by chris easter of themanregistry.com

At The Man Registry, we get the chance to meet lots of newlyweds, and more specifically, grooms. Over the past year, we’ve talked to hundreds of men who have taken “the plunge” and gotten married.  We always like to ask them what they liked, disliked and wish they had known about the wedding experience beforehand. We do get some pretty interesting answers (some of which can’t be shared here); however there are a few things that seem to come up over and over again.

We thought we’d help future grooms out there a bit by sharing some of these things so they can be better prepared. Here is our list of top five things that grooms wish they had known before planning their wedding.

Vendor’s gratuity
If gratuity isn’t included in your contract with a wedding vendor, it’s considered courtesy to tip a wedding vendor. For the groom’s side of the wedding, this would include caterers at the rehearsal dinner, the limo driver, and a DJ or band. Tipping the Wedding Officiants isn’t necessary, but it’s nice to present them with a donation to the church.

Fathers’ Tuxes
If you’re renting tuxes, another common courtesy is to pick up the tab for the father-of-the-groom and father-of-the-bride. A lot of tux shops will give you a free rental if you book a certain number of tuxedos. Many grooms just pass the free rental on to one of the fathers.

Drink slowly at the reception
We’re not telling you to cut back on your fun at the reception, but just keep in mind that anytime anyone sees you with an empty hand at the reception, they’ll promptly fill it with a drink. By the end of the night, it’s easy to be feeling shaky and wonder how it happened.

Get in on the shower fun
A lot of guys assume that the wedding shower festivities are just for the bride. All grooms should be aware of the growing trend of couples and “man” wedding showers and the many wedding gifts for men that are out there to be had.

Destination weddings are affordable
It’s natural to hear the word “destination wedding” and immediately think that it’s out of your price range. The truth is quite the contrary. While you do pay for travel and lodging, most resorts do offer packages that include everything you will need. Think of all the money that will be saved that would normally go to wedding vendors.

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Chris Easter is co-founder of TheManRegistry.com  – the leading online resource and wedding registry for engaged men. The site offers a unique wedding registry for men, personalized gift ideas and a wealth of content aimed at helping men make it through the wedding planning process in one piece.