haircut! As a wedding essential grooming rule of thumb, you should meet with the barber at least one week before any big event (i.e. your wedding) to give your hair time to adjust to the new cut, and to give yourself time to practice styling options. This goes for removing unwanted facial hair as well. Ask the barber to touch up your moustache, beard and neckline (and that pesky nose hair!) while taking a seat in his chair.

Man-icures

If you have to wonder when's the last time you cut your fingernails, it’s probably time to cut them again. Keeping your nails nice and neat is not only required for social acceptance…it’s simply good wedding essential hygiene. Several spas and nail care centers offer manicure services just for men that will clip, file and buff nails to manly perfection. Yeah, you might feel a little weird going in for the service, but it’s actually quite therapeutic (Who wouldn’t want an intense hand massage every once in awhile?). So be a good sport and show your digits some love.

Pearly whites for your white wedding

Another go-to place for wedding essential grooming is the dentist’s office. Schedule an appointment for a cleaning to get your choppers in picture-perfect condition. If you notice a little discoloration, fret not. There are tons of teeth whitening options on the market that are quick, easy and painless. If you don’t have time for multiple dental visits (or the $400 to spend on the procedure), ask your dentist to recommend a few over the counter products to use in the comfort of your own home.

Give good facial

To keep skin smooth and blemish free, facials are the way to go. Estheticians work their magic extracting blackheads, opening pores, and cleansing and toning skin for an even, more youthful appearance. Most wedding essential facials take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour or more to complete, and they're a great way to relieve pre-wedding stress. Since estheticians often use powerful acne treatments and products on your skin that aren't sold in drugstores, schedule facials and skin treatments at least a week and a half before your wedding day to monitor any reactions or breakouts.

The scent of love

Most women will agree: there’s nothing better than guy who smells fresh and clean. Whether it’s a yummy aftershave, crave-worthy cologne or plain old soap and water, add a bit of aromatic essence to go along with your fancy new wedding essential look. After all, a great-smelling groom is like the icing on the [wedding] cake.

So grooms the moral of the story is this: proper grooming isn't only a ritual for the trendy metrosexual. It's much needed for your wedding planning too! So put a little thought into your clean-up efforts. Your bride will be just that much more excited with the finished product!