GREAT EXPECTATIONS
The Groom
I didn’t really know what to expect once Sarah and I decided to get married. I was the first among my friends to get engaged and I have no siblings. The family weddings I attended with my parents were a long time ago. That left me with no reference point except a bunch of chick-flicks. Those movies made it clear that the bride is the star of the day and the groom only plays a supporting role. I wasn’t really concerned about that because I didn’t really care about getting married, I just knew I wanted to be married and married to Sarah.
Sarah, as it turns out, had different ideas about the wedding planning. We have always made decisions together, so I don’t know why it surprised me that she wanted my input on the wedding theme, the wedding favors and the table runners – except that I didn’t even know what those things were. The wedding favors were the biggest mystery. We’re giving gifts to our guests for coming to our wedding and bringing gifts?
My dad told me my one and only job was to “show up on time”. Turns out, things have changed a lot since he got married. I talked to some of my buddies and they said I had to choose a best man, ushers (or groomsmen) and help organize my bachelor party. Their advice was a bit short on accuracy, too, because even small, casual weddings in your almost-in-laws’ backyard require a lot of decisions.
What kind of food did we want? Were we having the ceremony and the reception in Sarah’s parents’ backyard? Did we want the insert in our wedding invitations to be card stock or vellum? Should the guys’ ties match the girls’ dresses or should they coordinate? What gifts were Sarah and I planning to give the members of our wedding party? (Again with the gifts. I thought the gifts went to the bride and groom.) And speaking of gifts – what is a gift registry and why does a microwave qualify but a big screen TV doesn’t?
And a speech. At the reception. In front of friends, family and a whole lot of people I didn’t know. Yikes! Just stand up in front of a bunch of people and tell everyone how wonderful Sarah is and how much you love her. No pressure! There were a few times when I just wanted to grab Sarah and run off to Vegas to get married.
But all that changed as I was standing at the altar. Sarah is attractive – even in a t-shirt and sweat pants – but when I turned around and saw her walking down the aisle with her dad, I got a big lump in my throat. I would have cried if my best man hadn’t poked me in the ribs. I couldn’t believe how beautiful Sarah was! That made everything worthwhile. Absolutely no regrets about the wedding planning.
What about your experience as a groom? Post a comment.
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